August 5
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:


Events


Pre-1600

* AD 25
Guangwu Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Han dy ...
claims the throne as
Emperor of China Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine mandat ...
, restoring the
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
after the collapse of the short-lived
Xin dynasty The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped th ...
. * 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the
Second Temple The Second Temple () was the Temple in Jerusalem that replaced Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC), Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. It was constructed around 516 BCE and later enhanced by Herod ...
in Jerusalem are extinguished. * 642Battle of Maserfield:
Penda of Mercia Penda (died 15 November 655)Manuscript A of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' gives the year as 655. Bede also gives the year as 655 and specifies a date, 15 November. R. L. Poole (''Studies in Chronology and History'', 1934) put forward the theor ...
defeats and kills Oswald of Northumbria. * 910 – The last major Danish army to raid
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
for nearly a century is defeated at the
Battle of Tettenhall The Battle of Tettenhall (sometimes called the Battle of Wednesfield or Wōdnesfeld) took place, according to the chronicler Æthelweard (historian), Æthelweard, near Tettenhall on 5 August 910. The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex met an a ...
by the allied forces of
Mercia Mercia (, was one of the principal kingdoms founded at the end of Sub-Roman Britain; the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlan ...
and
Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...
, led by King
Edward the Elder Edward the Elder (870s?17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousi ...
and
Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians Æthelred (died 911) became Lord of the Mercians in England shortly after the death or disappearance of Mercia's last king, Ceolwulf II, in 879. He is also sometimes called the Ealdorman of Mercia. Æthelred's rule was confined to the wester ...
. * 939 – The Battle of Alhandic is fought between
Ramiro II of León Ramiro II ( 900 – 1 January 951), son of Ordoño II of León, Ordoño II and Elvira Menendez, was a Kingdom of León, King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of the kingdom, he gained the crown of Le ...
and
Abd-ar-Rahman III ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Rabdī ibn Hishām ibn Abd al-Rahman I, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil (; 890–961), or simply ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III, was the Umayyad dyna ...
at Zamora in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. The battle resulted in a victory for the
Emirate of Córdoba An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalen ...
. * 1068
Byzantine–Norman wars The Byzantine–Norman wars were a series of military conflicts between the Normans and the Byzantine Empire fought from 1040 to 1186 involving the Hauteville family, Norman-led Kingdom of Sicily in the west, and the Principality of Antioch in t ...
: Italo-Normans begin a nearly-three-year siege of Bari. * 1100Henry I is crowned
King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...
in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
. * 1278Spanish Reconquista: the forces of the
Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; : ) was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile (, ), as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Ca ...
initiate the ultimately futile Siege of Algeciras against the
Emirate of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Emirate, Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western ...
. * 1305First Scottish War of Independence: Sir John Stewart of Menteith, the pro-English Sheriff of Dumbarton, successfully manages to capture Sir William Wallace of Scotland, leading to Wallace's subsequent execution by hanging, evisceration, drawing and quartering, and beheading 18 days later. * 1388 – The Battle of Otterburn, a border skirmish between the Scottish and the English in Northern England, is fought near Otterburn. * 1460 – The Kingdom of Scotland captures Roxburgh, one of the last English strongholds in Scotland, following a siege. *
1506 Year 1506 (Roman numerals, MDVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 14 – The Classical antiquity, classical statue of ''Laocoön and His Sons'' is unearthed in Rome. ...
– The
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
defeats the
Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...
in the Battle of Kletsk. * 1583 – Sir Humphrey Gilbert establishes the first English
colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...
in North America, at what is now St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. * 1600 – The Gowrie Conspiracy against
King James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...
(later to become King James I of England) takes place at Gowrie House (Perth, Scotland).


