Events
Pre-1600
*
484 – King
Huneric of the Vandals replaces
Nicene bishops with
Arian ones, and banishes some to
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
.
*
1303 – The English are defeated at the
Battle of Roslin, in the
First War of Scottish Independence.
*
1386 – King
Charles III of Naples and Hungary is assassinated at
Buda.
*
1525 – A
Spanish-Austrian army defeats a French army at the
Battle of Pavia.
*
1527 – Coronation of
Ferdinand I as the king of Bohemia in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
.
*
1538 –
Treaty of Nagyvárad between Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I and King
John Zápolya of Hungary and Croatia.
*
1582 – With the
papal bull ''
Inter gravissimas'',
Pope Gregory XIII announces 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 ...
.
*
1597 – The last battle of the
Cudgel War takes place on the
Santavuori Hill in
Ilmajoki,
Ostrobothnia.
1601–1900
*
1607 – ''
L'Orfeo'' by
Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
, receives its première performance.
*
1711 – ''
Rinaldo'' by
George Frideric Handel, the first Italian
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
written for the London stage, is premièred.
*
1739 –
Battle of Karnal: The army of
Iranian ruler
Nader Shah defeats the forces of the
Mughal emperor of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Muhammad Shah.
*
1803 – In ''
Marbury v. Madison'', 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 ...
establishes the principle of
judicial review.
*
1809 – London's
Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving its owner, Irish writer and politician
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, destitute.
*1809 –
Britain invades and captures the
French colony of
Martinique.
*
1812 –
Treaty of Paris between
Napoleon and
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III (; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, when the empire was dissolved ...
against Russia is signed.
*
1813 –
Sinking of HMS Peacock by
USS Hornet on the
Demerara River,
Guyana.
*
1821 – Final stage of the
Mexican War of Independence from
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 ...
with
Plan of Iguala.
*
1822 – The first
Swaminarayan temple in the world,
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad, is inaugurated.
*
1826 – The signing of the
Treaty of Yandabo marks the end of the
First Anglo-Burmese War.
*
1831 – The
Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the
Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The
Choctaws in
Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West.
*
1848 –
King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Louis-Philippe of France abdicates the throne.
*
1854 – A
Penny Red with perforations becomes the first perforated
postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...
to be officially issued for distribution.
*
1863 –
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
is organized as a
United States territory.
*
1868 –
Andrew Johnson becomes the first
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
to be
impeached by the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
. He is later acquitted in the
Senate.
*
1875 – The hits the
Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high-profile civil servants and dignitaries.
*
1876 – The stage première of ''
Peer Gynt'', a play by
Henrik Ibsen with incidental music by
Edvard Grieg, takes place in Christiania (Oslo), Norway.
*
1881 –
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
sign the
Sino-Russian Ili Treaty.
*
1895 –
Revolution breaks out in Baire, a town near
Santiago de Cuba, beginning the
Cuban War of Independence; the war ends along with the
Spanish–American War in 1898.
1901–present
*
1916 – The
Governor-General of Korea establishes a clinic called ''Jahyewon'' in
Sorokdo to segregate
Hansen's disease patients.
*
1917 –
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
: The U.S. ambassador
Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the
Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
,
Texas, and
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
*
1918 –
Estonian Declaration of Independence.
*
1920 –
Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to speak in the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom following her
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
as a
Member of Parliament (MP) three months earlier.
* 1920 – The
Nazi Party (NSDAP) was founded by
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
in the
Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany.
*
1942 – Seven hundred ninety-one
Romanian Jewish refugees and crew members are killed after the
MV Struma is
torpedoed by the
Soviet Navy.
* 1942 – The
Battle of Los Angeles: A
false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.
*
1943 –
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 ...
:
First large-scale protest march resulting in clashes with the Axis occupation forces and collaborationist police in Athens against rumours of forced mobilization of Greek workers for work in Germany.
*
1945 –
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
ian Premier
Ahmad Mahir Pasha is killed in
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
after reading a decree.
*
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 ...
– Colonel
Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as
Peronism, is
elected to his first term as
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 ...
.
*
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 ...
– The
Armistice Agreements are signed, to formally end the hostilities of the
1948 Arab-Israeli War.
*
1966 –
Ghanaian coup d'état by National Liberation Council overthrows
Kwame Nkrumah's Government
*
1967 –
Cultural Revolution:
Zhang Chunqiao announces the dissolution of the
Shanghai People's Commune, replacing its local government with a
revolutionary committee.
*
1968 –
Vietnam War: The
Tet Offensive is halted;
South Vietnamese forces led by
Ngo Quang Truong recapture the
citadel of Hué.
*
1971 – The
All India Forward Bloc holds an emergency central committee meeting after its chairman, Hemantha Kumar Bose, is killed three days earlier.
