Events
Pre-1600
*
438
Year 438 (Roman numerals, CDXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius II, Theodosius and Anicius Acilius Glabrio Faustus, Glabrio (or, less frequ ...
–
Roman emperor
Theodosius II
Theodosius II ( ; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450), called "the Calligraphy, Calligrapher", was Roman emperor from 402 to 450. He was proclaimed ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' as an infant and ruled as the Eastern Empire's sole emperor after the ...
publishes the law codex
Codex Theodosianus
*
590 –
Khosrau II is crowned king of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.
*
706 –
Byzantine
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 ...
emperor
Justinian II has his predecessors
Leontios and
Tiberios III publicly executed in the
Hippodrome of Constantinople.
*
1002 – At an assembly at
Pavia of
Lombard nobles,
Arduin of Ivrea is restored to his domains and crowned
King of Italy
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...
.
*
1113 –
Pope Paschal II issues ''
Pie Postulatio Voluntatis'', recognizing
the Order of Hospitallers.
*
1214 – During the
Anglo-French War (1213–1214), an English invasion force led by
John, King of England, lands at
La Rochelle in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
*
1493 – While on board the ''
Niña'',
Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
.
1601–1900
*
1637 –
Ferdinand III becomes
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
.
*
1690 –
Constantin Cantemir, Prince of
Moldavia, and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
sign a secret treaty in
Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the
House of Habsburg against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
.
*
1764 – The city of
St. Louis is established in
Spanish Louisiana (now in
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, USA).
*
1798 – The
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
is proclaimed after
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a general of
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, had invaded the city of
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
five days earlier.
*
1835 – Serbia's
Sretenje Constitution briefly comes into effect.
*
1852 – The
Helsinki Cathedral (known as ''St. Nicholas' Church'' at time) is officially inaugurated in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
.
*
1862 –
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 ...
: Confederates commanded by Brig. Gen.
John B. Floyd attack General
Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces
besieging Fort Donelson in
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 ...
. Unable to break the fort's encirclement, the Confederates surrender the following day.
*
1870 –
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a Private university, private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely de ...
is founded in New Jersey, US, and offers the first
Bachelor of Engineering degree in
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
.
*
1879 –
Women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
: US President
Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female
attorneys to argue cases before the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
.
*
1898 – The battleship explodes and sinks in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.[Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...](_bl ...<br></span></div> harbor in <div class=)
, killing about 274 of the ship's roughly 354 crew. The disaster pushes the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to
declare war on
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.
*
1899 –
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia issues a declaration known as the
February Manifesto, which reduces the autonomy of the
Grand Duchy of Finland, thus beginning the
first period of oppression.
1901–present
*
1909 – The Flores Theater fire in
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
, Mexico kills 250.
*
1923 –
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
becomes the last European country to adopt the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
.
*
1925 – The
1925 serum run to Nome: The second delivery of serum arrives in
Nome, Alaska.
*
1933 – In
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
,
Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate US President-elect
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
, but instead shoots
Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6.
*
1940 –
Paul Creston's
Saxophone Sonata was officially premiered at the
Carnegie Chamber Hall by saxophonist
Cecil Leeson, who had commissioned it, and the composer.
*
1942 –
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 ...
:
Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese forces, the British General
Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000
Indian, United Kingdom and Australian soldiers become
prisoners of war, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
*
1944 – World War II: The
assault
In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
on
Monte Cassino
The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic Church, Catholic, Benedictines, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient ...
, Italy begins.
* 1944 – World War II: The
Narva Offensive begins.
*
1945 – World War II: Third day of
bombing in Dresden.
*
1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
–
ENIAC
ENIAC (; Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first Computer programming, programmable, Electronics, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945. Other computers had some of these features, but ENIAC was ...
, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
*
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025
* January 2 – Luis ...
–
Gerald Lankester Harding and
Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the
Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts, ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). They were discovered over a period of ten years, between ...
.