1601–1900

* 1620 – The ''
Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...
'' departs from
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
, England, carrying would-be settlers, on its first attempt to reach North America; it is forced to dock in Dartmouth when its companion ship, the ''Speedwell'', springs a leak. * 1689Beaver Wars: Fifteen hundred
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
attack Lachine in
New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
. * 1716
Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) The Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) was fought between Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. The 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz was not an acceptable permanent agreement for the Ottoman Empire. Twelve years after Karlowitz, it began the long ...
: One-fifth of a Turkish army and the
Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
are killed in the
Battle of Petrovaradin The Battle of Petrovaradin also known as the Battle of Peterwardein, took place on 5 August 1716 during the Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718), Austro-Turkish War when the Ottoman army besieged the Habsburg-controlled fortress of Petrovaradin on ...
. * 1735
Freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...
: ''New York Weekly Journal'' writer John Peter Zenger is acquitted of seditious libel against the royal governor of New York, on the basis that what he had published was true. * 1763Pontiac's War: Battle of Bushy Run: British forces led by Henry Bouquet defeat
Chief Pontiac Pontiac or Obwaandi'eyaag (c. 1714/20 – April 20, 1769) was an Odawa war chief known for his role in Pontiac's War, the war named for him, from 1763 to 1766 leading Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans in an armed strugg ...
's Indians at Bushy Run. * 1772
First Partition of Poland The First Partition of Poland took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that eventually ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The growth of power in the Russian Empire threatened the Kingdom of Prussia an ...
: The representatives of
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
,
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
sign three bilateral conventions condemning the "anarchy" of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
and imputing to the three powers "ancient and legitimate rights" to the territories of the Commonwealth. The conventions allow each of the three great powers to annex a part of the Commonwealth, which they proceed to do over the course of the following two months. *
1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
– The Battle of Dogger Bank takes place. *
1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital of Upper Can ...
– The Battle of Castiglione in
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's first Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars results in a French victory. * 1816 – The British Admiralty dismisses
Francis Ronalds Sir Francis Ronalds Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (21 February 17888 August 1873) was an English scientist and inventor, and arguably the first History of electrical engineering, electrical engineer. He was knighted for creating the first wo ...
's new invention of the first working
electric telegraph Electrical telegraphy is Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point distance communicating via sending electric signals over wire, a system primarily used from the 1840s until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecom ...
as "wholly unnecessary", preferring to continue using the semaphore. *
1824 Events January–March * January 1 – John Stuart Mill begins publication of The Westminster Review. The first article is by William Johnson Fox * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of th ...
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
: Konstantinos Kanaris leads a Greek fleet to victory against Ottoman and Egyptian naval forces in the Battle of Samos. * 1858Cyrus West Field and others complete the first transatlantic telegraph cable after several unsuccessful attempts. It will operate for less than a month. *
1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...
Charles XV Charles XV or Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''; Swedish language, Swedish and Norwegian language, Norwegian officially: ''Karl''; 3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway, there often referred to as C ...
of Sweden–Norway is crowned king of Norway in
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
. * 1861
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
: In order to help pay for the war effort, the
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
levies the first
income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US$800; rescinded in
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 ...
). * 1861 – The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
abolishes
flogging Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed ...
. *
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: Battle of Baton Rouge: Along the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
near
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
, Confederate troops attempt to take the city, but are driven back by fire from Union gunboats. *
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: The Battle of Mobile Bay begins at
Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. T ...
near
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...
, Admiral
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 ...
leads a Union flotilla through Confederate defenses and seals one of the last major Southern ports. * 1874 – Japan launches its
postal savings system Postal savings systems provide depositors who unbanked, do not have access to banks a safe and convenient method to save money. Many nations have operated banking systems involving post offices to promote saving money among the poor. History I ...
, modeled after a similar system in the United Kingdom. * 1882
Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...
Company of New Jersey, today known as
ExxonMobil Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational List of oil exploration and production companies, oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the Successors of Standard Oil, largest direct s ...
, is established officially. The company would later grow to become the holder of all Standard Oil companies and the entity at the center of the breakup of Standard Oil. * 1884 – The cornerstone for the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
is laid on Bedloe's Island (now Liberty Island) in
New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...
. * 1888
Bertha Benz Bertha Benz (; ; 3 May 1849 – 5 May 1944) was a German automotive pioneer. She was the business partner, investor and wife of automobile inventor Carl Benz. On 5 August 1888, she was the first person to drive an Internal combustion engine, int ...
drives from
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
to
Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the ...
and back in the first long distance automobile trip, commemorated as the Bertha Benz Memorial Route since 2008.