P.K. Mookiah Thevar is appointed as the new chairman.
*
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 ...
– The
1976 constitution of Cuba is formally proclaimed.
*
1978 – The
Yuba County Five disappear in California. Four of their bodies are found four months later.
*
1981 – The 6.7
Gulf of Corinth earthquake affected
Central Greece with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of VIII (''Severe''). Twenty-two people were killed, 400 were injured, and damage totaled $812 million.
*
1983 – A special commission of the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
condemns the
Japanese American internment during World War II.
*
1984 –
Tyrone Mitchell
Tyrone Mitchell (October 17, 1955 – February 24, 1984) was an American spree killer who fatally shot a student and a passerby as well as wounding twelve others who were leaving 49th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles on February 24, 1984 ...
perpetrates the 49th Street Elementary School shooting in Los Angeles, killing two children and injuring 12 more.
*
1989 –
United Airlines Flight 811, bound for New Zealand from
Honolulu
Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, rips open during flight, blowing nine passengers out of the business-class section.
*
1991 –
Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
: Ground troops cross the
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
n border and enter
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, thus beginning the
ground phase of the war.
*
1996 – Two civilian airplanes operated by the
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 ...
-based group
Brothers to the Rescue are
shot down in international waters by the
Cuban Air Force.
*
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 ...
–
China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509, a
Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft, crashes in
Rui'an,
Zhejiang, China. All 61 people on board are killed.
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
– The 6.3
Al Hoceima earthquake strikes northern
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). At least 628 people are killed, 926 are injured, and up to 15,000 are displaced.
*
2006 –
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares
Proclamation 1017 placing the country in a
state of emergency in attempt to subdue a possible military coup.
*
2007 – Japan launches its fourth
spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
.
*
2008 –
Fidel Castro retires as the
President of Cuba and the
Council of Ministers after 32 years. He remained as head of the
Communist Party for another three years.
*
2015 – A
Metrolink train
derails in
Oxnard, California following a collision with a truck, leaving more than 30 injured.
*
2016 –
Tara Air Flight 193, a
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, crashed, with 23 fatalities, in
Solighopte, Myagdi District, Dhaulagiri Zone, while en route from
Pokhara Airport to
Jomsom Airport.
*
2020 –
Mahathir Mohamad resigns as
Prime Minister of Malaysia following an attempt to replace the
Pakatan Harapan government, which triggered the
2020-2022 Malaysian political crisis.
*
2022 –
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
: Days after
recognising Donetsk and
Luhansk as
independent states, Russian president
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
orders a
full-scale invasion of
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1103 –
Emperor Toba of Japan (died 1156)
*
1304 –
Ibn Battuta, Moroccan explorer
*
1360 –
Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy
*
1413 –
Louis, Duke of Savoy (died 1465)
*
1463 –
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher (died 1494)
*
1494 –
Johan Friis, Danish statesman (died 1570)
*
1500 –
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1558)
*
1536 –
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605.
Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...
(died 1605)
*
1545 –
John of Austria (died 1578)
*
1553 –
Cherubino Alberti, Italian engraver and painter (died 1615)
*
1557 –
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1619)
*
1593 –
Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, English soldier and courtier (died 1625)
*
1595 –
Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (died 1640)
1601–1900
*
1604 –
Arcangela Tarabotti, Venetian nun and feminist (died 1652)
*
1619 –
Charles Le Brun, French painter and theorist (died 1690)
*
1622 –
Johannes Clauberg, German theologian and philosopher (died 1665)
*
1709 –
Jacques de Vaucanson, French engineer (died 1782)
*
1721 –
John McKinly, Irish-American physician and politician, 1st
Governor of Delaware (died 1796)
*
1723 –
John Burgoyne, English general and politician (died 1792)
*
1736 –
Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (died 1806)
*
1743 –
Joseph Banks, English botanist and explorer (died 1820)
*
1762 –
Charles Frederick Horn, German-English composer and educator (died 1830)
*
1767 –
Rama II of Siam (died 1824)
*
1774 –
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (died 1850)
*
1786 –
Martin W. Bates, American lawyer and politician (died 1869)
* 1786 –
Wilhelm Grimm, German anthropologist, author, and academic (died 1859)
*
1788 –
Johan Christian Dahl, Norwegian-German painter (died 1857)
*
1797 –
Samuel Lover, Irish composer, writer and painter (died 1868)
*
1827 –
Lydia Becker, English-French activist (died 1890)
*
1829 –
Friedrich Spielhagen, German novelist, literary theorist and translator
*
1830 –
Karolina Světlá, Czech female author
*
1831 –
Leo von Caprivi, German general and politician,
Chancellor of Germany
The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal Cabinet of Germany, government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Government of Germany, ...
