December 17 (Eastern Orthodox Liturgics)
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Pre-1600

*
497 BC __NOTOC__ Year 497 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Atratinus and Augurinus (or, less frequently, year 257 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 497 BC for this year has ...
– The first
Saturnalia Saturnalia is an Roman festivals, ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the List of Roman deities, god Saturn (mythology), Saturn, held on 17 December in the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities until 19 December. By t ...
festival was celebrated in
ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
. *
546 __NOTOC__ Year 546 ( DXLVI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 546 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe f ...
Siege of Rome: The
Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...
under king
Totila Totila, original name Baduila (died 1 July 552), was the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, reigning from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of the Gothic War (535–554), Gothic War, recovering b ...
plunder the city, by bribing the
Eastern Roman 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 the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
garrison. *
920 __NOTOC__ Year 920 ( CMXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December 17 – Romanos I has himself crowned co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. He shares the throne with ...
Romanos I Lekapenos Romanos I Lakapenos or Lekapenos (; 870 – 15 June 948), Latinisation of names, Latinized as Romanus I Lacapenus or Romanus I Lecapenus, was Byzantine emperor from 920 until his deposition in 944, serving as regent for and senior co-ruler of ...
is crowned co-emperor of the underage
Constantine VII Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, an ...
. *
942 Year 942 (Roman numerals, CMXLII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – The Hungarian raid in Spain (942), Hungarians invade Al-Andalus (modern Spain) and besiege the f ...
– Assassination of
William I of Normandy William Longsword (, , , ; 893 – 17 December 942) was the second ruler of Normandy, from 927 until his assassination in 942.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, ...
. *
1297 Year 1297 ( MCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 8 – Guelph forces, led by the Genoese leader François Grimaldi (''il Malizia''), storm and capture the Roc ...
– King
Kyawswa of Pagan Kyawswa (, ; 2 August 1260 – 10 May 1299) was king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1289 to 1297. Son of the last sovereign king of Pagan Narathihapate, Kyawswa was one of many "kings" that emerged after the collapse of the Pagan ...
is overthrown by the three Myinsaing brothers, marking the de facto end of the Pagan Kingdom. *
1354 Year 1354 ( MCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * Early in the year – Ibn Battuta returns from his travels at the command of Abu Inan Faris, sultan of Morocco, who ap ...
Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut and Holy Roman Empress and her son
William I, Duke of Bavaria William I, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing (Frankfurt am Main, 12 May 1330 – 15 April 1389, Le Quesnoy), was the second son of Emperor Louis IV and Margaret II of Hainaut. He was also known as William V, Count of Holland, as William III, Count ...
, sign a peace treaty ending the
Hook and Cod wars The Hook and Cod wars (; sometimes semi-anglicised as the wars of the Hoecks and the Cabbeljaws) comprise a series of wars and battles in the County of Holland between 1350 and 1490. Most of these wars were fought over who should hold the title ...
. *
1398 Year 1398 ( MCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 15 – Trần Thuận Tông is forced to abdicate as ruler of the Trần dynasty in modern-day Vietnam, in fa ...
Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by
Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...
. *
1538 __NOTOC__ Year 1538 ( MDXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 14 – Leonard Grey, England's Lord Deputy of Ireland, successfully negotiates a truce in the semi-inde ...
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
excommunicates
Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. *
1583 Events January–March * January 1 – The Duchy of Savoy adopts the Gregorian Calendar, replacing the Julian Calendar. * January 18 – François, Duke of Anjou, attacks Antwerp. * February 4 – Gebhard Truchsess von ...
Cologne War The Cologne War (, ''Kölnischer Krieg'', '' Truchsessischer Krieg''; 1583–1588) was a conflict between Protestant and Catholic factions that devastated the Electorate of Cologne, a historical ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Em ...
: Forces under
Ernest of Bavaria Wittelsbach- Hapsburg aristocrat Ernest of Bavaria () (17 December 1554 – 17 February 1612) was Prince-Elector-Archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne and, as such, Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Westphalia, from 158 ...
defeat troops under
Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg (10 November 1547 – 31 May 1601) was the archbishop-elector of Cologne from 1577 to 1588. After pursuing an ecclesiastical career, he won a close election in the cathedral chapter of Cologne over Ernst ...
at the
Siege of Godesberg The siege of Godesberg, 18 November – 17 December 1583, was the first major siege of the Cologne War (1583–1589). Seeking to wrest control of an important fortification, Bavarian and mercenary soldiers surrounded the Godesberg, and the vill ...
. *
1586 Events January – March * January 3 – Augustus of Wettin, the Elector of Saxony, marries Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt, the 12-year-old daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt. Augustus dies less than six weeks later. * January ...
Go-Yōzei becomes
Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
.