1901–present

* 1901Peter O'Connor sets the first
World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
recognised
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...
of , a record that would stand for 20 years. *
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, ...
Persian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution (, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911 during the Qajar Iran, Qajar era. The revolution led to the establishment of a Majl ...
: Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar, King of Iran, agrees to convert the government to a
constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
. *
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 ...
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 German
minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...
lays a minefield about off the
Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salinit ...
(
Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...
). She is intercepted and sunk by the British light-cruiser . * 1914 – World War I: The guns of Point Nepean fort at Port Phillip Heads in Victoria (Australia) fire across the bows of the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamer which is attempting to leave the Port of Melbourne in ignorance of the declaration of war and she is detained; this is said to be the first Allied shot of the War. * 1914 – In
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, the first electric
traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...
is installed. * 1916 – World War I:
Battle of Romani The Battle of Romani was the last ground attack of the Central Powers on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during the First World War. The battle was fought between 3 and 5 August 1916 near the Egyptian town o ...
: Allied forces, under the command of Archibald Murray, defeat an attacking
Ottoman army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
under the command of Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein, securing 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 ...
and beginning the Ottoman retreat 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 ...
. *
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 ...
Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; , ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left, Welsh nationalist list of political parties in Wales, political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from th ...
is formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...
that is at the time in danger of dying out. *
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 ...
Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping. *
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 ...
The Thirteen Roses: Thirteen female members of the Unified Socialist Youth are executed by Francoist forces in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Spain. *
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 ...
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
: The
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 ...
formally annexes
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
. *
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 ...
– World War II: At least 1,104 Japanese POWs in Australia attempt to escape from a camp at Cowra, New South Wales; 545 temporarily succeed but are later either killed, commit suicide, or are recaptured. * 1944 – World War II: Polish insurgents liberate a German
labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see British and American spelling differences, spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are unfree labour, forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have ...
( Gęsiówka) in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, freeing 348
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
prisoners. * 1944 – World War II: The Nazis begin a week-long massacre of between 40,000 and 50,000 civilians and prisoners of war in
Wola Wola () is a district in western Warsaw, Poland. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it underwent a transformation into a major financial district, featuring various landmarks and some of the tallest offi ...
, Poland. *
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...
– In
Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, an earthquake destroys 50 towns and kills more than 6,000. * 1949 – In
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
, 12 smokejumper firefighters and 1 US Forest Service fire guard are killed in the Mann Gulch Fire. *
1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
– ''American Bandstand'', a show dedicated to the teenage "baby-boomers" by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuts on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. *1960 – Burkina Faso, then known as Republic of Upper Volta, Upper Volta, becomes independent from France. *1962 – Apartheid: Nelson Mandela is jailed. He would not be released until 1990. * 1962 – American actress Marilyn Monroe is Death of Marilyn Monroe, found dead at her home from a drug overdose. *1963 – Cold War: The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. *1964 – Vietnam War: Operation Pierce Arrow: American aircraft from carriers and bomb North Vietnam in retaliation for strikes against U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. *1965 – The Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 begins as Pakistani soldiers cross the Line of Control dressed as locals. *1966 – A group of Red Guards, red guards at Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, Experimental High in Beijing, including Deng Rong and Liu Pingping, daughters of Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi respectively, beat the deputy vice principal, Bian Zhongyun, to death with sticks after accusing her of counter-revolutionary revisionism, producing one of the first fatalities of the Cultural Revolution. *1969 – The Lonesome Cowboys police raid, ''Lonesome Cowboys'' police raid occurs in Atlanta, Georgia, leading to the creation of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front. *1971 – The first Pacific Islands Forum (then known as the "South Pacific Forum") is held in Wellington, New Zealand, with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. *1973 – Mars 6 is launched from the USSR. *1974 – Watergate scandal: President Richard Nixon, under orders of the Supreme Court of the United States, US Supreme Court, releases the Nixon White House tapes, "Smoking Gun" tape, recorded on June 23, 1972, clearly revealing his actions in covering up and interfering investigations into the break-in. His political support vanishes completely. *1979 – In Afghanistan, Maoists undertake the Bala Hissar uprising against the Leninist government. *1981 – President Ronald Reagan Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968), fires 11,359 Strike action, striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work. *1984 – A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27 Friendship 1984 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27 crash, crashes on approach to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Zia International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing all 49 people on board. *1995 – Yugoslav Wars: The city of Knin, Croatia, a significant Serbs, Serb stronghold, is taken by Croatian forces during Operation Storm. The date is celebrated in Croatia as Victory Day (Croatia), Victory Day. *2003 – A 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing, car bomb explodes in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta outside the Marriott International, Marriott Hotel killing 12 and injuring 150. *2008 – The New England Revolution win the 2008 North American SuperLiga final against the Houston Dynamo. *2010 – The 2010 Copiapó mining accident, Copiapó mining accident occurs, trapping 33 Chilean miners approximately below the ground for 69 days. * 2010 – Ten members of International Assistance Mission Nuristan Eye Camp team 2010 Badakhshan massacre, are killed by persons unknown in Kuran wa Munjan District of Badakhshan Province, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. *2012 – The Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting took place in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six victims; the perpetrator committed suicide after being wounded by police. *2015 – The Environmental Protection Agency at 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill, Gold King Mine waste water spill releases three million gallons of toxic heavy metal, heavy metal toxin tailings and waste water into the Animas River in Colorado. *2019 – The Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (state) occurred and the state was bifurcated into two union territories (Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) and Ladakh). *2021 – Australia's second most populous state Victoria (state), Victoria enters its sixth COVID-19 lockdown, enacting stage four restrictions statewide in reaction to six new COVID-19 cases recorded that morning. *2024 – Following the Non-cooperation movement (2024), non-cooperation movement against the Fifth Hasina ministry, government of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and flees the country, ending her rule of 15 consecutive years and a total of almost two decades.


