Events
Pre-1600
*
404 BC – Admiral
Lysander
Lysander (; ; 454 BC – 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an end. He then played ...
and King
Pausanias of Sparta
Pausanias () was the Agiad King of Sparta; the son of Pleistoanax. He ruled Sparta from 445 BC to 427 BC and again from 409 BC to 395 BC. He was the leader of the faction in Sparta that opposed the imperialist policy conducted by Lysander.
Pa ...
blockade Athens and bring the
Peloponnesian War
The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...
to a successful conclusion.
*
775 – The
Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
rebellion against the
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
. Muslim control over the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...
is solidified and its Islamization begins, while several major Armenian ''
nakharar'' families lose power and their remnants flee to 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 ...
.
*
799 – After mistreatment and
disfigurement
Disfigurement is the state of having one's appearance deeply and persistently harmed medically, such as from a disease, birth defect, or wound. General societal attitudes towards disfigurement have varied greatly across cultures and over time ...
by the citizens of Rome,
Pope Leo III
Pope Leo III (; died 12 June 816) was bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 26 December 795 to his death on 12 June 816. Protected by Charlemagne from the supporters of his predecessor, Adrian I, Leo subsequently strengthened Charlem ...
flees to the
Frankish court of king
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
at
Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...
for protection.
*
1134 – The name
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
was mentioned for the first time in the Felician Charter relating to the establishment of the Zagreb Bishopric around 1094.
1601–1900
*
1607
Events
January–March
* January 13 – The Bank of Genoa fails.
* January 19 – San Agustin Church, Manila, is officially completed; by the 21st century it will be the oldest church in the Philippines.
* January 30 – ...
–
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
: The Dutch fleet
destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at
Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
.
*
1644
It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+(-10(X)+50(L))+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1644).
Events
January–March
* January 22 – The Royalist Oxford Parliament is first assembled by King Cha ...
–
Transition from Ming to Qing
The transition from Ming to Qing (or simply the Ming-Qing transition) or the Manchu conquest of China from 1618 to 1683 saw the transition between two major dynasties in Chinese history. It was a decades-long conflict between the emerging Qing ...
: The
Chongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor (6 February 1611 – 25 April 1644), personal name Zhu Youjian, courtesy name Deyue,Wang Yuan (王源),''Ju ye tang wen ji'' (《居業堂文集》), vol. 19. "聞之張景蔚親見烈皇帝神主題御諱字德約,行� ...
, the last Emperor of
Ming China
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, commits suicide during a peasant rebellion led by
Li Zicheng
Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by his nickname, the Thunder King, was a Chinese Late Ming peasant rebellions, peasant rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644 and ruled over northe ...
.
*
1707
In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 1 – John V is crowned King of Portugal and the Algarv ...
– A coalition of Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal is defeated by a Franco-Spanish army at
Almansa (Spain) in the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
.
*
1792
Events
January–March
* January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea.
* January 25 – The London Corresponding Society is founded.
* February 18 – Thomas Holcrof ...
–
Highwayman
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to foo ...
Nicolas J. Pelletier becomes the first person executed by
guillotine
A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
.
* 1792 – "
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "".
The French Na ...
" (the French
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
) is composed by
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.
*
1808
Events January–March
* January 1
** The importation of slaves into the United States is formally banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect. However Americans still continue the slave trade by transpor ...
–
Dano-Swedish War of 1808–1809: The
Battle of Trangen took place at Trangen in
Flisa,
Hedemarkens Amt, between Swedish and Norwegian troops.
*
1829
Events
January–March
* January 19 – August Klingemann's adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust'' premieres in Braunschweig.
* February 27 – Battle of Tarqui: Troops of Gran Colombia and Peru battle to a draw.
* Marc ...
–
Charles Fremantle arrives in
HMS ''Challenger'' off the coast of modern-day
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
prior to declaring the
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just ''Swan River'', was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, an ...
for the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
.
*
1846
Events
January–March
* January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom.
* January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon betwee ...
–
Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, triggering the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
.
*
1849
Events
January–March
* January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series (France), Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps.
* January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisc ...
– The
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...
,
Lord Elgin, signs the
Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
's
English population and triggering the
Montreal Riots.
*
1859 – British and French engineers break ground for the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
.
*
1862
Events
January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria.
* January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
–
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 ...
: Forces under
U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...
demand the surrender of the
Confederate city of
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
.
*
1864
Events
January
* January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
– American Civil War: In the
Battle of Marks' Mills, a force of 8,000
Confederate soldiers attacks 1,800
Union soldiers and a large number of wagon
teamster
A teamster in American English is a truck driver; a person who drives teams of draft animals; or a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union. In some places, a teamster was called a carter, the name referring to the ...
s, killing or wounding 1,500 Union combatants.
*
1882 –
French and
Vietnamese troops clashed in
Tonkin
Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the ...
, when Commandant
Henri Rivière seized the
citadel of Hanoi with a small force of marine infantry.
*
1892
In Samoa, this was the only leap year spanned to 367 days as July 4 repeated. This means that the International Date Line was drawn from the east of the country to go west.
Events
January
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins processing imm ...
–
Véry bombing during the ''
Ère des attentats'' (1892–1894)
*
1898
Events
January
* January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
–
Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
: The United States Congress
declares that a state of war between the U.S. and Spain has existed since April 21, when an American naval
blockade
A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force.
A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...
of the Spanish colony 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 ...
began.
1901–present
*
1901 –
New York becomes the first U.S. state to require automobile license plates.
*
1915 –
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 ...