*
1952 – King
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
of the United Kingdom is buried in
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
*
1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the
Distant Early Warning Line, a system of
radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
*
1961 –
Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States
figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...
team along with several of their coaches and family members.
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
– The
maple leaf is adopted as the
flag of Canada
The National Flag of Canada (), popularly referred to as The Maple Leaf or l'Unifolié (), consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of , in which is featured one stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf Charge (hera ...
, replacing the
Canadian Red Ensign flag.
*
1970 – A
Dominicana de Aviación McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes into the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
after takeoff from
Las Américas International Airport, killing 102, including members of the
Puerto Rico women's national volleyball team and lightweight boxer
Carlos Cruz.
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
– The
decimalisation of the currencies of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
is completed on
Decimal Day.
*
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
–
Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...
protection for the first time.
* 1972 –
José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as
President of Ecuador
The president of Ecuador (), officially called the constitutional president of the Republic of Ecuador (), serves as the head of state and head of government of Ecuador. It is the highest political office in the country as the head of the exec ...
for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
*
1982 – The
drilling rig ''
Ocean Ranger'' sinks during a storm off the coast of
Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
*
1989 –
Soviet–Afghan War: The
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
officially announces that all of its troops have
left Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
*
1991 – The
Visegrád Group, establishing cooperation to move toward
free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, Hungary and Poland.
*
1992 – Serial killer
Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to 15 terms of life in prison.
* 1992 –
Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes in
Swanton, Ohio, near
Toledo Express Airport, killing all four people on board.
*
1996 – At the
Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a
Long March 3B rocket, carrying an
Intelsat 708, veers off course and crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing somewhere between six and 100 people.
* 1996 – The
Embassy of the United States, Athens, is attacked by an antitank rocket, launched by the
Revolutionary Organization 17 November.
*
2001 – The first draft of the complete
human genome
The human genome is a complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans, encoded as the DNA within each of the 23 distinct chromosomes in the cell nucleus. A small DNA molecule is found within individual Mitochondrial DNA, mitochondria. These ar ...
is published in ''
Nature
Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
''.
*
2003 –
Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million and 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
*
2010 – Two trains collide in the
Halle train collision in
Halle, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people.
*
2012 – Three hundred and sixty people die in a
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
at a
Honduran prison in the city of
Comayagua.
*
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
–
A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the ''expected'' closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid
2012 DA14.
*
2021 – Sixty people drown and hundreds are missing after a boat sinks on the
Congo River near the village of Longola Ekoti,
Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1377 –
Ladislaus of Naples (died 1414)
*
1458 –
Ivan the Young, son of
Ivan III of Russia (died 1490)
*
1472 –
Piero the Unfortunate, Italian ruler (died 1503)
*
1506 –
Juliana of Stolberg, German countess (died 1580)
*
1519 –
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, first Spanish Governor of Florida (died 1574)
*
1557 –
Alfonso Fontanelli, Italian composer (died 1622)
*
1564 –
Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician (died 1642)
1601–1900
*
1612 –
Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, French soldier, founded
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
(died 1676)
*
1627 –
Charles Morton, Cornish nonconformist minister (died 1698)
*
1638 –
Zeb-un-Nissa, Mughal princess and poet (died 1702)
*
1705 –
Charles-André van Loo, French painter (died 1765)
*
1710 –
Louis XV of France (died 1774)
*
1725 –
Abraham Clark, American surveyor, lawyer, and politician (died 1794)
*
1734 –
William Stacy, American colonel (died 1802)
*
1739 –
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect, designed the
Paris Bourse (died 1813)
*
1748 –
, English jurist and philosopher (died 1832)
*
1759 –
Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist and critic (died 1824)
*
1760 –
Lars Ingier, Norwegian road manager, land owner, and mill owner (died 1828)
* 1760 –
Jean-François Le Sueur, French composer and educator (died 1837)
*
1809 –
André Dumont, Belgian geologist and academic (died 1857)
* 1809 –
Cyrus McCormick, American journalist and businessman, co-founded
International Harvester (died 1884)
*
1810 –
Mary S. B. Shindler, American poet, writer, and editor (died 1883)
*
1811 –
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentinian journalist and politician, 7th
President of Argentina
The president of Argentina, officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation, is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Argentina, the national constitution, the president is also the Head of go ...