Births


Pre-1600

*79 BC – Tullia (daughter of Cicero), Tullia, Roman daughter of Cicero (died 45 BC) *1262 – Ladislaus IV of Hungary (died 1290) *1301 – Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (died 1330) *1397 – Guillaume Du Fay, Belgian-Italian composer and theorist (died 1474) *1461 – Alexander Jagiellon, Polish king (died 1506) *1540 – Joseph Justus Scaliger, French philologist and historian (died 1609)


1601–1900

*1607 – Antonio Barberini, Italian cardinal (died 1671) *1623 – Antonio Cesti, Italian organist and composer (died 1669) *1626 – Richard Ottley, English politician (died 1670) *1662 – James Anderson (lawyer), James Anderson, Scottish lawyer and historian (died 1728) *1681 – Vitus Bering, Danish-born Russian explorer (died 1741) *1694 – Leonardo Leo, Italian composer (died 1744) *1749 – Thomas Lynch Jr., American commander and politician (died 1779) *1797 – Friedrich August Kummer, German cellist and composer (died 1879) *1802 – Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (died 1829) *1811 – Ambroise Thomas, French composer (died 1896) *1813 – Ivar Aasen, Norwegian poet and linguist (died 1896) *1815 – Edward John Eyre, English explorer and politician, List of Governors of Jamaica, Governor of Jamaica (died 1901) *1827 – Deodoro da Fonseca, Brazilian field marshal and politician, 1st President of Brazil (died 1892) *1828 – Louise of the Netherlands (died 1871) *1833 – Carola of Vasa (died 1907) *1843 – James Scott Skinner, Scottish violinist and composer (died 1927) *1844 – Ilya Repin, Russian painter and sculptor (died 1930) *1850 – Guy de Maupassant, French short story writer, novelist, and poet (died 1893) *
1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...
– Louis Wain, English artist (died 1939) *
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 ...
– Joseph Merrick, English man with severe deformities (died 1890) *1866 – Carl Harries, German chemist and academic (died 1923) * 1866 – Harry Trott, Australian cricketer (died 1917) *1868 – Oskar Merikanto, Finnish pianist and composer (died 1924) *
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 ...
– Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician, bacteriologist, and epidemiologist, founded the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (died 1917) * 1874 – Wesley Clair Mitchell, American economist and academic (died 1948) * 1874 – Horace Rawlins, English golfer (died 1935) *1876 – Mary Ritter Beard, American historian and activist (died 1958) *1877 – Tom Thomson, Canadian painter (died 1917) *1880 – Gertrude Rush, American lawyer and jurist (died 1962) * 1880 – Ruth Sawyer, American author and educator (died 1970) * 1882 – Anne Acheson, Irish sculptor (died 1962) *1887 – Reginald Owen, English-American actor and singer (died 1972) *1889 – Conrad Aiken, American novelist, short story writer, critic, and poet (died 1973) *1890 – Naum Gabo, Russian-American sculptor (died 1977) * 1890 – Erich Kleiber, Austrian conductor and director (died 1956) *1897 – Roberta Dodd Crawford, American soprano and educator (died 1954) * 1897 – Aksel Larsen, Danish lawyer and politician (died 1972) *1900 – Rudolf Schottlaender, German philosopher, classical philologist and translator (died 1988)