: The
Battle of Gallipoli begins: The invasion of the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula by British, French, Indian, Newfoundland, Australian and New Zealand troops, begins with landings at
Anzac Cove and
Cape Helles.
*
1916 –
Anzac Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...
is commemorated for the first time on the first anniversary of the landing at ANZAC Cove.
*
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
– At the
San Remo conference, the principal
Allied Powers of World War I adopt a resolution to determine the allocation of Class "A"
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate represented a legal status under international law for specific territories following World War I, involving the transfer of control from one nation to another. These mandates served as legal documents establishing th ...
s for administration of the former
Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East.
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
–
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
issues the Law Against Overcrowding in Schools and Universities limiting the number of Jewish students able to attend public schools and universities.
*
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 ...
–
U.S. Supreme Court delivers its opinion in ''
Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins'' and overturns a century of federal common law.
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
– The
United Negro College Fund is incorporated.
*
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
–
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 ...
:
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
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 ...
reconnaissance troops meet in
Torgau and
Strehla
Strehla (; , ) is a small town in the district of Meißen, Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, north of Riesa. This place name means ''arrow'' in Sorbian. Strehla includes the following subdivisions:
*Forberge
*Görzig/Trebnitz
...
along the River
Elbe
The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
, cutting the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
'' of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
in two. This would be later known as
Elbe Day
Elbe Day, April 25, 1945, is the day Soviet and American troops met at the Elbe River, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe. This contact between the Soviets, advancing from the east, and ...
.
* 1945 – World War II:
Liberation Day (Italy)
Liberation Day ( ), also known as the Anniversary of Italy's Liberation (), Anniversary of the Resistance (), or simply 25 April ( ), is a national holiday in Italy that commemorates the victory of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Ge ...
: The
National Liberation Committee for Northern Italy calls for a general uprising against the German occupation and the
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...
.
* 1945 –
United Nations Conference on International Organization
The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), commonly known as the San Francisco Conference, was a convention of delegates from 50 Allies of World War II, Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 194 ...
: Founding negotiations for the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
begin in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.
* 1945 – World War II: The last German troops retreat from Finnish soil in Lapland, ending the
Lapland War. Military actions of the Second World War end in Finland.
*
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 ...
–
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
: Assaulting Chinese forces are forced to withdraw after heavy fighting with UN forces, primarily made up of Australian and Canadian troops, at the
Battle of Kapyong.
*
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 ...
–
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the Nucleic acid doub ...
and
James Watson
James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) is an American molecular biology, molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist. In 1953, he co-authored with Francis Crick the academic paper in ''Nature (journal), Nature'' proposing the Nucleic acid ...
publish "
Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" describing the
double helix
In molecular biology, the term double helix refers to the structure formed by base pair, double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids such as DNA. The double Helix, helical structure of a nucleic acid complex arises as a consequence of its Nuclei ...
structure of
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
.
*
1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
– The first practical
solar cell
A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect. is publicly demonstrated by
Bell Telephone Laboratories
Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...
.
*
1959
Events
January
* January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
– The
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The St. Lawrence Seaway () is a system of rivers, locks, canals and channels in Eastern Canada and Northern United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America, as far inland ...
, linking the North American
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping.
*
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events January
* Janu ...
– The United States Navy submarine completes the
first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
*
1961
Events January
* January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union.
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
–
Robert Noyce
Robert Norton Noyce (December 12, 1927 – June 3, 1990), nicknamed "the Mayor of Silicon Valley", was an American physicist and entrepreneur who co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel Corporation in 1968. He was also credited w ...
is granted a
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...
for an
integrated circuit
An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a set of electronic circuits, consisting of various electronic components (such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors) and their interconnections. These components a ...
.
*
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, ...
–
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 ...
:
Nguyen Hue Offensive: The
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
ese 320th Division forces 5,000
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
ese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of
Kontum
Kon Tum is the capital city of Kon Tum province, Kon Tum Province in Vietnam. It is located inland in the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Central Highlands region of Vietnam, near the borders of Laos and Cambodia.
Historically, this area has been in ...
.
*
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
–
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
: A leftist military
coup in Portugal overthrows the authoritarian-conservative ''
Estado Novo'' regime.
*
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 ...
– One hundred forty-six people are killed when
Dan-Air Flight 1008 crashes near
Los Rodeos Airport in
Tenerife
Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
,
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
.
*
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
– More than 100 workers are exposed to radiation during repairs of at the
Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
*
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
–
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
completes its withdrawal from the
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...
per the
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retre ...
.
*
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
–
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
: American schoolgirl
Samantha Smith is invited to visit 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 ...
by its leader
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov ( – 9 February 1984) was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from late 1982 until his death in 1984. He previously served as the List of Chairmen of t ...
after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
.
* 1983 – ''
Pioneer 10
''Pioneer 10'' (originally designated Pioneer F) is a NASA space probe launched in 1972 that completed the first mission to the planet Jupiter. ''Pioneer 10'' became the first of five artificial objects to achieve the escape velocity needed ...
'' travels beyond
Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...
's orbit.
*
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
–
Violeta Chamorro
Violeta Barrios Torres de Chamorro (; 18 October 1929 – 14 June 2025) was a Nicaraguan politician who served as the 55th president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1997. She was the country's first female president. Previously, she was a member of ...
takes office as the
President of Nicaragua
The co-presidents of Nicaragua (), officially known as the presidency of the Republic of Nicaragua (), are the heads of state and head of government, government of Nicaragua.
The office was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until ...
, the first woman to hold the position.