(died 1888)
*
1812 –
Charles Lewis Tiffany, American businessman, founded
Tiffany & Co. (died 1902)
*
1820 –
Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist and activist (died 1906)
*
1825 –
Carter Harrison, Sr., American lawyer and politician, 29th
Mayor of Chicago (died 1893)
*
1834 –
V. A. Urechia, Moldavian-Romanian historian, author, and playwright (died 1901)
*
1835 –
Demetrius Vikelas, Greek businessman and philanthropist (died 1908)
*
1839 –
Rayko Zhinzifov, Bulgarian poet and translator (died 1877)
*
1840 –
Titu Maiorescu, Romanian philosopher, academic, and politician, 23rd
Prime Minister of Romania (died 1917)
*
1841 –
Manuel Ferraz de Campos Sales, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 4th
President of Brazil (died 1913)
*
1845 –
Elihu Root, American lawyer and politician, 38th
United States Secretary of State,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1937)
*
1847 –
Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer and educator (died 1927)
*
1849 –
Rickman Godlee, English surgeon and academic (died 1925)
*
1850 –
Sophie Bryant, Irish mathematician, academic and activist (died 1922)
*
1851 –
Spiru Haret, Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician, 55th
Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs (died 1912)
*
1856 –
Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist and academic (died 1926)
*
1861 –
Charles Édouard Guillaume, Swiss-French physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1938)
* 1861 –
Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (died 1947)
*
1873 –
Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-Swedish biochemist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1964)
*
1874 –
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarcti ...
, Anglo-Irish captain and explorer (died 1922)
*
1883 –
Sax Rohmer, English-American author (died 1959)
*
1890 –
Robert Ley, German politician (died 1945)
*
1892 –
James Forrestal, American lieutenant and politician, 1st
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the United States federal executive departments, executive department of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, a ...
(died 1949)
*
1893 –
Roman Najuch, Polish professional tennis player (died 1967)
*
1897 –
Gerrit Kleerekoper, Dutch gymnast and coach (died 1943)
*
1898 –
Totò, Italian actor, singer, and screenwriter (died 1967)
*
1899 –
Georges Auric, French composer (died 1983)
* 1899 –
Gale Sondergaard, Danish-American actress (died 1985)
1901–present
*
1904 –
Mary Adshead, English painter (died 1995)
* 1904 –
Antonin Magne, French cyclist and manager (died 1983)
*
1905 –
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ' ...
, American composer (died 1986)
*
1907 –
Jean Langlais, French organist and composer (died 1991)
* 1907 –
Cesar Romero, American actor (died 1994)
*
1908 –
Sarto Fournier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 38th
Mayor of Montreal (died 1980)
*
1909 –
Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian, helped hide
Anne Frank and her family (died 2010)
*
1910 –
Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian,
Righteous Gentile (died 2008)
*
1912 –
George Mikes, Hungarian-English journalist and author (died 1987)
*
1913 –
Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (died 1997)
*
1914 –
Hale Boggs, American lawyer and politician (died 1972)
* 1914 –
Kevin McCarthy, American actor (died 2010)
*
1916 –
Mary Jane Croft, American actress (died 1999)
*
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 ...
–
Allan Arbus, American actor and photographer (died 2013)
* 1918 –
Hank Locklin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2009)
*
1919 –
Ducky Detweiler, American baseball player and manager (died 2013)
*
1920 –
Endicott Peabody, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 62nd
Governor of Massachusetts
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...