1901–present

* 1901 – Claude Autant-Lara, French director, screenwriter, and politician (died 2000) *1904 – Kenneth V. Thimann, English-American botanist and microbiologist (died 1997) *1905 – Wassily Leontief, German-American economist and academic, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999) *
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, ...
– Joan Hickson, English actress (died 1998) * 1906 – John Huston, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1987) *1908 – Harold Holt, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1967) * 1908 – Jose Garcia Villa, Filipino short story writer and poet (died 1997) *1910 – Bruno Coquatrix, French songwriter and manager (died 1979) * 1910 – Herminio Masantonio, Argentinian footballer (died 1956) *1911 – Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor, American actor and singer (died 1969) *1912 – Abbé Pierre, French priest and humanitarian (died 2007) *
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 ...
– Parley Baer, American actor (died 2002) * 1916 – Peter Viereck, American poet and academic (died 2006) *1918 – Tom Drake, American actor and singer (died 1982) * 1918 – Betty Oliphant, English-Canadian ballerina, co-founded Canada's National Ballet School (died 2004) *1919 – Rosalind Hicks, British literary guardian and the only child of author, Agatha Christie (died 2004) *1920 – George Tooker, American painter and academic (died 2011) *1921 – Terry Becker, American actor, director, and producer (died 2014) *1922 – L. Tom Perry, American businessman and religious leader (died 2015) * 1922 – Frank Stranahan, American golfer (died 2013) *1923 – Devan Nair, Malaysian-Singaporean union leader and politician, 3rd President of Singapore (died 2005) *
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 ...
– Betsy Jolas, French composer * 1926 – Jeri Southern, American jazz singer and pianist (died 1991) *1929 – Don Matheson, American soldier, police officer, and actor (died 2014) *1929 – John H. Moore II, American lawyer and judge (died 2013) *1930 – Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut (died 2012) * 1930 – Damita Jo DeBlanc, American comedian, actress, and singer (died 1998) * 1930 – Richie Ginther, American race car driver (died 1989) * 1930 – Michal Kováč, Slovak lawyer and politician, 1st President of Slovakia (died 2016) *1931 – Tom Hafey, Australian footballer and coach (died 2014) *1932 – Tera de Marez Oyens, Dutch pianist and composer (died 1996) * 1932 – Vladimir Fedoseyev, Russian conductor *1934 – Karl Johan Åström, Swedish engineer and theorist * 1934 – Wendell Berry, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist * 1934 – Gay Byrne, Irish radio and television host (died 2019) *1935 – Michael Ballhaus, German director and cinematographer (died 2017) * 1935 – Peter Inge, Baron Inge, English field marshal (died 2022) * 1935 – Roy Benavidez, American soldier, Medal of Honor Winner (died 1998) *1936 – Nikolai Baturin, Estonian author and playwright (died 2019) * 1936 – John Saxon, American actor (died 2020) *1937 – Herb Brooks, American ice hockey player and coach (died 2003) * 1937 – Brian G. Marsden, English-American astronomer and academic (died 2010) *
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 ...
– Roger Clark (rally driver), Roger Clark, English race car driver (died 1998) * 1939 – Carmen Salinas, Mexican actress and politician (died 2021) *
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 ...
– Bobby Braddock, American country music songwriter, musician, and producer * 1940 – Roman Gabriel, American football player, coach, and actor (died 2024) * 1940 – Rick Huxley, English bass player (died 2013) *1941 – Bob Clark, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2007) * 1941 – Leonid Kizim, Ukrainian general, pilot, and astronaut (died 2010) * 1941 – Airto Moreira, Brazilian-American drummer and composer *1942 – Joe Boyd, American record producer, founded Hannibal Records *1943 – Nelson Briles, American baseball player (died 2005) * 1943 – Sammi Smith, American country music singer-songwriter (died 2005) *
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 ...
– Christopher Gunning, English composer (died 2023) *1945 – Loni Anderson, American actress *1946 – Bruce Coslet, American football player and coach * 1946 – Shirley Ann Jackson, American physicist * 1946 – Rick van der Linden, Dutch keyboard player and songwriter (died 2006) * 1946 – Bob McCarthy, Australian rugby league player and coach * 1946 – Erika Slezak, American actress * 1946 – Xavier Trias, Spanish pediatrician and politician, 118th Mayor of Barcelona *1947 – Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor * 1947 – Bernie Carbo, American baseball player * 1947 – France A. Córdova, American astrophysicist and academic * 1947 – Rick Derringer, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2025) * 1947 – Greg Leskiw, Canadian guitarist and songwriter *1948 – Ray Clemence, English footballer and manager (died 2020) * 1948 – Barbara Flynn, English actress * 1948 – David Hungate, American bass guitarist, producer, and arranger * 1948 – Shin Takamatsu, Japanese architect and academic *1950 – Luiz Gushiken, Brazilian trade union leader and politician (died 2013) * 1950 – Mahendra Karma, Indian lawyer and politician (died 2013) *1951 – Samantha Sang, Australian pop singer *1952 – Tamás Faragó, Hungarian water polo player * 1952 – John Jarratt, Australian actor and producer * 1952 – Louis Walsh, Irish talent manager *1953 – Rick Mahler, American baseball player and coach (died 2005) *1955 – Eddie Ojeda, American guitarist and songwriter *1956 – Christopher Chessun, English Anglican bishop * 1956 – Jerry Ciccoritti, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter * 1956 – Maureen McCormick, American actress *