*
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
– President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
pledges U.S. military support in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
*
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 ...
– The
March for Women's Lives brings over one million protesters, mostly pro-choice, to Washington D.C. to protest the
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and other restrictions on
abortion
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
.
*
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
– The final piece of the
Obelisk of Axum is returned to
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 ...
after being stolen by the invading Italian army in
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...
.
* 2005 – A seven-car commuter train
derails and crashes into an apartment building near
Amagasaki Station in Japan, killing 107, including the driver.
* 2005 –
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
and
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
sign the
Treaty of Accession 2005 to join the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
.
*
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
–
Boris Yeltsin's funeral: The first to be sanctioned by the
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...
for a head of state since the funeral of Emperor
Alexander III in 1894.
*
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
Flint water crisis
The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly ''Legionella'' bacteria.
In April 2014, during a financial crisis, ...
begins when officials at
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...
switch the city's water supply to the
Flint River, leading to
lead
Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...
and
bacteria contamination.
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
– At least 8,962 are killed in Nepal after
a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1214 –
Louis IX of France
Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...
(died 1270)
*
1228 –
Conrad IV of Germany
Conrad (25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was the only son of Emperor Frederick II from his second marriage with Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem. He inherited the title of King of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) u ...
(died 1254)
*
1284 –
Edward II of England
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
(died 1327)
*
1287
Year 1287 (Roman numerals, MCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* January 17 – Aragonese forces led by King Alfonso III of Aragon, Alfonso III (the Liberal) conquer t ...
–
Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March
Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful marcher lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marr ...
, English politician,
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...
(died 1330)
*
1502 –
Georg Major, German theologian and academic (died 1574)
*
1529 –
Francesco Patrizi, Italian philosopher and scientist (died 1597)
*
1599 –
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
, English general and politician,
Lord Protector of Great Britain (died 1658)
1601–1900
*
1621
Events
January–March
* January 12 – Şehzade Mehmed, the 15-year old half-brother of Ottoman Sultan Osman II, is put to death by hanging on Osman's orders. Before dying, Mehmed prays aloud that Osman's reign as Sultan be r ...
–
Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, English soldier and politician (died 1679)
*
1666
This is the first year to be designated as an ''Annus mirabilis'', in John Dryden's 1667 Annus Mirabilis (poem), poem so titled, celebrating Kingdom of England, England's failure to be beaten either by the Dutch or by fire.
Events
Januar ...
–
Johann Heinrich Buttstett
Johann Heinrich Buttstett (also ''Buttstedt'', ''Buttstädt'') (25 April 1666 – December 1, 1727) was a German Baroque organist and composer. Although he was Johann Pachelbel's most important pupil and one of the last major exponents of the Germ ...
, German organist and composer (died 1727)
*
1694 –
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington
Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork (25 April 1694 – 4 December 1753) was a British architect and noble often called the "Apollo of the Arts" and the "Architect Earl". The son of the 2nd Earl of Burlington and 3rd Ear ...
, English architect and politician,
Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (died 1753)
*
1710 –
James Ferguson James Ferguson may refer to:
Entertainment
* Jim Ferguson (born 1948), American jazz and classical guitarist
* Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, past member of Lotion (band), Lotion
* Jim Ferguson, American movie critic, Board of Directors member ...
, Scottish astronomer and author (died 1776)
*
1723 –
Giovanni Marco Rutini, Italian composer (died 1797)
*
1725 –
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel, English admiral and politician (died 1786)
*
1767 –
Nicolas Oudinot, French general (died 1847)
*
1770
Events January– March
* January 1 – The foundation of Fort George, Bombay is laid by Colonel Keating, principal engineer, on the site of the former Dongri Fort.
* February 1 – Thomas Jefferson's home at Shadwell, Vi ...
–
Georg Sverdrup
Georg Sverdrup (born Jørgen Sverdrup; 25 April 1770 – 8 December 1850) was a Norwegian statesman, best known as one of the presidents of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll Manor in 1814. He was a member of the Norwegian Parlia ...
, Norwegian philologist and academic (died 1850)
*
1776
Events January–February
* January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
* January ...
–
Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (25 April 1776 – 30 April 1857) was the eleventh child and fourth daughter of King George III and his consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
She married her first cousin, Prince William Fr ...
(died 1857)
*
1843
Events January–March
* January 3 – The '' Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms'' (海國圖志, ''Hǎiguó Túzhì'') compiled by Wei Yuan and others, the first significant Chinese work on the West, is published in China.
* J ...
–
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom
Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary; 25 April 1843 – 14 December 1878) was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine from 13 June 1877 until her death in 1878 as the wife of Grand Duke Louis IV. She was the third child and second daughter of Queen ...
(died 1878)
*
1849
Events
January–March
* January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series (France), Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps.
* January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisc ...
–
Felix Klein
Felix Christian Klein (; ; 25 April 1849 – 22 June 1925) was a German mathematician and Mathematics education, mathematics educator, known for his work in group theory, complex analysis, non-Euclidean geometry, and the associations betwe ...
, German mathematician and academic (died 1925)
*
1850
Events
January–March
* January 29 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the United States Congress.
* January 31 – The University of Rochester is founded in Rochester, New York.
* January – Sacramento, Ca ...
–
Luise Adolpha Le Beau, German composer and educator (died 1927)
*
1851
Events
January–March
* January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion in China, one of the bloodiest revolts that would lead to 20 million deaths.
* January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-d ...