1601–1900

*
1665 Events January–March * January 5 – The ''Journal des sçavans'' begins publication of the first scientific journal in France. * February 15 – Molière's comedy '' Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre'', based on the Spanis ...
– The first account of a
blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's Circulatory system, circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used ...
is published, in the form of a letter from physician Richard Lower to chemist Robert Boyle, in ''
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the second journ ...
'' *
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discuss ...
War of the Quadruple Alliance The War of the Quadruple Alliance, 1718 to 1720, was a conflict between Spain and a coalition of Austria, Great Britain, France, and Savoy, joined in 1719 by the Dutch Republic. Most of the fighting took place in Sicily and Spain, with minor engag ...
: Great Britain declares war on Spain. *
1777 Events January–March * January 2 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of the Assunpink Creek: American general George Washington's army repulses a British attack by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, in a second ...
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
:
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
formally recognizes the United States. *
1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which took pa ...
– The
Aztec calendar stone The Aztec sun stone () is a late post-classic Mexica sculpture housed in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, and is perhaps the most famous work of Mexica sculpture. It measures in diameter and thick, and weighs . Shortly after ...
is discovered at El Zócalo, Mexico City. *
1807 Events January–March *January 7 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues an Order in Council prohibiting British ships from trading with France or its allies. *January 20 – The Sierra Leone Company, faced with b ...
Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
: France issues the
Milan Decree The Milan Decree was issued on 17 December 1807 by Napoleon I of France to enforce the 1806 Berlin Decree, which had initiated the Continental System, the basis for his plan to defeat the British by waging economic warfare. The Milan Decree ...
, which confirms the
Continental System The Continental System or Continental Blockade () was a large-scale embargo by French emperor Napoleon I against the British Empire from 21 November 1806 until 11 April 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree on 21 No ...
. *
1812 Events January–March * January 1 – The ''Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch'' (the Austrian civil code) enters into force in the Austrian Empire. * January 19 – Peninsular War: The French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo Siege ...
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
: U.S. forces attack a
Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...
village in the
Battle of the Mississinewa The Battle of the Mississinewa, also known as ''Mississineway'', was an expedition ordered by William Henry Harrison against Miami Indian villages in response to the attacks on Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison in the Indiana Territory. The site is n ...
. *
1819 Events January–March * January 2 – The Panic of 1819, the first major peacetime financial crisis in the United States, begins. * January 25 – Thomas Jefferson founds the University of Virginia. * January 29 – Si ...
Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
declares the independence of
Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...
in Angostura (now
Ciudad Bolívar Ciudad Bolívar (; Spanish for "Bolivar City"), formerly known as Angostura and St. Thomas de Guyana, is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolívar, Venezuela, Bolívar State. It lies at the spot where the Orinoco River narrows to about ...
in
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
). *
1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...
– The second
Great Fire of New York The 1835 Great Fire of New York was one of three fires that rendered extensive damage to New York City in the 18th and 19th centuries. The fire occurred in the middle of an economic boom, covering 17 city blocks, killing two people, and destroyi ...
destroys of New York City's
Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies, and other related finance corporations have their headquarters offices. In major cities, financial districts often host ...
. *
1837 Events January–March * January 1 – The destructive Galilee earthquake causes thousands of deaths in Ottoman Syria. * January 26 – Michigan becomes the 26th state admitted to the United States. * February 4 – Seminoles attack Fo ...
– A
fire in the Winter Palace The fire in the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg, then the official residence of the Russian emperors, occurred on December 17, 1837, and was caused by soot inflammation.''100 великих катастроф'' '100 Major Disasters'' М., ...
of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
kills 30 guards. *
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 ...
: General
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
issues '' General Order No. 11'', expelling
Jews 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 ...
from parts of
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
,
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, and
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. *
1865 Events January * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War: Second Battle of Fort Fisher – Unio ...
– First performance of the
Unfinished Symphony An unfinished symphony is a fragment of a symphony that is left incomplete. The reason as of why and the state of the sketches themselves can vary considerably. The death of the composer is the most common cause for a symphony to be left unfi ...
by
Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
. *
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 ...
– First issue of ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
'' is published. *
1896 Events January * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports Wilhelm Röntgen's dis ...
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's
Schenley Park Casino The Schenley Park Casino was Pittsburgh’s first multi-purpose arena. The facility was considered the envy of the sports and entertainment world during the early 1890s, with amenities that were unsurpassed anywhere on the globe. It was built at ...
, which was the first multi-purpose
arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, is destroyed in a fire.