(died 1997)
* 1920 –
Eio Sakata, Japanese
Go player (died 2010)
*
1921 –
Norman C. Deno, American chemist and plant scientist, (died 2017)
*
1922 –
John B. Anderson, Swedish-American lawyer and politician (died 2017)
*
1923 –
Yelena Bonner, Soviet-Russian activist (died 2011)
*
1924 –
Robert Drew, American director and producer (died 2014)
*
1925 –
Angella D. Ferguson, American pediatrician
*
1927 –
Frank Dunlop, English actor and director
* 1927 –
Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (died 2008)
* 1927 –
Yehoshua Neuwirth, Israeli rabbi and scholar (died 2013)
*
1928 –
Joseph Willcox Jenkins, American composer, conductor, and educator (died 2014)
*
1929 –
Graham Hill, English racing driver and businessman (died 1975)
* 1929 –
James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the United States federal executive departments, executive department of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, a ...
(died 2014)
*
1930 –
Bruce Dawe, Australian poet and academic (died 2020)
*
1931 –
Claire Bloom, English actress
* 1931 –
Jonathan Steele, English journalist and author
*
1934 –
Jimmy Bloomfield, English footballer and manager (died 1983)
* 1934 –
Graham Kennedy, Australian television host and actor (died 2005)
* 1934 –
Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Emil Wirth ( IPA: ) (15 February 1934 – 1 January 2024) was a Swiss computer scientist. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered several classic topics in software engineering. In 1984, he won the Tu ...
, Swiss computer scientist, created the
Pascal programming language (died 2024)
* 1934 –
Abe Woodson, American football player and minister (died 2014)
*
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 ...
–
Susan Brownmiller
Susan Brownmiller (born Susan Warhaftig; February 15, 1935 – May 24, 2025) was an American journalist, author, and feminist activist, best known for her 1975 book '' Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape'', which was selected by The New ...
, American journalist and author
* 1935 –
Roger B. Chaffee, American lieutenant, engineer, and astronaut (died 1967)
* 1935 –
Gene Hickerson, American football player (died 2008)
*
1937 –
Gregory Mcdonald, American author (died 2008)
* 1937 –
Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (died 2011)
*
1940 –
İsmail Cem İpekçi, Turkish journalist and politician, 45th
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2007)
* 1940 –
Hamzah Haz, Indonesian journalist and politician, 9th
Vice President of Indonesia (died 2024)
*
1941 –
Florinda Bolkan, Brazilian actress
* 1941 –
Brian Holland, American songwriter and producer
*
1944 –
Mick Avory, English musician and songwriter
*
1945 –
Jack Dann, American-Australian author and poet
* 1945 –
Douglas Hofstadter, American author and academic
*
1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
–
Clare Short, English civil servant and politician,
Secretary of State for International Development
* 1946 –
John Trudell, American author, poet, and actor (died 2015)
*
1947 –
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
, American composer
* 1947 –
Marisa Berenson, American model and actress
*
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) ...
–
Art Spiegelman, Swedish-American cartoonist and critic
*
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025
* January 2 – Luis ...
–
Ken Anderson, American football player
*
1951 –
Markku Alén, Finnish racing driver
* 1951 –
Melissa Manchester, American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1951 –
Jane Seymour, English-American actress, producer, and jewelry designer
*
1952 –
Tomislav Nikolić, Serbian politician, 4th
President of Serbia
* 1952 –
Nikolai Sorokin, Russian actor and director (died 2013)
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
–
Ernie Howe, English footballer and manager
* 1953 –
Lynn Whitfield, American actress and producer
*
1954 –
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2 ...
, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
*
1955 –
Janice Dickinson, American model, agent, and author
* 1955 –
Christopher McDonald, American actor
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
–
Desmond Haynes, Barbadian cricketer and coach
* 1956 –
Ann Westin, Swedish comedian
*
1958 –
Chrystine Brouillet, Canadian author
* 1958 –
Tony McKegney, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1958 –
Matthew Ward, American singer-songwriter
*
1959 –
Ali Campbell, English singer-songwriter and musician
* 1959 –
Joseph R. Gannascoli, American actor
* 1959 –
Brian Propp, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
* 1959 –
Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian wrestler and sportscaster
*
1960 –
Darrell Green, American football player
* 1960 –
Jock Hobbs, New Zealand rugby player (died 2012)
*
1962 –
Milo Đukanović, Montenegrin politician, 29th
Prime Minister of Montenegro
*
1963 –
Steven Michael Quezada, American actor, comedian, and politician
*
1964 –
Chris Farley, American comedian and actor (died 1997)
* 1964 –
Leland D. Melvin, American engineer and astronaut
* 1964 –
Mark Price, American basketball player and coach
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
–
Craig Matthews, South African cricketer
*
1967 –
Jane Child, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
* 1967 –
Syed Kamall, English academic and politician
* 1967 –
Craig Simpson, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
*
1969 –
Birdman, American rapper and producer
*
1970 –
Shepard Fairey, American artist and activist
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
–
Alex Borstein, American actress, voice artist, producer, and screenwriter
* 1971 –
Renee O'Connor, American actress, director, and producer
*
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
–
Jaromír Jágr, Czech ice hockey player
*
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 ...
–
Kateřina Neumannová, Czech skier
* 1973 –
Amy van Dyken, American swimmer
* 1973 –
Sarah Wynter, Australian actress
*
1974 –
Miranda July, American actress, director, and screenwriter
* 1974 –
Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan baseball player
* 1974 –
Alexander Wurz, Austrian racing driver and businessman
*
1975 –
Serge Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
* 1975 –
Sébastien Bordeleau, Canadian-French ice hockey player
* 1975 –
Annemarie Kramer, Dutch sprinter
* 1975 –
Brendon Small, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and actor
*
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
–
Brandon Boyd, American singer-songwriter
* 1976 –
Óscar Freire, Spanish cyclist
* 1976 –
Ronnie Vannucci Jr., American musician and songwriter
*
1977 –
Álex González, Venezuelan baseball player
* 1977 –
Ronald Petrovický, Slovak ice hockey player
*
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
–
Hamish Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
* 1979 –
James Marshall, New Zealand cricketer
*
1980 –
Conor Oberst, American singer-songwriter
*
1981 –
Heurelho Gomes, Brazilian footballer
* 1981 –
Matt Hoopes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1981 –
Rita Jeptoo, Kenyan runner
* 1981 –
Diego Martínez, Mexican footballer
* 1981 –
Vivek Shraya, Canadian singer and songwriter
*
1982 –
Shameka Christon, American basketball player
* 1982 –
James Yap, Filipino basketball player
*
1983 –
Eddie Basden, American basketball player
* 1983 –
Don Cowie, Scottish footballer
* 1983 –
David Degen, Swiss footballer
* 1983 –
Philipp Degen, Swiss footballer
* 1983 –
Russell Martin, Canadian baseball player
*
1984 –
Gary Clark Jr., American singer-songwriter and musician
* 1984 –
Matt Duffer, American film director, writer, and producer
* 1984 –
Ross Duffer, American film director, writer, and producer
* 1984 –
Nate Schierholtz, American baseball player
*
1985 –
Serkan Kırıntılı, Turkish footballer
* 1985 –
Natalie Morales, American actress and director
*
1986 –
Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer
* 1986 –
Johnny Cueto, Dominican baseball player
* 1986 –
Amber Riley, American actress and singer
* 1986 –
Laura Sallés, Andorran judoka
*
1988 –
Papu Gómez, Argentine footballer
* 1988 –
Rui Patrício, Portuguese footballer
*
1989 –
Mark Canha, American baseball player
*
1990 –
Callum Turner, English actor
*
1991 –
Ángel Sepúlveda, Mexican footballer
* 1991 –
Rich Swann, American wrestler
*
1993 –
Ravi, South Korean rapper
* 1993 –
Geoffrey Kondogbia, Central African footballer
* 1993 –
Manuel Lanzini, Argentine footballer
*
1994 –
Sodapoppin, American Twitch streamer and internet personality
*
1995 –