–
Leopoldo Alas, Spanish author, critic, and academic (died 1901)
*
1854 –
Charles Sumner Tainter
Charles Sumner Tainter (April 25, 1854 – April 20, 1940) was an American scientific instrument maker, engineer and inventor, best known for his collaborations with Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell, Alexander's father-in-law Gardiner Hubba ...
, American engineer and inventor (died 1940)
*
1862
Events
January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria.
* January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
–
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon
Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician who was the main force behind British foreign policy i ...
, English ornithologist and politician,
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, also known as the foreign secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, Government of the United Kingdo ...
(died 1933)
*
1868 –
John Moisant, American pilot and engineer (died 1910)
*
1871
Events January–March
* January 3 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Bapaume – Prussians win a strategic victory.
* January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...
–
Lorne Currie, French-English sailor (died 1926)
*
1872
Events January
* January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years.
*January 20 – The Cavite mutiny was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort S ...
–
C. B. Fry, English cricketer, footballer, educator, and politician (died 1956)
*
1873
Events January
* January 1
** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar.
** The California Penal Code goes into effect.
* January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
–
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fi ...
, English poet, short story writer, and novelist (died 1956)
* 1873 –
Howard Garis, American author, creator of the Uncle Wiggily series of children's stories (died 1962)
*
1874 –
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquess of Marconi ( ; ; 25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegraphy, wireless tel ...
, Italian businessman and inventor, developed
Marconi's law,
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 1937)
* 1874 –
Ernest Webb, English-Canadian race walker (died 1937)
*
1876
Events
January
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
*January 27 – The Northampton Bank robbery occurs in Massachusetts.
February
* Febr ...
–
Jacob Nicol, Canadian publisher, lawyer, and politician (died 1958)
*
1878
Events January
* January 5 – Russo-Turkish War: Battle of Shipka Pass IV – Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire.
* January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy.
* January 17 – Russo-Turkish War: ...
–
William Merz, American gymnast and triathlete (died 1946)
*
1882 –
Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (died 1976)
*
1887
Events January
* January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher.
* January 20
** The United States Senate allows the United States Navy to lease Pearl Har ...
–
Kojo Tovalou Houénou, Beninese lawyer and critic (died 1936)
*
1892
In Samoa, this was the only leap year spanned to 367 days as July 4 repeated. This means that the International Date Line was drawn from the east of the country to go west.
Events
January
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins processing imm ...
–
Maud Hart Lovelace, American author (died 1980)
*
1896 –
Fred Haney
Fred Girard Haney (April 25, 1896 – November 9, 1977) was an American third baseman, manager, coach and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves. He late ...
, American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1977)
*
1897
Events
January
* January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City.
* January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a punitive expedit ...
–
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
Mary, Princess Royal (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary; 25 April 1897 – 28 March 1965) was a member of the British royal family. She was the only daughter of King George V and Mary of Teck, Queen Mary, the sister of kings Edward VIII and George VI ...
(died 1965)
*
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
–
Gladwyn Jebb, English politician and diplomat,
Secretary-General of the United Nations
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
(died 1996)
* 1900 –
Wolfgang Pauli
Wolfgang Ernst Pauli ( ; ; 25 April 1900 – 15 December 1958) was an Austrian theoretical physicist and a pioneer of quantum mechanics. In 1945, after having been nominated by Albert Einstein, Pauli received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the ...
, Austrian-Swiss-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 1958)
1901–present
*
1902 –
Werner Heyde, German psychiatrist and academic (died 1964)
* 1902 –
Mary Miles Minter, American actress (died 1984)
*
1903 –
Andrey Kolmogorov
Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov ( rus, Андре́й Никола́евич Колмого́ров, p=ɐnˈdrʲej nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ kəlmɐˈɡorəf, a=Ru-Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov.ogg, 25 April 1903 – 20 October 1987) was a Soviet ...
, Russian mathematician and academic (died 1987)
*
1905 –
George Nēpia, New Zealand rugby player and referee (died 1986)
*
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
–
Joel Brand, member of the Budapest Aid and Rescue Committee (died 1964)
* 1906 –
William J. Brennan Jr., American colonel and
Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...
(died 1997)
*
1908 –
Edward R. Murrow, American journalist (died 1965)
*
1909 –
William Pereira
William Leonard Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, who was noted for his Futurist architecture#Post-modern futurism, futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamer ...
, American architect, designed the
Transamerica Pyramid (died 1985)
*
1910
Events
January
* January 6 – Abé people in the French West Africa colony of Côte d'Ivoire rise against the colonial administration; the rebellion is brutally suppressed by the military.
* January 8 – By the Treaty of Punakha, t ...
–
Arapeta Awatere, New Zealand interpreter, military leader, politician, and murderer (died 1976)
*
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 ...
–
Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (died 2014)
* 1911 –
George Roth, American gymnast (died 1997)
*
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 ...
–
Earl Bostic
Eugene Earl Bostic (April25, 1913October28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing music, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, whi ...
, American saxophonist (died 1965)
*
1913
Events January
* January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city.
* January 3 &ndash ...
–
Nikolaos Roussen, Greek captain (died 1944)
*
1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...
–
Ross Lockridge Jr., American author and academic (died 1948)
*
1915 –
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features ...
, American journalist and author (died 1978)
*
1916 –
Jerry Barber, American golfer (died 1994)
*
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
–
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
, American singer (died 1996)
* 1917 –
Jean Lucas, French racing driver (died 2003)
*
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 ...