1901–present

*
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
– The
Wright brothers The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...
make the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in the ''
Wright Flyer The ''Wright Flyer'' (also known as the ''Kitty Hawk'', ''Flyer'' I or the 1903 ''Flyer'') made the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft on December 17, 1903. Invented and flown by brothers Wrigh ...
'' at
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Bodie Island within the state's Outer Banks. The population was 3,708 at the 2020 United States census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk. Hi ...
. *
1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...
Ugyen Wangchuck ''Gongsar'' Ugyen Wangchuck (, ; 11 June 1862 – 26 August 1926) was the first Druk Gyalpo (King) and founding father of the Kingdom of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. In his lifetime, he made efforts to unite the fledgling country and gain the trus ...
is crowned first King of
Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
. *
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 ...
Darwin Rebellion: Up to 1,000 demonstrators march on
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...
in Darwin,
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
, Australia. *
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 ...
Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Occu ...
assumes power in
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
as the 1926 coup d'état is successful. *
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 ...
– Indian revolutionary
Rajendra Lahiri Rajendra Nath Lahiri (29 June 1901 — 17 December 1927), known simply as Rajendra Lahiri, was an Indian revolutionary, who was a mastermind behind the Kakori conspiracy and Dakshineshwar bombing. He was an active member of the Hindustan Repu ...
is hanged in Gonda jail, Uttar Pradesh, India, two days before the scheduled date. *
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 ...
– Indian revolutionaries
Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh (27 September 1907 – 23 March 1931) was an Indian anti-colonial revolutionary who participated in the mistaken murder of a junior British police officer in December 1928 in what was intended to be retaliation for the deat ...
,
Sukhdev Thapar Sukhdev Thapar (15 May 1907 – 23 March 1931) was an Indian freedom fighter who fought against the British government for Indian independence. He was a member of the '' Hindustan Socialist Republican Association'' (HSRA), and was executed al ...
and
Shivaram Rajguru Shivaram Hari Rajguru (24 August 1908 – 23 March 1931) was an Indian anti-colonial revolutionary and independence activist. He is best known for his involvement in the 1928 assassination of a British police officer named John Saunders. He wa ...
assassinate British police officer James Saunders in
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
,
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, to avenge the death of
Lala Lajpat Rai Lala Lajpat Rai (28 January 1865 — 17 November 1928) was an Indian revolutionary, politician, and author, popularly known as ''Punjab Kesari (Lion of Punjab).'' He was one of the three members of the Lal Bal Pal trio. He died of severe tra ...
at the hands of the police. The three were executed in 1931. *
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 ...
– The first NFL Championship Game is played at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
between the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
and
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. The Bears won 23–21. *
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 ...
– First flight of the
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
. *
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 ...
Otto Hahn Otto Hahn (; 8 March 1879 – 28 July 1968) was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the field of radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and discoverer of nuclear fission, the science behind nuclear reactors and ...
discovers the
nuclear fission Nuclear fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei. The fission process often produces gamma photons, and releases a very large amount of energy even by the energetic standards of radioactiv ...
of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of
nuclear energy Nuclear energy may refer to: *Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity *Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom *Nuclear potential energy, the pot ...
. *
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 ...
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 ...
: Battle of the River Plate: The '' Admiral Graf Spee'' is scuttled by Captain
Hans Langsdorff Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff (20 March 1894 – 20 December 1939) was a German naval officer, most famous for his command of the German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' before and during the Battle of the River Plate off the coast of Urug ...
outside
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
. *
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 ...
– All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the
Magnuson Act Magnuson Act most commonly refers to the following legislation named after Warren Magnuson: * Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act, a 1943 United States federal law that repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a Unit ...
. *
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:
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
: Malmedy massacre: American
285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion The 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion was a United States Army unit that saw action in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Their main mission was to identify the location of enemy artillery using the "sound and flash" technique (sou ...
POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
are shot by
Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...
Kampfgruppe In military history, the German term (pl. ; abbrev. KG, or KGr in usage during World War II, literally "fighting group" or " battlegroup") can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the of Nazi Germa ...
Joachim Peiper Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) colonel, convicted war criminal and car salesman. During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper served as personal adjutant to Heinrich Himmler, leader of the ...
. *
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 ...
Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...
flag day, the
flag of Kurdistan The flag of Kurdistan (, ) is the flag of Kurds, Kurdish Institute of Paris. and was created by the Society for the Rise of Kurdistan in 1920. It would later, in different variants, be adopted as the national flag of different Kurdish states in ...
was raised for the first time in
Mahabad Mahabad () is a city in the Central District of Mahabad County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Etymology Mahabad first became the name of the city after World War I, during the ...
in eastern Kurdistan. *
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
– First flight of the
Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
strategic bomber A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range Penetrator (aircraft), penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unl ...
. *
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
– The
Finnish Security Police The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (, ; , ), formerly the Finnish Security Police and Finnish Security Intelligence Service, is the security and intelligence agency of Finland in charge of national security, such as counter-intelligenc ...
is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the
State Police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
. *
1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
– The
F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...
's first mission over Korea. *
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 ...
– The American
Civil Rights Congress The Civil Rights Congress (CRC) was a United States civil rights organization, formed in 1946 at a national conference for radicals and disbanded in 1956. It succeeded the International Labor Defense, the National Federation for Constitutional L ...
delivers "
We Charge Genocide ''We Charge Genocide'' is a paper accusing the United States government of genocide based on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, UN Genocide Convention. This paper was written by the Civil Rights Congress (C ...
" to 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 ...
. *
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 ...
– The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at
Cape Canaveral, Florida Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne– Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,912 at the 2020 US census. History After the establishment of a lighthouse in 184 ...
. *
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 ...
– Troops loyal to Emperor
Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...
in
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 ...
crush the coup that began
December 13 Events Pre-1600 * 1294 – Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. * 1545 – The Council of Trent begins as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. * 1577 ...
, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt. * 1960 – Munich C-131 crash: Twenty passengers and crew on board as well as 32 people on the ground are killed. *
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 ...
Niterói circus fire A fire occurred in the tent housing a sold-out performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano on 17 December 1961 in the city of Niterói, Brazil caused more than 500 deaths. It is the worst fire disaster to occur in Brazil. Circus The Gran Cir ...
: Fire breaks out during a performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing more than 500. *
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until Disappearance of Harold Holt, his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held o ...
,
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...
, disappears while swimming near
Portsea, Victoria Portsea is a seaside suburb on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, approximately south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula local government area. Portsea reco ...
, and is presumed drowned. *
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
Project Blue Book Project Blue Book was the code name for the systematic study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) by the United States Air Force from March 1952 to its termination on December 17, 1969. The project, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Fo ...
: The United States Air Force closes its study of
UFOs An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...
. *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
Polish protests: In
Gdynia Gdynia is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With an estimated population of 257,000, it is the List of cities in Poland, 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the Pomeranian Voivodeship after Gdańsk ...
, soldiers fire at workers emerging from trains, killing dozens. *
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
– Thirty passengers are killed in an attack by
Palestinian terrorists Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence or terrorism committed by Palestinians with the intent to accomplish political goals in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Common objectives of political violence by Pal ...
on Rome's
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport () is an international airport in Fiumicino, Italy, serving Rome. It is the busiest airport in the country, the eighth-busiest airport in Europe and the world's 39th-busiest airport with over 49.2&nbs ...
. *
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 ...
– American Brigadier General James L. Dozier is abducted by the
Red Brigades The Red Brigades ( , often abbreviated BR) were an Italian far-left Marxist–Leninist militant group. It was responsible for numerous violent incidents during Italy's Years of Lead, including the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro in 1978, ...
in
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
, Italy. *
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 ...
Provisional IRA The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
members detonate a car bomb at
Harrods Harrods is a Listed building, Grade II listed luxury department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It was designed by C. W. Stephens for Charles Digby Harrod, and opened in 1905; it replaced the first store on the ground ...
Department Store in London. Three police officers and three civilians are killed. *
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
Romanian Revolution The Romanian revolution () was a period of violent Civil disorder, civil unrest in Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily ...
: Protests continue in
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
, Romania, with rioters breaking into the
Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ; PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave an ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that would replace the social system ...
's District Committee building and attempting to set it on fire. * 1989 –
Fernando Collor de Mello Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello (; born 12 August 1949) is a Brazilian politician who served as the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his impeachment trial by the Brazilian Senate. Collor ...
defeats
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known Mononym, mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist and former metalworker who has served as the 39th president of Brazil since 2023. A mem ...
in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
in almost 30 years. * 1989 – ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' premieres on television with the episode "
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (titled onscreen as "''The Simpsons'' Christmas Special") is the series premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. A Christmas special, the show had a very long delayed release. It ...
". *
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
Peruvian internal conflict The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Marxism–Leninism–Maoism, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path. The conflict's main phase began on 17 May 1980 and ended in December 2000. From 1982 to ...
: Fourteen members of the
Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (, abbreviated MRTA) was a Peruvian Marxist-Leninist guerrilla army which started in the early 1980s. Their self-declared goal was to demonstrate to leftist groups in Peru that sought change through the ...
provoke a hostage crisis by taking over the Japanese embassy in Lima. * 1997 –
Aerosvit Flight 241 Aerosvit Flight 241 (VV241/AEW241) was a scheduled international passenger flight from the Ukrainian city of Odesa to Thessaloniki, Greece. On 17 December 1997, the Yakovlev Yak-42 operating the flight registered as UR-42334 flew into a mounta ...
: A
Yakovlev Yak-42 The Yakovlev Yak-42 (; NATO reporting name: "Clobber") is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet developed in the mid 1970s to replace the technically obsolete Tupolev Tu-134. It was the first airliner produced in the Soviet Union ...
crashes into the
Pierian Mountains The Pierian Mountains (or commonly referred to as Piéria) are a mountain range between Imathia, Pieria (regional unit), Pieria and Kozani (regional unit), Kozani Region, south of the plain of Kampania in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village of ...
near
Thessaloniki Airport Thessaloniki Airport , officially Thessaloniki Airport "Makedonia" () and formerly Mikra Airport, is an international airport serving Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. It is located southeast of the city, in Thermi. The airpo ...
in
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
, Greece, killing all 70 people on board. *
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Second Congo War The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just over a year after the First Congo War. The war initially erupted ...
: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years. *
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
– The Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, is found guilty of perverting the course of justice. * 2003 –
SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne is an experimental air launch, air-launched rocket-powered aircraft with sub-orbital spaceflight capability at speeds of up to / using a hybrid rocket motor. The design features a unique "Feathering (reentry), feathering" atmosph ...
, piloted by
Brian Binnie William Brian Binnie (April 26, 1953 – September 15, 2022) was a United States Navy officer and one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites and flown from 2003 to 2004. Early life ...
, makes its first powered and first supersonic flight. * 2003 – Sex work rights activists establish December 17 (or "D17") as
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is list of minor secular observances#December, observed annually on 17 December by sex workers, their clientele, friends, families and allies. Originally conceived as a memorial and vigil ...
to memorialize victims of a serial killer who targeted prostitutes, and highlight State violence against sex workers by police and others. *
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 ...
– Anti-
World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...
protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. * 2005 –
Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...
abdicates the throne as King of
Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
. *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
– sinks off the coast of
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, resulting in the deaths of 44 people and over 28,000 animals. *
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Mohamed Bouazizi Tarek El-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi (; 29 March 1984 – 4 January 2011) was a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire on 17 December 2010 in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, an act which became a catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider A ...
sets himself on fire. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider
Arab Spring The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
. *
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 United States and Cuba re-establish
diplomatic relations Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...
after severing them in 1961.