Megan Thee Stallion, American rapper
*
1997 –
Derrick Jones Jr., American basketball player
* 1997 –
Justin Reid, American football player
*
1998 –
Zachary Gordon, American actor
* 1998 –
George Russell, English racing driver
*
2000 –
Jakub Kiwior, Polish footballer
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
–
Šimon Nemec, Slovak ice hockey player
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
670 –
Oswiu, king of Northumbria (born c. 612)
*
706 –
Leontios, Byzantine emperor
* 706 –
Tiberios III, Byzantine emperor
*
815 –
Ibn Tabataba, Zaydi anti-caliph
*
956 –
Su Yugui, Chinese chancellor (born 895)
*
1043 –
Gisela of Swabia, Holy Roman Empress (born 990)
*
1145 –
Lucius II, pope of the Catholic Church
*
1152 –
Conrad III, king of Germany (born 1093)
*
1382 –
William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (born c. 1339)
*
1417 –
Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, English commander (born 1385)
*
1508 –
Giovanni II Bentivoglio, tyrant of Bologna (born 1443)
*
1600 –
José de Acosta, Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist (born 1540)
1601–1900
*
1621 –
Michael Praetorius, German organist and composer (born 1571)
*
1637 –
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1578)
*
1738 –
Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (born 1684)
*
1772 –
Mitromaras, Greek rebel and pirate
*
1781
Events
January–March
* January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21.
* January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
–
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...
, German philosopher, author, and critic (born 1729)
*
1818
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire.
** English author Mary Shelley publishes the novel ''Frankenstein ...
–
Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (born 1746)
*
1835 –
Henry Hunt, English farmer and politician (born 1773)
*
1839 –
François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian rebel (born 1803)
*
1842 –
Archibald Menzies, Scottish surgeon and botanist (born 1754)
*
1844 –
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, English politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
(born 1757)
*
1847 –
Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (born 1794)
*
1848 –
Hermann von Boyen, Prussian general and politician,
Prussian Minister of War (born 1771)
*
1849 –
Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician and theorist (born 1804)
*
1857 –
Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (born 1804)
*
1869 –
Ghalib, Indian poet and educator (born 1796)
*
1877 –
Rayko Zhinzifov, Bulgarian poet and translator (born 1839)
*
1885 –
Gregor von Helmersen, Estonian-Russian geologist and engineer (born 1803)
* 1885 –
Leopold Damrosch, German-American composer and conductor (born 1832)
*
1897 –
Dimitrie Ghica, Romanian lawyer and politician, 10th
Prime Minister of Romania (born 1816)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand () is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, leader of the New Zealand National Party, took office on 27 November 2023.
The prime minister (informally abbreviated to P ...
(born 1819)
*
1905 –
Lew Wallace, American author, general, and politician, 11th
Governor of New Mexico Territory (born 1827)
*
1911 –
Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician and academic (born 1859)
*
1924 –
Lionel Monckton, English composer (born 1861)
*
1928 –
H. H. Asquith, English lawyer and politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
(born 1852)
*
1932 –
Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress and playwright (born 1865)
*
1933 –
Pat Sullivan, Australian animator and producer, co-created ''
Felix the Cat'' (born 1887)
*
1939 –
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter and author (born 1878)
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
–
Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French lawyer and politician (born 1878)
*
1959 –
Owen Willans Richardson, English physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (born 1879)
*
1961 –
Laurence Owen, American figure skater (born 1944)
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
–
Nat King Cole, American singer and pianist (born 1919)
*
1966 –
Gerard Antoni Ciołek, Polish architect and historian (born 1909)
* 1966 –
Camilo Torres Restrepo, Colombian priest and theologian (born 1929)
*
1967 –
Antonio Moreno, Spanish-American actor and director (born 1887)
*
1970 –
Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, Scottish air marshal (born 1882)
*
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 ...