–
Graham Payn, South African-born English actor and singer (died 2005)
* 1918 –
Gérard de Vaucouleurs, French-American astronomer and academic (died 1995)
* 1918 –
Astrid Varnay
Ibolyka Astrid Maria Varnay (25 April 1918 – 4 September 2006) was a Swedish-born American dramatic soprano of Hungarian descent. She spent most of her career in the United States and Germany. She was one of the leading Wagnerian heroic soprano ...
, Swedish-American soprano and actress (died 2006)
*
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
–
Finn Helgesen, Norwegian speed skater (died 2011)
*
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
–
Karel Appel
Christiaan Karel Appel (; 25 April 1921 – 3 May 2006) was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s. He was one of the founders of the avant-gard ...
, Dutch painter and sculptor (died 2006)
*
1923
In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
–
Francis Graham-Smith, English astronomer and academic
* 1923 –
Melissa Hayden, Canadian ballerina (died 2006)
* 1923 –
Albert King
Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...
, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 1992)
*
1924 –
Ingemar Johansson
Jens Ingemar "Ingo" Johansson (; 22 September 1932 – 30 January 2009) was a Swedish professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1963. He held the world heavyweight title from 1959 to 1960, and was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside ...
, Swedish race walker (died 2009)
* 1924 –
Franco Mannino, Italian pianist, composer, director, and playwright (died 2005)
* 1924 –
Paulo Vanzolini
Paulo Emilio Vanzolini (; April 25, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Brazilian scientist and music composer. He was best known for his samba compositions, including the famous ''"Ronda", "Volta por Cima"'', and ''"Boca da Noite"'', and for his sc ...
, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (died 2013)
*
1925
Events January
* January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
–
Tony Christopher, Baron Christopher, English trade union leader and businessman
* 1925 –
Sammy Drechsel, German comedian and journalist (died 1986)
* 1925 –
Louis O'Neil, Canadian academic and politician (died 2018)
*
1926
In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
–
Johnny Craig, American author and illustrator (died 2001)
* 1926 –
Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner, Austrian politician (died 2008)
* 1926 –
Patricia Castell, Argentine actress (died 2013)
*
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
–
Corín Tellado, Spanish author (died 2009)
* 1927 –
Albert Uderzo
Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo (), was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration wit ...
, French author and illustrator (died 2020)
*
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...
–
Cy Twombly, American-Italian painter and sculptor (died 2011)
*
1929 –
Yvette Williams, New Zealand long jumper, shot putter, and discus thrower (died 2019)
*
1930 –
Paul Mazursky
Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (; April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards for '' ...
, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2014)
* 1930 –
Godfrey Milton-Thompson, English admiral and surgeon (died 2012)
* 1930 –
Peter Schulz, German lawyer and politician,
Mayor of Hamburg
The government of Hamburg is divided into Executive (government), executive, Legislature, legislative and judiciary, judicial branches. Hamburg is a city-state and municipality, and thus its governance deals with several details of both state and ...
(died 2013)
*
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
–
Felix Berezin, Russian mathematician and physicist (died 1980)
* 1931 –
David Shepherd, English painter and author (died 2017)
*
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 ...
–
Nikolai Kardashev, Russian astrophysicist (died 2019)
* 1932 –
Meadowlark Lemon, African-American basketball player and minister (died 2015)
* 1932 –
Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu (; 25 April 1932 – 9 January 1998) was a Romanian discus thrower who won one gold and two bronze Olympic medals. She was the first track and field athlete to compete at six Olympics (1952–1972).
Early life; sports and educat ...
, Romanian discus thrower and politician (died 1998)
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
–
Jerry Leiber, American songwriter and producer (died 2011)
* 1933 –
Joyce Ricketts, American baseball player (died 1992)
*
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
–
Peter McParland, Northern Irish footballer and manager
*
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
–
Bob Gutowski, American pole vaulter (died 1960)
* 1935 –
Reinier Kreijermaat, Dutch footballer (died 2018)
*
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 ...
–
Henck Arron, Surinamese banker and politician, 1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Suriname (died 2000)
*
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 ...
–
Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist and engineer (died 2012)
* 1938 –
Ton Schulten, Dutch painter and graphic designer
*
1939
This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
–
Tarcisio Burgnich, Italian footballer and manager (died 2021)
* 1939 –
Michael Llewellyn-Smith, English academic and diplomat
* 1939 –
Robert Skidelsky, Baron Skidelsky, English historian and academic
* 1939 –
Veronica Sutherland, English academic and British diplomat
*
1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
*Janu ...
–
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
, American actor and director
*
1941
The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
–
Bertrand Tavernier
Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Life and career
Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...
, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2021)
* 1941 –
Dorothy Shea
Dorothy Camille Shea is an American career diplomat. In January 2025, she was appointed United States ambassador to the United Nations after serving as the deputy ambassador in 2024. Shea was the List of ambassadors of the United States to Leban ...
, Australian librarian (died 2024)
*
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 ...
–
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl ( ; born April 25, 1942) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1995 to 2013. Following the death of John McCain in 2018, Kyl briefly returned to the Senate; his resignatio ...
, American lawyer and politician
*
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 � ...