Births


Pre-1600

*
1239 Year 1239 ( MCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – A German expeditionary force under Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, invades the Romagna and Tuscany, hoping ...
Kujō Yoritsugu , also known as , was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan. His father was the 4th Kamakura ''shōgun'', Kujō Yoritsune.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Yoritsugu" in . The Kujō family was one of the five b ...
, Japanese shōgun (died 1256) *
1267 Year 1267 (Roman numerals, MCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Asia and North Africa * The "Grand Capital" is constructed in Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing) by Kublai Khan, having moved ...
Emperor Go-Uda was the 91st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1274 through 1287. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Uda and ''go-'' (後), translates litera ...
of Japan (died 1324) *
1554 __NOTOC__ Year 1554 ( MDLIV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 5 – A great fire breaks out in Eindhoven, Netherlands. * January 12 (10th waxing of Tabodwe 915 ME) &nd ...
Ernest of Bavaria Wittelsbach- Hapsburg aristocrat Ernest of Bavaria () (17 December 1554 – 17 February 1612) was Prince-Elector-Archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne and, as such, Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Westphalia, from 158 ...
, Roman Catholic bishop (died 1612) *
1556 Year 1556 ( MDLVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 4 – In Japan, Saitō Yoshitatsu, the eldest son of Saitō Dōsan, arranges the murders of his two younger brot ...
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim (17 December 1556 – 1 October 1627), popularly known as simply Rahim and titled ''Khan-i-Khanan'', was a poet who lived in India during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar, who was Rahim's mentor. He was one o ...
, poet in Mughal Empire (died 1627) *
1574 __NOTOC__ Year 1574 ( MDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 22 – Mohammed II becomes the new Sultan of Morocco upon the death of his father, Abdallah al-Ghal ...
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna (17 December 1574 – 24 September 1624) was a Spanish nobleman and politician. He was the 2nd Marquis of Peñafiel, 7th Count of Ureña, Spanish Viceroy of Sicily (1611–1616), Viceroy of Naples (1616 ...
, Spanish nobleman and politician (died 1624)