1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
– Larry Corowa, Australian rugby league player * 1957 – David Gill (executive), David Gill, English businessman *1958 – Ulla Salzgeber, German equestrian *1959 – Pete Burns, English singer-songwriter (died 2016) * 1959 – Pat Smear, American guitarist and songwriter *1960 – David Baldacci, American lawyer and author *1961 – Janet McTeer, English actress * 1961 – Athula Samarasekera, Sri Lankan cricketer and coach * 1961 – Tim Wilson (comedian), Tim Wilson, American comedian, singer-songwriter, and guitarist (died 2014) *1962 – Patrick Ewing, Jamaican-American basketball player and coach * 1962 – Otis Thorpe, American basketball player *1963 – Steve Lee (singer), Steve Lee, Swiss singer-songwriter (died 2010) * 1963 – Ingmar De Vos, Belgian sports administrator * 1963 – Mark Strong, English actor *1964 – Rory Morrison, English journalist (died 2013) * 1964 – Adam Yauch, American rapper and director (died 2012) *1965 – Jeff Coffin, American saxophonist and composer * 1965 – Motoi Sakuraba, Japanese keyboard player and composer *1966 – Jennifer Finch, American singer, bass player, and photographer * 1966 – Jonathan Silverman, American actor and producer *1967 – Matthew Caws, American singer-songwriter and guitarist *1968 – Terri Clark, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1968 – Kendo Kashin, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist * 1968 – Marine Le Pen, French lawyer and politician * 1968 – Oleh Luzhnyi, Ukrainian footballer and manager * 1968 – Colin McRae, Scottish race car driver (died 2007) * 1968 – John Olerud, American baseball player *1969 – Jackie Doyle-Price, English politician * 1969 – Vasbert Drakes, Barbadian cricketer * 1969 – Venkatesh Prasad, Indian cricketer and coach * 1969 – Rob Scott (businessman), Rob Scott, Australian rower *1970 – James Gunn (filmmaker), James Gunn, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter *1971 – Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvian academic and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Latvia *1972 – Ikuto Hidaka, Japanese wrestler * 1972 – Aaqib Javed, Pakistani cricketer and coach * 1972 – Darren Shahlavi, English-American actor and martial artist (died 2015) * 1972 – Jon Sleightholme, English rugby player * 1972 – Theodore Whitmore, Jamaican footballer and manager * 1972 – Christian Olde Wolbers, Belgian-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer *1973 – Paul Carige, Australian rugby league player * 1973 – Justin Marshall, New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster *1974 – Alvin Ceccoli, Australian footballer * 1974 – Kajol, Indian film actress * 1974 – Olle Kullinger, Swedish footballer * 1974 – Antoine Sibierski, French footballer *1975 – Dan Hipgrave, English guitarist and journalist * 1975 – Josep Jufré, Spanish cyclist * 1975 – Eicca Toppinen, Finnish cellist and composer *1976 – Jeff Friesen, Canadian ice hockey player * 1976 – Marians Pahars, Latvian footballer and manager * 1976 – Eugen Trică, Romanian footballer and manager *1977 – Eric Hinske, American baseball player and coach * 1977 – Mark Mulder, American baseball player and sportscaster * 1977 – Michael Walsh (footballer, born 1977), Michael Walsh, English footballer *1978 – Cosmin Bărcăuan, Romanian footballer and manager * 1978 – Kim Gevaert, Belgian sprinter * 1978 – Harel Levy, Israeli tennis player *1979 – David Healy (footballer), David Healy, Irish footballer *1980 – Wayne Bridge, English footballer * 1980 – Salvador Cabañas, Paraguayan footballer * 1980 – Jason Culina, Australian footballer * 1980 – Jesse Williams (actor), Jesse Williams, American actor, director, producer, and political activist *1981 – David Clarke (ice hockey), David Clarke, English ice hockey player * 1981 – Carl Crawford, American baseball player * 1981 – Maik Franz, German footballer * 1981 – Erik Guay, Canadian skier * 1981 – Travie McCoy, American rapper, singer, and songwriter * 1981 – Anna Rawson, Australian golfer * 1981 – Rachel Scott, American murder victim, inspired the Rachel's Challenge (died 1999) *1982 – Jamie Houston, English-German rugby player * 1982 – Lolo Jones, American hurdler * 1982 – Michele Pazienza, Italian footballer * 1982 – Jeff Robson, Australian rugby league player * 1982 – Pete Sell, American mixed martial artist *1984 – Steve Matai, New Zealand rugby league player *1985 – Laurent Ciman, Belgian footballer * 1985 – Salomon Kalou, Ivorian footballer * 1985 – Gil Vermouth, Israeli footballer * 1985 – Erkan Zengin, Swedish footballer *1986 – Paula Creamer, American golfer * 1986 – Kathrin Zettel, Austrian skier *1988 – Michael Jamieson, Scottish-English swimmer * 1988 – Federica Pellegrini, Italian swimmer *1989 – Ryan Bertrand, English footballer * 1989 – Mathieu Manset, French footballer *1991 – Esteban Gutiérrez, Mexican race car driver * 1991 – Konrad Hurrell, Tongan rugby league player * 1991 – Daniëlle van de Donk, Dutch footballer * 1991 – Andreas Weimann, Austrian footballer * 1994 – Natalia García, Spanish rhythmic gymnast *1995 – Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Danish footballer *1996 – Takakeishō Mitsunobu, Japanese sumo wrestler * 1996 – Cho Seung-youn, South Korean singer-songwriter and rapper *1997 – Jack Cogger, Australian rugby league player * 1997 – Olivia Holt, American actress and singer * 1997 – Wang Yibo, Chinese dancer, singer and actor * 1997 – Yungblud, English musician and actor *1998 – Adam Doueihi, Australian-Lebanese rugby league player *1999 – Kim Si-hyeon, South Korean singer *2000 – Tom Gilbert (rugby league), Tom Gilbert, Australian rugby league player *2001 – Anthony Edwards (basketball), Anthony Edwards, American basketball player *2003 – Toni Shaw, British Paralympic swimmer *2004 – Gavi (footballer), Gavi, Spanish footballer