(died 1899)
*
1835 –
Julius Vogel, English-New Zealand journalist and politician, 8th
Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1899)
*
1836 –
Winslow Homer, American painter and illustrator (died 1910)
*
1837 –
Rosalía de Castro, Spanish poet (died 1885)
*
1842 –
Arrigo Boito, Italian journalist, author, and composer (died 1918)
*
1848 –
Andrew Inglis Clark, Australian engineer, lawyer, and politician (died 1907)
*
1852 –
George Moore, Irish author, poet, and playwright (died 1933)
*
1857 –
Emma Ann Browne,British-born Australian philanthropist (died 1941)
*
1868 –
Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild, French financier and polo player (died 1949)
*
1869 –
Zara DuPont, American suffragist (died 1946)
*
1874 –
Honus Wagner, American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1955)
*
1877 –
Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1972)
* 1877 –
Ettie Rout, Australian-New Zealand educator and activist (died 1936)
*
1881 –
Moulay Abd al-Aziz bin Hassan, Sultan of Morocco (died 1943)
*
1885 –
Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (died 1966)
* 1885 –
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish author, poet, and painter (died 1939)
*
1890 –
Marjorie Main, American actress (died 1975)
*
1895 –
Şehzade Osman Fuad, Ottoman prince (died 1973)
*
1896 –
Richard Thorpe, American director and screenwriter (died 1991)
*
1898 –
Kurt Tank, German pilot and engineer (died 1983)
*
1900 –
Irmgard Bartenieff, German-American dancer and physical therapist, leading pioneer of
dance therapy (died 1981)
1901–present
*
1903 –
Vladimir Bartol, Italian-Slovene author and playwright (died 1967)
*
1908 –
Telford Taylor, American general, lawyer, and historian (died 1998)
*
1909 –
August Derleth, American anthologist and author (died 1971)
*
1914 –
Ralph Erskine, English-Swedish architect, designed
The Ark and
Byker Wall (died 2005)
* 1914 –
Weldon Kees, American author, poet, painter, and pianist (died 1955)
*
1915 –
Jim Ferrier, Australian golfer (died 1986)
*
1919 –
John Carl Warnecke, American architect (died 2010)
*
1921 –
Abe Vigoda, American actor (died 2016)
*
1922 –
Richard Hamilton, English painter and academic (died 2011)
* 1922 –
Steven Hill, American actor (died 2016)
*
1924 –
Hal Herring, American football player and coach (died 2014)
* 1924 –
Erik Nielsen, Canadian lawyer and politician, 3rd
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (died 2008)
* 1924 –
F. G. Bailey, British-American anthropologist (died 2020)
*
1925 –
Bud Day, American colonel and pilot,
Medal of Honor recipient (died 2013)
* 1926 –
Dave Sands, Australian boxer (died 1952)
*
1927 –
Emmanuelle Riva, French actress (died 2017)
*
1929 –
Kintarō Ōki, South Korean wrestler (died 2006)
*
1930 –
Barbara Lawrence, American model and actress (died 2013)
*
1931 –
Dominic Chianese, American actor and singer
* 1931 –
Brian Close, English cricketer and coach (died 2015)
*
1932 –
Michel Legrand, French pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2019)
* 1932 –
Zell Miller, American sergeant and politician, 79th
Governor of Georgia (died 2018)
* 1932 –
John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (died 2005)
*
1933 –
Judah Folkman, American physician and biologist (died 2008)
* 1933 –
Ali Mazrui, Kenyan-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (died 2014)
* 1933 –
David "Fathead" Newman, American saxophonist and composer (died 2009)
*
1934 –
Bettino Craxi, Italian lawyer and politician, 45th
Prime Minister of Italy
The prime minister of Italy, officially the president of the Council of Ministers (), is the head of government of the Italy, Italian Republic. The office of president of the Council of Ministers is established by articles 92–96 of the Co ...
(died 2000)
* 1934 –
Johnny Hills, English footballer (died 2021)
* 1934 –
George Ryan, American politician, 39th
Governor of Illinois (died 2025)
* 1934 –
Renata Scotto, Italian soprano (died 2023)
*
1935 –
Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet, essayist, and translator (died 2014)
*
1936 –
Carol D'Onofrio, American public health researcher (died 2020)
* 1936 –
Guillermo O'Donnell, Argentine political scientist (died 2011)
*
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 ...
–
James Farentino, American actor (died 2012)
* 1938 –
Phil Knight, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded
Nike, Inc.