1601–1900

*
1616 Events January–March * January 1 – King James I of England attends the masque '' The Golden Age Restored'', a satire by Ben Jonson on fallen court favorite the Earl of Somerset. The king asks for a repeat performance on January 6. ...
Roger L'Estrange Sir Roger L'Estrange (17 December 1616 – 11 December 1704) was an English pamphleteer, author, courtier and press censor. Throughout his life L'Estrange was frequently mired in controversy and acted as a staunch ideological defender of King ...
, English pamphleteer and author (died 1704) *
1619 Events January– March * January 12 – James I of England's Banqueting House, Whitehall in London is destroyed by fire."Fires, Great", in ''The Insurance Cyclopeadia: Being an Historical Treasury of Events and Circumstances Co ...
Prince Rupert of the Rhine Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 ( O.S.) 7 December 1619 (N.S.)– 29 November 1682 (O.S.) December 1682 (N.S) was an English-German army officer, admiral, scientist, and colonial governor. He first rose to ...
(died 1682) *
1632 Events January–March * January 8 – University of Amsterdam is established at the site of the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam. * January 31 – The dissection of a body for the benefit of medical students is carried o ...
Anthony Wood, English historian and author (died 1695) *
1685 Events January–March * January 6 – American-born British citizen Elihu Yale, for whom Yale University in the U.S. is named, completes his term as the first leader of the Madras Presidency in India, administering the colony ...
Thomas Tickell Thomas Tickell (17 December 1685 – 23 April 1740) was a minor England, English poet and man of letters. Life The son of a clergyman, he was born at Bridekirk near Cockermouth, Cumberland. He was educated at St Bees School 1695–1701, and in ...
, English poet (died 1740) *
1699 Events January–March * January 5 – A violent earthquake damages the city of Batavia on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 28 people. * January 20 – The Parliament of England (under Tory dominance) limits the size of ...
Charles-Louis Mion Charles-Louis Mion (17 December 1699 – 12 September 1775) was a French composer of the Baroque era. He was the grand-nephew of Michel Richard Delalande who also taught him music. Between 1710 and 1718 he was a choirboy at the Sainte-Chapelle du ...
, French composer and educator (died 1775) *
1706 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Monday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 26 ** War of Spanish Succession: The uprising by Bavarians aga ...
Émilie du Châtelet Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise du Châtelet (; 17 December 1706 – 10 September 1749) was a French mathematician and physicist. Her most recognized achievement is her philosophical magnum opus, ''Institutions de Physique'' ...
, French mathematician and physicist (died 1749) *
1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Georgia in America. * February 16 – ...
Maria I of Portugal '' Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her de ...
(died 1816) *
1749 Events January–March * January 3 ** Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont. ** The first issue of ''Berlingske'', Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, i ...
Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Music of Italy, Italian composer of the Neapolitan School and of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is ''Il ...
, Italian composer and educator (died 1801) *
1778 Events January–March * January 18 – Third voyage of James Cook: Sea captain, Captain James Cook, with ships HMS Resolution (1771), HMS ''Resolution'' and HMS Discovery (1774), HMS ''Discovery'', first views Oahu, Oʻahu th ...
Humphry Davy Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet (17 December 177829 May 1829) was a British chemist and inventor who invented the Davy lamp and a very early form of arc lamp. He is also remembered for isolating, by using electricity, several Chemical element, e ...
, English chemist and physicist (died 1829) *
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 ...
Thomas Chandler Haliburton Thomas Chandler Haliburton (17 December 1796 – 27 August 1865) was a Nova Scotian politician, judge, and author who was the first international best-selling fiction author from what is now Canada, and who served as a Conservative Member of P ...
, Canadian judge and politician (died 1865) *
1797 Events January–March * January 3 – The Treaty of Tripoli, a peace treaty between the United States and Ottoman Tripolitania, is signed at Algiers (''see also'' 1796). * January 7 – The parliament of the Cisalpine Repu ...
Joseph Henry Joseph Henry (December 17, 1797– May 13, 1878) was an American physicist and inventor who served as the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He was the secretary for the National Institute for the Promotion of Science, a precursor ...
, American physicist and engineer (died 1878) *
1807 Events January–March *January 7 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues an Order in Council prohibiting British ships from trading with France or its allies. *January 20 – The Sierra Leone Company, faced with b ...
John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...
, American poet and activist (died 1892) *
1812 Events January–March * January 1 – The ''Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch'' (the Austrian civil code) enters into force in the Austrian Empire. * January 19 – Peninsular War: The French-held fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo Siege ...
Vilhelm Petersen Vilhelm Valdemar Petersen (5 April 1830 – 3 July 1913) was a Denmark, Danish architect who became Royal Building Inspector from 1892 until his death. He was the father of architect Knud Arne Petersen. Biography Vilhelm Petersen was born i ...
, Danish painter (died 1880) *
1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place in Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...
Alexander Wassilko von Serecki ''Freiherr'' Alexander Wassilko von Serecki (17 December 1827 – 20 August 1893) was an Austro-Hungarian ethnic Romanian statesman, Landeshauptmann of the Duchy of Bukovina and member of the Herrenhaus, the Upper House of the Imperial Counci ...
, Austrian lawyer and politician (died 1893) *
1830 It is known in European history as a rather tumultuous year with the Revolutions of 1830 in France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Italy. Events January–March * January 11 – LaGrange College (later the University of North Alabama) ...
Jules de Goncourt Jules Alfred Huot de Goncourt (; 17 December 183020 June 1870) was a French writer, who published books together with his brother Edmond. Jules was born and died in Paris. His death at the age of 39 was at Auteuil of a stroke brought on by sy ...
, French author and critic (died 1870) *
1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...
Alexander Emanuel Agassiz Alexander Emmanuel Rodolphe Agassiz (December 17, 1835March 27, 1910), son of Louis Agassiz and stepson of Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, was an American scientist and engineer. Biography Agassiz was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and immigrated t ...
, Swiss-American ichthyologist and engineer (died 1910) *
1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janu ...
Nozu Michitsura Field Marshal The Marquis was a Japanese field marshal and leading figure in the early Imperial Japanese Army. Biography Nozu was born in Kagoshima as the second son of a low-ranking ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain. He studied Japanese sw ...
, Japanese field marshal (died 1908) *
1842 Events January–March * January 6– 13 – First Anglo-Afghan War – Massacre of Elphinstone's army (Battle of Gandamak): British East India Company troops are destroyed by Afghan forces on the road from Kabul to Jalalabad, Afghan ...
Sophus Lie Marius Sophus Lie ( ; ; 17 December 1842 – 18 February 1899) was a Norwegian mathematician. He largely created the theory of continuous symmetry and applied it to the study of geometry and differential equations. He also made substantial cont ...
, Norwegian mathematician and academic (died 1899) *
1847 Events January–March * January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the U.S. government. * January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in the Mexican–American War in California. * January 16 – John C. Fr ...
Émile Faguet Auguste Émile Faguet (; 17 December 18477 June 1916) was a French author and literary critic. Biography Faguet was born at La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, and educated at the École normale supérieure in Paris. After teaching for some time in La ...
, French author and critic (died 1916) *
1853 Events January–March * January 6 – ** Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. **U.S. President-elect ...
Pierre Paul Émile Roux Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, French physician and immunologist, co-founded the
Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute (, ) is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who invented pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax and rabies. Th ...
(died 1933) *
1858 Events January–March * January 9 ** Revolt of Rajab Ali: British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong. ** Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide. * January 14 – Orsini affair: Pi ...
Eva Nansen Eva Helene Nansen (née Sars; 17 December 1858 – 9 December 1907) was a celebrated Norwegian mezzo-soprano singer. She was also a pioneer of women's skiing. Personal life Born in Christiania (now Oslo), she was a daughter of priest and profe ...
, Norwegian mezzo-soprano singer and pioneer on women skiing (died 1907) *
1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia are uni ...
Paul César Helleu Paul César Helleu (17 December 1859 – 23 March 1927) was a French oil painter, pastel artist, drypoint etcher, and designer, best known for his numerous portraits of beautiful society women of the ''Belle Époque''. He also conceived the ceili ...
, French painter and illustrator (died 1927) *
1866 Events January * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman troops clash ...
– Kazys Grinius, Lithuanian physician and politician, third President of Lithuania (died 1950) *1873 – Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, poet, and critic (died 1939) *1874 – William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadian economist and politician, tenth Prime Minister of Canada (died 1950) *1881 – Aubrey Faulkner, South African-English cricketer and coach (died 1930) *1884 – Alison Uttley, English children's book writer (died 1976) *1887 – Josef Lada, Czech painter and illustrator (died 1957) *1890 – Prince Joachim of Prussia (died 1920) *
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 ...
– Sam Barry, American basketball player and coach (died 1950) *1893 – Charles C. Banks, English captain and pilot (died 1971) * 1893 – Erwin Piscator, German director and producer (died 1966) *1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (died 1979) * 1894 – Patrick Flynn (athlete), Patrick Flynn, Irish-American runner and soldier (died 1969) * 1894 – Wim Schermerhorn, Dutch cartographer, engineer, and politician, List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 1977) *1895 – Gerald Patterson, Australian tennis player (died 1967) *1898 – Loren Murchison, American sprinter (died 1979) *1900 – Mary Cartwright, English mathematician and academic, one of the first people to analyze a dynamical system with chaos (died 1998)