– Tony Christie, English singer-songwriter and actor
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
– Len Goodman, English dancer (died 2023)
* 1944 – Mike Kogel, German singer-songwriter
* 1944 – Stephen Nickell, English economist and academic
* 1944 – Bruce Ponder, English geneticist and cancer researcher
*
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
– Stu Cook, American bass player Creedence Clearwater Revival, songwriter, and producer
* 1945 – Richard C. Hoagland, American theorist and author
* 1945 – Björn Ulvaeus, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
*1946 – Talia Shire, American actress
* 1946 – Peter Sutherland, Irish lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Ireland (died 2018)
* 1946 – Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian colonel, lawyer, and politician (died 2022)
*1947 – Johan Cruyff, Dutch footballer and manager (died 2016)
* 1947 – Jeffrey DeMunn, American actor
* 1947 – Cathy Smith, Canadian singer and drug dealer (died 2020)
*1948 – Mike Selvey, English cricketer and sportscaster
* 1948 – Yu Shyi-kun, Taiwanese politician, 39th Premier of the Republic of China
*1949 – Vicente Pernía, Argentinian footballer and race car driver
* 1949 – Dominique Strauss-Kahn, French economist, lawyer, and politician, Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry (France), French Minister of Finance
* 1949 – James Fenton, English poet, journalist and literary critic
*1950 – Donnell Deeny, Northern Irish lawyer and judge
* 1950 – Steve Ferrone, English drummer
* 1950 – Peter Hintze, German politician (died 2016)
* 1950 – Valentyna Kozyr, Ukrainian high jumper
*
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 ...
– Ian McCartney, Scottish politician, Minister of State for Trade
*1952 – Ketil Bjørnstad, Norwegian pianist and composer
* 1952 – Vladislav Tretiak, Russian ice hockey player and coach
* 1952 – Jacques Santini, French footballer and coach
*
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 ...
– Ron Clements, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
* 1953 – Gary Cosier, Australian cricketer
* 1953 – Anthony Venables, English economist, author, and academic
*
1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
– Melvin Burgess, English author
* 1954 – Randy Cross, American football player and sportscaster
* 1954 – Róisín Shortall, Irish educator and politician
*1955 – Américo Gallego, Argentinian footballer and coach
* 1955 – Parviz Parastui, Iranian actor and singer
* 1955 – Zev Siegl, American businessman, co-founded Starbucks
*1956 – Dominique Blanc, French actress, director, and screenwriter
* 1956 – Abdalla Uba Adamu, Nigerian professor, media scholar
*1957 – Theo de Rooij, Dutch cyclist and manager
*1958 – Mike DeVault, American politician
* 1958 – Fish (singer), Fish, Scottish singer-songwriter
* 1958 – Misha Glenny, British journalist
*
1959
Events
January
* January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
– Paul Madden (diplomat), Paul Madden, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia
* 1959 – Daniel Kash, Canadian actor and director
* 1959 – Tony Phillips, American baseball player (died 2016)
*
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events January
* Janu ...
– Paul Baloff, American singer (died 2002)
* 1960 – Robert Peston, English journalist
*
1961
Events January
* January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union.
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
– Dinesh D'Souza, Indian-American journalist and author
* 1961 – Miran Tepeš, Slovenian ski jumper
*1962 – Foeke Booy, Dutch footballer and manager
*1963 – Joy Covey, American businesswoman (died 2013)
* 1963 – David Moyes, Scottish footballer and manager
* 1963 – Paul Wassif, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
*1964 – Hank Azaria, American actor, voice artist, comedian and producer
* 1964 – Andy Bell (singer), Andy Bell, English singer-songwriter
*1965 – Eric Avery, American bass player and songwriter
* 1965 – Mark Bryant (basketball), Mark Bryant, American basketball player and coach
* 1965 – John Henson (puppeteer), John Henson, American puppeteer and voice actor (died 2014)
*1966 – Diego Domínguez (rugby union), Diego Domínguez, Argentinian-Italian rugby player
* 1966 – Femke Halsema, Dutch sociologist, academic, and politician
* 1966 – Darren Holmes (baseball), Darren Holmes, American baseball player and coach
*1967 – Angel Martino, American swimmer
*1968 – Thomas Strunz, German footballer
*1969 – Joe Buck, American sportscaster
* 1969 – Martin Koolhoven, Dutch director and screenwriter
* 1969 – Jon Olsen, American swimmer
* 1969 – Darren Woodson, American football player and sportscaster
* 1969 – Renée Zellweger, American actress and producer
*1970 – Jason Lee (actor), Jason Lee, American skateboarder, actor, comedian and producer
*1971 – Sara Baras, Spanish dancer
*1973 – Carlota Castrejana, Spanish triple jumper
* 1973 – Barbara Rittner, German tennis player
*1975 – Jacque Jones, American baseball player and coach
*1976 – Gilberto da Silva Melo, Brazilian footballer
* 1976 – Tim Duncan, American basketball player
* 1976 – Breyton Paulse, South African rugby player
* 1976 – Rainer Schüttler, German tennis player and coach
*1977 – Constantinos Christoforou, Cypriot singer-songwriter
* 1977 – Marguerite Moreau, American actress and producer
* 1977 – Matthew West, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
*1978 – Matt Walker (swimmer), Matt Walker, English swimmer
*
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 ...
– Daniel MacPherson, Australian actor and television host
* 1980 – Alejandro Valverde, Spanish cyclist
*
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
– Felipe Massa, Brazilian racing driver
* 1981 – John McFall (athlete), John McFall, English sprinter
* 1981 – Anja Pärson, Swedish skier
*
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
– Monty Panesar, English cricketer
*
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 ...