–
Wally Cox, American actor (born 1924)
*
1974 –
Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (born 1887)
*
1981 –
Mike Bloomfield, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1943)
* 1981 –
Karl Richter, German organist and conductor (born 1926)
*
1984 –
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obitua ...
, American actress and singer (born 1908)
*
1988 –
Richard Feynman, American physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (born 1918)
*
1992 –
María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (born 1960)
* 1992 –
William Schuman, American composer and academic (born 1910)
*
1996 –
McLean Stevenson, American actor (born 1929)
*
1998 –
Martha Gellhorn, American journalist and author (born 1908)
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
–
Henry Way Kendall, American physicist and mountaineer,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (born 1926)
*
2000 –
Angus MacLean, Canadian commander and politician, 25th
Premier of Prince Edward Island (born 1914)
*
2002 –
Howard K. Smith, American journalist and actor (born 1914)
* 2002 –
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...
, New Zealand actor (born 1963)
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
–
Jens Evensen, Norwegian lawyer, judge, and politician,
Norwegian Minister of Trade (born 1917)
*
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 ...
–
Pierre Bachelet, French singer-songwriter (born 1944)
* 2005 –
Sam Francis, American historian and journalist (born 1947)
*
2007 –
Walker Edmiston, American actor (born 1925)
* 2007 –
Ray Evans, American songwriter (born 1915)
*
2008 –
Johnny Weaver, American wrestler and sportscaster (born 1935)
*
2010 –
Jeanne M. Holm, American general (born 1921)
*
2012 –
Cyril Domb, English-Israeli physicist and academic (born 1920)
*
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
–
Sanan Kachornprasart, Thai general and politician (born 1935)
* 2013 –
Ahmed Rajib Haider, Bangladeshi atheist blogger
*
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 ...
–
Thelma Estrin, American computer scientist and engineer (born 1924)
* 2014 –
Christopher Malcolm, Scottish-Canadian actor, director, and producer (born 1946)
*
2015 –
Haron Amin, Afghan diplomat,
Afghan Ambassador to Japan (born 1969)
* 2015 –
Arnaud de Borchgrave, American journalist and author (born 1926)
* 2015 –
Steve Montador, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1979)
*
2016 –
George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (born 1917)
* 2016 –
Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (born 1959)
*
2017 –
Stuart McLean, Canadian radio broadcaster (born 1948)
*
2019 –
Lee Radziwill, American socialite (born 1933)
*
2020 –
Caroline Flack, English actress and TV presenter (born 1979)
*
2022 –
Bappi Lahiri, Indian singer, composer and record producer (born 1952)
* 2022 –
P.J. O'Rourke, American author, humorist, and journalist (born 1947)
*
2023 –
Raquel Welch, American actress and singer (born 1940)
*
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
–
George Armitage, American film director (born 1942)
*2025 –
Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, Portuguese businessman (born 1937)
*2025 –
Muhsin Hendricks, South African imam, Islamic scholar and LGBT activist (born 1967)
Holidays and observances
* Christian
feast day:
**
Blessed Michał Sopoćko
**
Claude de la Colombière
**
Faustinus and Jovita
**
Oswiu
**
Quinidius
**
Sigfrid of Sweden
**
Thomas Bray (
Episcopal Church)
**
Walfrid
**
21 Coptic Martyrs of Libya
**
February 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
International Duties Memorial Day (Russia, regional)
*
John Frum Day (
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
)
*
Liberation Day (Afghanistan)
*
National Flag of Canada Day (Canada)
*
Parinirvana Day, also celebrated on February 8. (
Mahayana Buddhism)
*
Singles Awareness Day
*
Annoy Squidward Day
*
Statehood Day (Serbia)
*
Susan B. Anthony Day (
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, United States)
*
The ENIAC Day (
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, United States)
*
Total Defence Day (
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on February 15
{{months
Days of February