1901–present

*
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
– Erskine Caldwell, American novelist and short story writer (died 1987) * 1903 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, and actor (died 1978) *1904 – Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator (died 1999) *1905 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (died 2002) * 1905 – Mohammad Hidayatullah, 11th Chief Justice of India, and politician, sixth List of Vice Presidents of India, Vice President of India (died 1992) * 1905 – Erico Verissimo, Brazilian author and translator (died 1975) *1906 – Fernando Lopes-Graça, Portuguese composer and conductor (died 1994) * 1906 – Russell C. Newhouse, American pilot and engineer (died 1998) *1908 – Willard Libby, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1980) *1910 – Eknath Easwaran, Indian-American educator and author (died 1999) * 1910 – Sy Oliver, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (died 1988) *1912 – Edward Short, Baron Glenamara, English captain and politician, Lord President of the Council (died 2012) *1913 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (died 1967) *1914 – Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (died 2005) * 1914 – Fernando Alonso (dancer), Fernando Alonso, Cuban ballet dancer, co-founded the Cuban National Ballet (died 2013) *1916 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (died 2000) *1917 – Kenneth Dike, Nigerian historian, author, and academic (died 1983) *1920 – Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist, developed the APL (programming language), APL programming language (died 2004) *1921 – Lore Berger, German-Swiss author and translator (died 1943) *1922 – Alan Voorhees, American engineer and academic (died 2005) *1923 – Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian and scholar (died 2006) *
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 ...
– Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (died 1985) * 1926 – John Hans Krebs, American lawyer and politician (died 2014) * 1926 – Stephen Lewis (actor), Stephen Lewis, English actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright (died 2015) *
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 ...
– Richard Long (actor), Richard Long, American actor and director (died 1974) * 1927 – Edward Meneeley, American painter and sculptor (died 2012) *
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 ...
– Marilyn Beck, American journalist (died 2014) * 1928 – Eli Beeding, American captain and pilot (died 2013) * 1928 – Doyle Conner, American farmer and politician, seventh Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (died 2012) *1929 – William Safire, American journalist and author (died 2009) *1930 – Bob Guccione, American photographer and publisher, founded ''Penthouse (magazine), Penthouse'' (died 2010) * 1930 – Armin Mueller-Stahl, German actor and painter * 1930 – Dorothy Rowe, Australian psychologist and author (died 2019) *1931 – Gerald Finnerman, American director and cinematographer (died 2011) * 1931 – Dave Madden, Canadian-American actor (died 2014) * 1931 – James McGaugh, American neurobiologist and psychologist *1932 – John Bond (footballer), John Bond, English footballer and manager (died 2012) *1934 – Irving Petlin, American painter and academic (died 2018) * 1934 – Ray Wilson (English footballer), Ray Wilson, English footballer and manager (died 2018) *
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 ...
– Brian Langford, English cricketer (died 2013) * 1935 – Cal Ripken Sr., American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1999) *1936 – Pope Francis (died 2025) * 1936 – Tommy Steele, English singer, guitarist, and actor *1937 – Brian Hayes (broadcaster), Brian Hayes, Australian-English radio host * 1937 – Art Neville, American singer and keyboard player (died 2019) * 1937 – Kerry Packer, Australian businessman, founded World Series Cricket (died 2005) * 1937 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (died 1969) * 1937 – Calvin Waller, American general (died 1996) *
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 ...
– Peter Snell, New Zealand runner (died 2019) *
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 ...
– James Booker, American pianist (died 1983) * 1939 – Eddie Kendricks, American R&B singer-songwriter (died 1992) *1940 – Kåre Valebrokk, Norwegian journalist (died 2013) * 1940 – María Elena Velasco, Mexican actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (died 2015) *1941 – Dave Dee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2009) * 1941 – Stan Mudenge, Zimbabwean historian and politician, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Zimbabwe), Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2012) *1942 – Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian general and politician, 7th & 15th President of Nigeria (died 2025) * 1942 – Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (died 1987) *
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 ...
– Ron Geesin, Scottish pianist and composer *
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 ...
– Jack L. Chalker, American author and educator (died 2005) * 1944 – Carlo M. Croce, Italian-American oncologist and academic * 1944 – Bernard Hill, English actor (died 2024) *
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 ...
– Ernie Hudson, American actor * 1945 – David Mallet (director), David Mallet, English director * 1945 – Chris Matthews, American journalist and author * 1945 – Jüri Talvet, Estonian poet and critic * 1945 – Jacqueline Wilson, English author and academic *1946 – Simon Bates, English radio host * 1946 – Eugene Levy, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter *
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
– Wes Studi, American actor and producer *
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
– Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (died 2015) * 1948 – Jim Bonfanti, American rock drummer * 1948 – Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkish economist and politician *1949 – Joel Brooks, American actor * 1949 – Sotiris Kaiafas, Cypriot footballer * 1949 – Paul Rodgers, English singer-songwriter and producer *
1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
– Laurence F. Johnson, American educator and author * 1950 – Maurice Peoples, American sprinter and coach *
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 ...
– Pat Hill, American football player and coach * 1951 – Ken Hitchcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach * 1951 – Tatyana Kazankina, Russian runner *1953 – Bill Pullman, American actor *1954 – Sergejus Jovaiša, Lithuanian basketball player *1955 – Brad Davis (basketball), Brad Davis, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster *1956 – Peter Farrelly, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1956 – Dominic Lawson, English journalist and author * 1956 – Totka Petrova, Bulgarian runner *
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 ...
– Wendy Hoyte, English sprinter * 1957 – Bob Ojeda, American baseball player and coach *1958 – Mike Mills, American bass player, songwriter, and producer * 1958 – Donald Payne Jr., American politician (died 2024) *1959 – Bob Stinson, American songwriter and guitarist (died 1995) *
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 ...
– Mansoor al-Jamri, Bahraini journalist and author * 1961 – Sara Dallin, English singer *1962 – Paul Dobson (footballer), Paul Dobson, English footballer * 1962 – Galina Malchugina, Russian sprinter * 1962 – Rocco Mediate, American golfer and journalist *1964 – Frank Musil, Czech ice hockey player and coach * 1964 – Joe Wolf, American basketball player and coach (died 2024) *1965 – Craig Berube, Canadian ice hockey player and coach * 1965 – Jeff Grayer, American basketball player and coach *1966 – Tracy Byrd, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1966 – Kristiina Ojuland, Estonian politician, 23rd Minister of Foreign Affairs (Estonia), Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs *
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
– Vincent Damphousse, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster * 1967 – Gigi D'Agostino, Italian muscisian, singer and DJ. * 1967 – Karsten Neitzel, German footballer and manager *1968 – Claudio Suárez, Mexican footballer * 1968 – Paul Tracy, Canadian race car driver and sportscaster *
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
– Laurie Holden, American actress and model * 1969 – Inna Lasovskaya, Russian triple jumper * 1969 – Chuck Liddell, American mixed martial artist and kick-boxer * 1969 – Mick Quinn, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
– Sean Patrick Thomas, American actor *1971 – Claire Forlani, English actress * 1971 – Alan Khan, South African radio and TV presenter * 1971 – Nikki McCray-Penson, American basketball player and coach (died 2023) * 1971 – Antoine Rigaudeau, French basketball player *1972 – John Abraham, Indian actor and producer * 1972 – Iván Pedroso, Cuban long jumper and coach *
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
– Eddie Fisher (drummer), Eddie Fisher, American drummer * 1973 – Konstadinos Gatsioudis, Greek javelin thrower * 1973 – Rian Johnson, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1973 – Paula Radcliffe, English runner * 1973 – Hasan Vural, German-Turkish footballer *1974 – Charl Langeveldt, South African cricketer * 1974 – Sarah Paulson, American actress * 1974 – Giovanni Ribisi, American actor * 1974 – Marissa Ribisi, American actress *1975 – Nick Dinsmore, American wrestler and trainer * 1975 – Susanthika Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan sprinter * 1975 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress *1976 – Éric Bédard, Canadian speed skater and coach * 1976 – Nir Davidovich, Israeli footballer and manager * 1976 – Patrick Müller (footballer), Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer * 1976 – Andrew Simpson (sailor), Andrew Simpson, English sailor (died 2013) * 1976 – Takeo Spikes, American football player and sportscaster *1977 – Arnaud Clément, French tennis player * 1977 – Samuel Påhlsson, Swedish ice hockey player * 1977 – Katheryn Winnick, Canadian actress *1978 – Alex Cintrón, Puerto Rican baseball player and sportscaster * 1978 – Riteish Deshmukh, Indian film actor, producer and architect * 1978 – Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician * 1978 – Neil Sanderson, Canadian drummer and songwriter * 1978 – Chase Utley, American baseball player *1979 – Matt Murley, American ice hockey player * 1979 – Paul Smith (footballer, born 1979), Paul Smith, English footballer *1980 – Suzy Batkovic, Australian basketball player * 1980 – Ryan Hunter-Reay, American race car driver * 1980 – Alexandra Papageorgiou, Greek hammer thrower * 1980 – Eli Pariser, American activist and author *
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 ...
– Jerry Hsu, American skateboarder and photographer * 1981 – Tim Wiese, German footballer *1982 – Josh Barfield, American baseball player * 1982 – Lorenzo Cittadini, Italian rugby player * 1982 – Craig Kielburger, Canadian activist and author * 1982 – Stéphane Lasme, Gabonese basketball player *
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 ...
– Gregory Campbell (ice hockey), Gregory Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player and executive * 1983 – Erik Christensen, Canadian ice hockey player * 1983 – Mikky Ekko, American singer and songwriter * 1983 – Haron Keitany, Kenyan runner * 1983 – Sébastien Ogier, French race car driver *1984 – Luis Alfageme, Argentinian footballer * 1984 – Julian Bennett (footballer), Julian Bennett, English footballer * 1984 – Andrew Davies (footballer), Andrew Davies, English footballer * 1984 – Shannon Woodward, American actress *1985 – Fernando Abad, Dominican baseball player * 1985 – Łukasz Broź, Polish footballer * 1985 – Craig Reid (footballer, born 1985), Craig Reid, English footballer *1986 – Emma Bell, American actress *1986 – Frei Gilson, Brazilian Catholic priest and singer * 1986 – Frank Winterstein, Australian-Samoan rugby league player * 1986 – Vanessa Zima, American actress *1987 – Maryna Arzamasova, Belarusian middle-distance runner * 1987 – Bo Guagua, Chinese businessman * 1987 – Chelsea Manning, American soldier and intelligence analyst * 1987 – Donovan Solano, Colombian baseball player *1988 – Liisa Ehrberg, Estonian cyclist * 1988 – Grethe Grünberg, Estonian ice dancer * 1988 – Kris Joseph, Canadian basketball player * 1988 – David Rudisha, Kenyan runner * 1988 – Yann Sommer, Swiss footballer * 1988 – Craig Sutherland, Scottish footballer *
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
– André Ayew, Ghanaian footballer * 1989 – Taylor York, American musician *1990 – Graham Rogers (actor), Graham Rogers, American actor *1991 – Jordan Rankin, Australian rugby league player * 1991 – Atsedu Tsegay, Ethiopian runner *1992 – Quinton de Kock, South African cricketer * 1992 – Buddy Hield, Bahamian basketball player * 1992 – Joshua Ingram, Canadian drummer and percussionist *1993 – Kiersey Clemons, American actress * 1993 – Patricia Kú Flores, Peruvian tennis player *1994 – Lloyd Perrett, New Zealand rugby league player * 1994 – Nat Wolff, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player and actor *1995 – Guerschon Yabusele, French basketball player *1996 – Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Russian figure skater *
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
– Naiktha Bains, British-Australian tennis player * 1997 – Shoma Uno, Japanese figure skater *1998 – Jasmine Armfield, English actress * 1998 – Martin Ødegaard, Norwegian footballer *1999 – Mirei Sasaki, Japanese singer, model, and actress *2000 – Wesley Fofana (footballer), Wesley Fofana, French footballer *
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
– Castello Lukeba, French footballer