– Johnathan Thurston, Australian rugby league player
* 1983 – DeAngelo Williams, American football player
*1985 – Giedo van der Garde, Dutch racing driver
*1986 – Alexei Emelin, Russian ice hockey player
* 1986 – Gwen Jorgensen, American triathlete
* 1986 – Claudia Rath, German heptathlete
*1987 – Razak Boukari, Togolese footballer
* 1987 – Jay Park, American-South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
*1988 – Jonathan Bailey, English actor
* 1988 – Sara Paxton, American actress
* 1988 – James Sheppard, Canadian ice hockey player
*1989 – Marie-Michèle Gagnon, Canadian skier
* 1989 – Michael van Gerwen, Dutch darts player
* 1989 – Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama
*
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
– Jean-Éric Vergne, French racing driver
* 1990 – Taylor Walker (footballer), Taylor Walker, Australian footballer
*1991 – Jordan Poyer, American football player
* 1991 – Alex Shibutani, American ice dancer
*1993 – Alex Bowman, American race car driver
* 1993 – Daniel Norris (baseball), Daniel Norris, American baseball player
* 1993 – Raphaël Varane, French footballer
*1994 – Omar McLeod, Jamaican hurdler
* 1994 – Maggie Rogers, American musician
* 1994 – Sam Fender, English singer-songwriter and musician
*1995 – Lewis Baker (footballer), Lewis Baker, English footballer
* 1995 – Packy Hanrahan, American bowler
*1996 – Mack Horton, Australian swimmer
*1998 – Satou Sabally, German-American basketball player
*2000 – Dejan Kulusevski, Swedish footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
* 501 – Rusticus (archbishop of Lyon), Rusticus, saint and archbishop of Lyon (born 455)
*
775 – Smbat VII Bagratuni, Armenian prince
* 775 – Mushegh VI Mamikonian, Armenian prince
* 908 – Zhang Wenwei, Chinese Chancellor of the Tang dynasty, chancellor
*1074 – Herman I, Margrave of Baden
*1077 – Géza I of Hungary (born 1040)
*1185 – Emperor Antoku of Japan (born 1178)
*1217 – Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia
*
1228 – Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem (born 1212)
*1243 – Boniface of Valperga, Bishop of Aosta
*1264 – Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, medieval English nobleman; Earl of Winchester (born 1195)
*1295 – Sancho IV of Castile (born 1258)
*1342 – Pope Benedict XII (born 1285)
*1397 – Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, English nobleman
*1472 – Leon Battista Alberti, Italian author, poet, and philosopher (born 1404)
*1516 – John Yonge, English diplomat (born 1467)
*1566 – Louise Labé, French poet and author (born 1520)
* 1566 – Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II of France (born 1499)
*1595 – Torquato Tasso, Italian poet and songwriter (born 1544)
1601–1900
*1605 – Naresuan, Siamese King of Ayutthaya Kingdom (born c. 1555)
*
1644
It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+(-10(X)+50(L))+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1644).
Events
January–March
* January 22 – The Royalist Oxford Parliament is first assembled by King Cha ...
–
Chongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor (6 February 1611 – 25 April 1644), personal name Zhu Youjian, courtesy name Deyue,Wang Yuan (王源),''Ju ye tang wen ji'' (《居業堂文集》), vol. 19. "聞之張景蔚親見烈皇帝神主題御諱字德約,行� ...
of China (born 1611)
*1660 – Henry Hammond, English cleric and theologian (born 1605)
*1690 – David Teniers the Younger, Flemish painter and educator (born 1610)
*1744 – Anders Celsius, Swedish astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (born 1701)
*
1770
Events January– March
* January 1 – The foundation of Fort George, Bombay is laid by Colonel Keating, principal engineer, on the site of the former Dongri Fort.
* February 1 – Thomas Jefferson's home at Shadwell, Vi ...
– Jean-Antoine Nollet, French minister, physicist, and academic (born 1700)
*1800 – William Cowper, English poet (born 1731)
*1840 – Siméon Denis Poisson, French mathematician and physicist (born 1781)
*
1873
Events January
* January 1
** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar.
** The California Penal Code goes into effect.
* January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
– Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy, Russian painter and sculptor (born 1783)
*1875 – 12th Dalai Lama (born 1857)
*
1878
Events January
* January 5 – Russo-Turkish War: Battle of Shipka Pass IV – Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire.
* January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy.
* January 17 – Russo-Turkish War: ...
– Anna Sewell, English author (born 1820)
*1890 – Crowfoot, Canadian tribal chief (born 1830)
*1891 – Nathaniel Woodard, English priest and educator (born 1811)
*
1892
In Samoa, this was the only leap year spanned to 367 days as July 4 repeated. This means that the International Date Line was drawn from the east of the country to go west.
Events
January
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins processing imm ...
– Henri Duveyrier, French explorer (born 1840)
* 1892 – Karl von Ditmar, Estonian-German geologist and explorer (born 1822)
1901–present
*
1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
– John Knowles Paine, American composer and educator (born 1839)
*
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 ...
– Emilio Salgari, Italian journalist and author (born 1862)
*
1913
Events January
* January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city.
* January 3 &ndash ...
– Joseph-Alfred Archambeault, Canadian bishop (born 1859)
*
1915 – Frederick W. Seward, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Assistant Secretary of State (born 1830)
*
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
– Augustus D. Juilliard, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1836)
*
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
– Emmeline B. Wells, American journalist and women's rights advocate (born 1828)
*
1923
In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
– Louis-Olivier Taillon, Canadian lawyer and politician, 8th Premier of Quebec (born 1840)
*
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...
– Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, Russian general (born 1878)
*
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 ...
– Wajed Ali Khan Panni, Bengali aristocrat and philanthropist (born 1871)
*
1941
The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
– Salih Bozok, Turkish commander and politician (born 1881)
*
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 � ...
– Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian director, producer, and playwright (born 1858)
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
– George Herriman, American cartoonist (born 1880)
* 1944 – Tony Mullane, Irish-American baseball player (born 1859)
* 1944 – William Stephens (American politician), William Stephens, American engineer and politician, 24th Governor of California (born 1859)
*
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
– Huldreich Georg Früh, Swiss composer (born 1903)
*1950 – John Ernest Adamson, English educationalist and Director of Education of the Colony of Transvaal (born 1867)
*
1961
Events January
* January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union.
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
– Robert Garrett, American discus thrower and shot putter (born 1875)
*1970 – Anita Louise, American actress (born 1915)
*
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, ...
– George Sanders, English actor (born 1906)
*1973 – Olga Grey, Hungarian-American actress (born 1896)
*
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
– Gustavo R. Vincenti, Maltese architect and developer (born 1888)
*1975 – Mike Brant, Israeli singer and songwriter (born 1947)
*1976 – Carol Reed, English director and producer (born 1906)
* 1976 – Markus Reiner, Israeli engineer and educator (born 1886)
*
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
– John Cody, American cardinal (born 1907)
*
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 ...
– William S. Bowdern, American priest and author (born 1897)
*1988 – Carolyn Franklin, American singer-songwriter (born 1944)
* 1988 – Clifford D. Simak, American journalist and author (born 1904)
*
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
– Dexter Gordon, American saxophonist, composer, and actor (born 1923)
*1992 – Mamoru Nakamura, Palauan jurist (born 1939/1940)
* 1992 – Yutaka Ozaki, Japanese singer-songwriter (born 1965)
*1995 – Art Fleming, American game show host (born 1925)
* 1995 – Ginger Rogers, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1911)
* 1995 – Lev Shankovsky, Ukrainian military historian (born 1903)
*1996 – Saul Bass, American graphic designer and director (born 1920)
*1998 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (born 1910)
*1999 – Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, Irish journalist and author (born 1914)
* 1999 – Roger Troutman, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1951)
*2000 – Lucien Le Cam, French mathematician and statistician (born 1924)
* 2000 – David Merrick, American director and producer (born 1911)
*
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
– Michele Alboreto, Italian racing driver (born 1956)
*2002 – Lisa Lopes, American rapper and dancer (born 1971)
*2003 – Samson Kitur, Kenyan runner (born 1966)
*
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 ...
– Thom Gunn, English-American poet and academic (born 1929)
*
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
– Jim Barker (politician), Jim Barker, American politician (born 1935)
* 2005 – Swami Ranganathananda, Indian monk and educator (born 1908)
*2006 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (born 1916)
* 2006 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent member of parliament (born 1948)
*
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
– Alan Ball Jr., English footballer and manager (born 1945)
* 2007 – Arthur Milton, English footballer and cricketer (born 1928)
* 2007 – Bobby Pickett, American singer-songwriter (born 1938)
*2008 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English trumpet player, composer, and radio host (born 1921)
*2009 – Bea Arthur, American actress and singer (born 1922)
*2010 – Dorothy Provine, American actress and singer (born 1935)
* 2010 – Alan Sillitoe, English novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (born 1928)
*2011 – Poly Styrene, British musician (born 1957)
*2012 – Gerry Bahen, Australian footballer (born 1929)
* 2012 – Denny Jones, American rancher and politician (born 1910)
* 2012 – Moscelyne Larkin, American ballerina and educator (born 1925)
* 2012 – Louis le Brocquy, Irish painter and illustrator (born 1916)
*2013 – Brian Adam, Scottish biochemist and politician (born 1948)
* 2013 – Jacob Avshalomov, American composer and conductor (born 1919)
* 2013 – György Berencsi, Hungarian virologist and academic (born 1941)
* 2013 – Rick Camp, American baseball player (born 1953)
*
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 ...
– Dan Heap, Canadian priest and politician (born 1925)
* 2014 – William Judson Holloway Jr., American soldier, lawyer, and judge (born 1923)
* 2014 – Earl Morrall, American football player and coach (born 1934)
* 2014 – Tito Vilanova, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1968)
* 2014 – Stefanie Zweig, German journalist and author (born 1932)
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
– Jim Fanning, American-Canadian baseball player and manager (born 1927)
* 2015 – Matthias Kuhle, German geographer and academic (born 1948)
* 2015 – Don Mankiewicz, American screenwriter and novelist (born 1922)
* 2015 – Mike Phillips (basketball), Mike Phillips, American basketball player (born 1956)
*2016 – Tom Lewis (Australian politician), Tom Lewis, Australian politician, 33rd Premier of New South Wales (born 1922)
*2018 – Madeeha Gauhar, Pakistani actress, playwright and director of social theater, and women's rights activist (born 1956)
*2019 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (born 1940)
*2023 – Harry Belafonte, American singer, activist, and actor (born 1927)
*2024 – Marla Adams, American television actress (born 1938)
*2024 – Laurent Cantet, French director, cinematographer and screenwriter (born 1961)
Holidays and observances
*
Anzac Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...
(Australia, New Zealand, Tonga)
* Christian feast day:
** Giovanni Battista Piamarta
** Rogation Day, Major Rogation (Western Christianity)
** Feast of Saint Mark, Mark the Evangelist
** Maughold
** Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur
** Philo and Agathopodes
** Pope Anianus of Alexandria, Anianus of Alexandria
** April 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
* Freedom Day (Portugal), Freedom Day (Portugal)
* Liberation Day (Italy), Liberation Day (Italy)
* Military Foundation Day (North Korea)
* World Malaria Day
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on April 25
{{months
Days of April