Deaths


Pre-1600

* 553 – Xiao Ji, prince of the Liang dynasty (born 508) * 642 – Eowa of Mercia, Eowa, king of
Mercia Mercia (, was one of the principal kingdoms founded at the end of Sub-Roman Britain; the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlan ...
* 642 – Oswald of Northumbria, Oswald, king of Kingdom of Northumbria, Northumbria * 824 – Emperor Heizei, Heizei, Japanese emperor (born 773) * 877 – Ubayd Allah ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan, Abbasid vizier * 882 – Louis III of France, Louis III, Frankish king (born 863) * 890 – Ranulf II of Aquitaine, Ranulf II, duke of Duchy of Aquitaine, Aquitaine (born 850) * 910 – Eowils and Halfdan, joint kings of Northumbria * 910 – Ingwær, king of Northumbria * 917 – Euthymius I of Constantinople (born 834) * 940 – Li Decheng, Chinese general (born 863) *1063 – Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd *1364 – Emperor Kōgon, Kōgon, Japanese emperor (born 1313) *1415 – Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (born 1375) * 1415 – Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham (born 1370) *1447 – John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter (born 1395) *1579 – Stanislaus Hosius, Polish cardinal (born 1504) * 1600 – John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie, Scottish conspirator (born 1577)


1601–1900

*1610 – Alonso García de Ramón, Spanish soldier and politician, Royal Governor of Chile (born 1552) *1633 – George Abbot (bishop), George Abbot, English archbishop and academic (born 1562) *1678 – Juan García de Zéspedes, Mexican tenor and composer (born 1619) *1729 – Thomas Newcomen, English engineer, invented the eponymous Newcomen atmospheric engine (born 1664) *1743 – John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, English courtier and politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (born 1696) *1778 – Charles Clémencet, French historian and author (born 1703) * 1778 – Thomas Linley the younger, English composer (born 1756) *1792 – Frederick North, Lord North, English politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (born 1732) *1799 – Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, English admiral and politician (born 1726) *1868 – Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes, French archaeologist and historian (born 1788) *1877 – Robert Williams (Trebor Mai), Robert Williams (known as Trebor Mai), Welsh poet (born 1830) *1880 – Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra, Austrian physician and dermatologist (born 1816) *1881 – Spotted Tail, American tribal chief (born 1823) *1895 – Friedrich Engels, German philosopher (born 1820)