Deaths


Pre-1600

* 779 – Saint Sturm, Sturm, abbot of Fulda monastery, Fulda * 908 – al-Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Jarjara'i, Abbasid vizier * 908 – Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz, Abbasid prince and poet, anti-caliph for one day *
942 Year 942 (Roman numerals, CMXLII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – The Hungarian raid in Spain (942), Hungarians invade Al-Andalus (modern Spain) and besiege the f ...
– William I Longsword, William I, duke of Duchy of Normandy, Normandy *1187 – Pope Gregory VIII (born 1100) *1195 – Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut (born 1150) *1273 – Rumi, Persian jurist, theologian, and poet (born 1207) *1316 – Juan Fernández (bishop of León), Juan Fernández, bishop-elect of León. *1419 – William Gascoigne, Chief Justice of England *1471 – Infanta Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy (born 1397) *1559 – Irene di Spilimbergo, Italian Renaissance poet and painter (born 1538) *1562 – Eleonora di Toledo, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (born 1522)


1601–1900

*1663 – Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (born 1583) *1721 – Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1640) *
1830 It is known in European history as a rather tumultuous year with the Revolutions of 1830 in France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Italy. Events January–March * January 11 – LaGrange College (later the University of North Alabama) ...
Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
, Venezuelan general and politician, second President of Venezuela (born 1783) *1833 – Kaspar Hauser, German feral child (born 1812?) *
1847 Events January–March * January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the U.S. government. * January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in the Mexican–American War in California. * January 16 – John C. Fr ...
– Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (born 1791) *1857 – Francis Beaufort, Irish hydrographer and officer in the Royal Navy (born 1774) *1891 – José María Iglesias, Mexican politician and interim President (1876–1877) (born 1823)