1901–present

* 1901 – Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom and German Empress (born 1840) *1904 – George Dibbs, Australian politician, 10th Premier of New South Wales (born 1834) *1911 – Bob Caruthers, American baseball player and umpire (born 1864) * 1916 – George Butterworth, British composer (born 1885) *1921 – Dimitrios Rallis, Greek lawyer and politician, 78th List of Prime Ministers of Greece, Prime Minister of Greece (born 1844) *1929 – Millicent Fawcett, English trade union leader and activist (born 1847) *1933 – Charles Harold Davis, American painter and academic (born 1856) *1935 – David Townsend (art director), David Townsend, American art director and set designer (born 1891) *
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 ...
– Béla Jankovich, Hungarian economist and politician, Minister of Education of Hungary (born 1865) *
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 ...
– Maurice Turnbull, Welsh cricketer and rugby player (born 1906) *1946 – Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (born 1863) *1948 – Montagu Toller, English cricketer and lawyer (born 1871) *1952 – Sameera Moussa, Egyptian physicist and academic (born 1917) *1955 – Carmen Miranda, Portuguese-Brazilian actress and singer (born 1909) *
1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
– Heinrich Otto Wieland, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1877) *1959 – Edgar Guest, English-American journalist and poet (born 1881) *1960 – Arthur Meighen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Canada (born 1874) *1963 – Salvador Bacarisse, Spanish composer (born 1898) *1964 – Moa Martinson, Swedish author (born 1890) * 1964 – Art Ross, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1886) *1968 – Luther Perkins, American guitarist (born 1928) *1978 – Jesse Haines, American baseball player and coach (born 1893) *1980 – Harold L. Runnels, American soldier and politician (born 1924) *1983 – Judy Canova, American actress and comedian (born 1913) * 1983 – Joan Robinson, English economist and author (born 1903) *1984 – Richard Burton, Welsh actor (born 1925) *1985 – Arnold Horween, American football player and coach (born 1898) *1987 – Georg Gaßmann, German politician, Mayor of Marburg (born 1910) *1991 – Paul Brown, American football player and coach (born 1908) * 1991 – Soichiro Honda, Japanese engineer and businessman, founded Honda (born 1906) *1992 – Robert Muldoon, New Zealand politician, 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1921) *1994 – Menachem Avidom, Israeli composer (born 1908) * 1994 – Alain de Changy, Belgian race car driver (born 1922) *1998 – Otto Kretschmer, German commander (born 1912) * 1998 – Todor Zhivkov, Bulgarian commander and politician, 36th Prime Minister of Bulgaria (born 1911) *2000 – Otto Buchsbaum, Austrian-Brazilian journalist and activist (born 1920) * 2000 – Tullio Crali, Montenegrin-Italian pilot and painter (born 1910) * 2000 – Lala Amarnath, Indian cricketer (born 1911) * 2000 – Alec Guinness, English actor (born 1914) *2001 – Otema Allimadi, Ugandan politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Uganda (born 1929) * 2001 – Christopher Skase, Australian-Spanish businessman (born 1948) *2002 – Josh Ryan Evans, American actor (born 1982) * 2002 – Chick Hearn, American sportscaster (born 1916) * 2002 – Franco Lucentini, Italian journalist and author (born 1920) * 2002 – Darrell Porter, American baseball player (born 1952) * 2002 – Matt Robinson (actor), Matt Robinson, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1937) *2005 – Polina Astakhova, Russian gymnast and coach (born 1936) * 2005 – Jim O'Hora, American football player and coach (born 1915) * 2005 – Raul Roco, Filipino lawyer and politician, 31st Secretary of Education (Philippines), Filipino Secretary of Education (born 1941) * 2005 – Eddie Jenkins (footballer, born 1909), Eddie Jenkins, Welsh footballer (born 1909) *2007 – Jean-Marie Lustiger, French cardinal (born 1926) * 2007 – Florian Pittiș, Romanian actor, singer, director, and producer (born 1943) *2008 – Neil Bartlett (chemist), Neil Bartlett, English-American chemist and academic (born 1932) * 2008 – Reg Lindsay, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1929) *2009 – Budd Schulberg, American author, screenwriter, and producer (born 1914) *2011 – Andrzej Lepper, Polish farmer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland (born 1954) * 2011 – Aziz Shavershian, Australian bodybuilder (born 1989) *2012 – Erwin Axer, Polish director and screenwriter (born 1917) * 2012 – Michel Daerden, Belgian lawyer and politician (born 1949) * 2012 – Fred Matua, American football player (born 1984) * 2012 – Martin E. Segal, Russian-American businessman, co-founded Film Society of Lincoln Center (born 1916) * 2012 – Chavela Vargas, Costa Rican-Mexican singer-songwriter and actress (born 1919) * 2012 – Roland Charles Wagner, French author and translator (born 1960) *2013 – Ruth Asawa, American sculptor and educator (born 1926) * 2013 – Shawn Burr, Canadian-American ice hockey player (born 1966) * 2013 – Willie Dunn, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer (born 1942) * 2013 – Roy Rubin (basketball), Roy Rubin, American basketball player and coach (born 1925) * 2013 – May Song Vang, American activist (born 1951) * 2013 – Rob Wyda, American commander and judge (born 1959) *2014 – Harold J. Greene, American general (born 1962) * 2014 – Vladimir Orlov (author), Vladimir Orlov, Russian author (born 1936) * 2014 – Chapman Pincher, Indian-English historian, journalist, and author (born 1914) * 2014 – Jesse Leonard Steinfeld, American physician and academic, 11th Surgeon General of the United States (born 1927) *2015 – Arthur Walter James, English journalist and politician (born 1912) * 2015 – Tony Millington, Welsh footballer (born 1943) *2018 – Alan Rabinowitz, American zoologist (born 1953) *2019 – Toni Morrison, American author, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel laureate (born 1931). *2020 – Hawa Abdi, Somali people, Somali human rights activist and physician (born 1947) *2022 – Judith Durham, Australian singer-songwriter (born 1943) * 2022 – Cherie Gil, Filipino actress (born 1963) * 2022 – Ali Haydar (Syrian army officer), Ali Haydar, Syrian army officer (born 1932) * 2022 – Issey Miyake, Japanese fashion designer (born 1938) * 2022 – Dillon Quirke, Irish hurler (born 1998)


Holidays and observances

* Christian Calendar of saints, feast day: ** Abel of Reims ** Thaddeus of Edessa, Addai ** Saint Afra, Afra ** Cassian of Autun ** Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major (Catholic Church) ** Emygdius ** Saint Memmius, Memnius ** Oswald of Northumbria ** August 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) * Independence Day (Burkina Faso) * Victory Day (Croatia), Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian defenders (Croatia)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:August 05 Days of August