1901–present

*1904 – William Shiels, Irish-Australian politician, 16th Premier of Victoria (born 1848) *
1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...
– William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (born 1824) *1909 – Leopold II of Belgium (born 1835) *1917 – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, English physician and activist (born 1836) *
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 ...
Rajendra Lahiri Rajendra Nath Lahiri (29 June 1901 — 17 December 1927), known simply as Rajendra Lahiri, was an Indian revolutionary, who was a mastermind behind the Kakori conspiracy and Dakshineshwar bombing. He was an active member of the Hindustan Repu ...
, Indian activist (born 1892) *
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 ...
– Frank Rinehart, American photographer (born 1861) *1929 – Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese general and politician, tenth President of Portugal (born 1863) *1930 – Peter Warlock, Welsh composer and critic (born 1894) *1932 – Charles Winckler, Danish discus thrower, shot putter, and tug of war competitor (born 1867) *
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 ...
– 13th Dalai Lama (born 1876) *
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 ...
– Lizette Woodworth Reese, American poet (born 1856) *1940 – Alicia Boole Stott, Anglo-Irish mathematician and academic (born 1860) *1942 – Allen Bathurst, Lord Apsley, English lieutenant and politician (born 1895) *
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
– Christos Tsigiridis, Greek engineer (born 1877) *1956 – Eddie Acuff, American actor (born 1903) *
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 ...
– Dorothy L. Sayers, English author, poet, and playwright (born 1893) *1962 – Thomas Mitchell (actor), Thomas Mitchell, American actor (born 1892) *1964 – Victor Francis Hess, Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1883) *
1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until Disappearance of Harold Holt, his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held o ...
, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...
(born 1908) *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
– Oliver Waterman Larkin, American historian, author, and educator (born 1896) *1978 – Don Ellis, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (born 1934) *
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 ...
– Antiochos Evangelatos, Greek composer and conductor (born 1903) *1982 – Homer S. Ferguson, American lawyer, judge, and politician (born 1889) *1986 – Guillermo Cano Isaza, Colombian journalist (born 1925) *1987 – Bernardus Johannes Alfrink, Dutch cardinal (born 1900) * 1987 – Linda Wong (pornographic actress), Linda Wong, American porn actress (born 1951) * 1987 – Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian-American author and poet (born 1903) *1992 – Günther Anders, German journalist and philosopher (born 1902) * 1992 – Dana Andrews, American actor (born 1909) *1999 – Rex Allen, American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1920) * 1999 – Grover Washington Jr., American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (born 1943) * 1999 – C. Vann Woodward, American historian and academic (born 1908) *
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
– K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, tenth Minister of Justice (Sri Lanka), Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (born 1910) *
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
– Otto Graham, American football player and coach (born 1921) *2004 – Tom Wesselmann, American painter and sculptor (born 1931) *
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 ...
– Jack Anderson (columnist), Jack Anderson, American journalist and author (born 1922) * 2005 – Marc Favreau, Canadian actor and poet (born 1929) * 2005 – Haljand Udam, Estonian orientalist and academic (born 1936) *2006 – Larry Sherry, American baseball player and coach (born 1935) *2008 – Sammy Baugh, American football player and coach (born 1914) * 2008 – Freddy Breck, German singer-songwriter, producer, and journalist (born 1942) * 2008 – Dave Smith (pitcher, born 1955), Dave Smith, American baseball player and coach (born 1955) * 2008 – Gregoire (chimpanzee), Gregoire, Congolese chimpanzee, oldest recorded (born 1942) *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
– Chris Henry (wide receiver), Chris Henry, American football player (born 1983) * 2009 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (born 1919) * 2009 – Alaina Reed Hall, American actress (born 1946) *
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
– Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter (born 1941) * 2010 – Walt Dropo, American basketball and baseball player (born 1923) * 2010 – Ralph Coates, English footballer (born 1946) *2011 – Eva Ekvall, Venezuelan journalist and author, Miss Venezuela 2000 (born 1983) * 2011 – Kim Jong-il, North Korean commander and politician, second List of leaders of North Korea, Supreme Leader of North Korea (born 1941) *2012 – Richard Adams (activist), Richard Adams, Filipino-American activist (born 1947) * 2012 – James Gower, American priest and activist, co-founded the College of the Atlantic (born 1922) * 2012 – Daniel Inouye, American captain and politician (born 1924) * 2012 – Laurier LaPierre, Canadian historian, journalist, and politician (born 1929) * 2012 – Frank Pastore, American baseball player and radio host (born 1957) *2013 – Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer (born 1929) * 2013 – Ricardo María Carles Gordó, Spanish cardinal (born 1926) * 2013 – Richard Heffner, American historian and television host (born 1925) * 2013 – Tetsurō Kashibuchi, Japanese drummer, songwriter, and producer (born 1950) * 2013 – Janet Rowley, American geneticist and biologist (born 1925) * 2013 – Conny van Rietschoten, Dutch sailor (born 1926) *
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 ...
– Dieter Grau, German-American scientist and engineer (born 1913) * 2014 – Richard C. Hottelet, American journalist (born 1917) * 2014 – Oleh Lysheha, Ukrainian poet and playwright (born 1949) * 2014 – Lowell Steward, American captain (born 1919) * 2014 – Ivan Vekić (politician), Ivan Vekić, Croatian colonel, lawyer, and politician, Ministry of the Interior (Croatia), Croatian Minister of the Interior (born 1938) *2015 – Hal Brown, American baseball player and manager (born 1924) * 2015 – Osamu Hayaishi, American-Japanese biochemist and academic (born 1920) * 2015 – Michael Wyschogrod, German-American philosopher and theologian (born 1928) *2016 – Benjamin A. Gilman, American soldier and politician (born 1922) * 2016 – Henry Heimlich, American doctor (born 1920) * 2016 – Gordon Hunt (director), Gordon Hunt, American voice director (born 1929) *2020 – Jeremy Bulloch, English actor (born 1945) * 2020 – Allen Dines, American politician (born 1921) * 2023 – Ronaldo Valdez, Filipino actor (born 1947) * 2023 – James McCaffrey (actor), James McCaffrey, American actor (born 1958) * 2024 – Igor Kirillov (general), Igor Kirillov, Russian general (born 1970) * 2024 – Marisa Paredes, Spanish film actress (born 1946)


Holidays and observances

* Christian Calendar of saints, feast day: ** Daniel (biblical figure), Daniel the Prophet ** Josep Manyanet i Vives ** Lazarus of Bethany (local commemoration in Cuba) ** O antiphon, O Sapientia ** Olympias the Deaconess ** Wivina (abbess), Wivina ** Saint Sturm, Sturm ** December 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) * Accession Day (Bahrain) *
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is list of minor secular observances#December, observed annually on 17 December by sex workers, their clientele, friends, families and allies. Originally conceived as a memorial and vigil ...
* Flag of Kurdistan, Kurdish Flag Day (Global Kurdish population) * National Day (Bhutan) * Pan American Aviation Day (United States) * Wright Brothers Day, a United States federal observances, United States federal observance by Presidential proclamation


References


External links


BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on December 17
{{months Days of December