* 1938 –
Kathleen Richardson, Baroness Richardson of Calow, British life peer
*
1939 –
Jamal Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi physicist and cosmologist (died 2013)
*
1940 –
Pete Duel, American actor (died 1971)
* 1940 –
Jimmy Ellis, American boxer (died 2014)
* 1940 –
Denis Law, Scottish footballer and sportscaster (died 2025)
*
1941 –
Joanie Sommers, American singer and actress
*
1942 –
Paul Jones, English singer, harmonica player, and actor
* 1942 –
Celia Kaye, American actress
* 1942 –
Joe Lieberman, American lawyer and politician (died 2024)
* 1942 –
Jenny O'Hara, American actress
* 1942 –
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Indian philosopher, theorist, and academic
*
1943 –
Kent Haruf, American novelist (died 2014)
* 1943 –
Gigi Meroni, Italian footballer (died 1967)
* 1943 –
Pablo Milanés, Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2022)
*
1944 –
Nicky Hopkins, English keyboard player (died 1994)
* 1944 –
Ivica Račan, Croatian lawyer and politician, 7th
Prime Minister of Croatia (died 2007)
*
1945 –
Barry Bostwick, American actor and singer
*
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 ...
–
Grigory Margulis, Russian mathematician and academic
*
1947 –
Rupert Holmes, English-American singer-songwriter and playwright
* 1947 –
Edward James Olmos, American actor and director
*
1948 –
Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, 16th
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (died 2016)
* 1948 –
Dennis Waterman, English actor (died 2022)
* 1948 –
GM Quader, Bangladeshi politician
*
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 ...
–
John Lever, English Test cricketer
*
1950 –
George Thorogood, American musician
*
1951 –
David Ford, Northern Irish social worker and politician
* 1951 –
Derek Randall, English cricketer
* 1951 –
Debra Jo Rupp, American actress
* 1951 –
Helen Shaver, Canadian actress and director
* 1951 –
Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian economist and politician, 12th
Prime Minister of Latvia
* 1951 –
Andrew Leung, Hong Kong politician, 3rd
President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
*
1952 –
Tommy Burleson, American basketball player
*
1953 –
Anatoli Kozhemyakin, Soviet footballer (died 1974)
*
1954 –
Plastic Bertrand, Belgian singer-songwriter and producer
* 1954 –
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Puerto Rican author (died 2016)
* 1954 –
Sid Meier, Canadian-American game designer and programmer, created the ''
Civilization series''
* 1954 –
Mike Pickering, English DJ and saxophonist
* 1954 –
Željko Glasnović, Croatian politician and general
* 1954 –
Constantine Phipps, 5th Marquess of Normanby, British peer, writer, and entrepreneur
*
1955 –
Steve Jobs, American businessman, co-founded
Apple Computer and
Pixar (died 2011)
* 1955 –
Eddie Johnson, American basketball player (died 2020)
* 1955 –
Alain Prost, French race car driver
*
1956 –
Judith Butler, American philosopher, theorist, and author
* 1956 –
Eddie Murray, American baseball player and coach
* 1956 –
Paula Zahn, American journalist and producer
*
1958 –
Sammy Kershaw, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1958 –
Mark Moses, American actor
*
1959 –
Beth Broderick, American actress and director
* 1959 –
Mike Whitney, Australian cricketer and television host
* 1959 –
Abhishek Singhvi, Indian politician
* 1959 –
François Villeroy de Galhau, 30th
Governor of the Bank of France
*
1961 –
Emilio Rivera, American actor
* 1961 –
Erna Solberg, Norwegian politician, 35th
Prime Minister of Norway
* 1961 –
John Grogan, British politician
*
1962 –
Kelly Craft, American businesswoman and diplomat
* 1962 –
Michelle Shocked, American singer-songwriter
*
1963 –
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Indian filmmaker and composer
* 1963 –
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
* 1963 –
Mike Vernon, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1963 –
Mateu Alemany, Spanish lawyer, football director of
FC Barcelona
*
1964 –
Russell Ingall, British-Australian race car driver and sportscaster
* 1964 –
Elizabeth Wilson, American politician
*
1965 –
Paul Gruber, American football player
* 1965 –
Jane Swift, American businesswoman and politician,
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 ...
*
1966 –
Billy Zane, American actor and producer
*1966 –
Katie Allen, Australian politician and medical researcher
*
1967 –
Brian Schmidt, Australian astrophysicist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate
*
1968 –
Mitch Hedberg, American comedian and actor (died 2005)
*
1969 –
Kim Seung-woo, South Korean actor
*
1970 –
Jeff Garcia, American football player and coach
* 1970 –
Neil Sullivan, Scottish footballer and coach
* 1970 –
Jonathan Ward, American actor
*
1971 –
Pedro de la Rosa, Spanish race car driver
* 1971 –
Gillian Flynn, American author, screenwriter, and producer
* 1971 –
Brian Savage, Canadian ice hockey player
*
1972 –
Teodor Currentzis, Greek conductor and composer
* 1972 –
Manon Rhéaume, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
*
1973 –
Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey player and pilot
*1973 –
Philipp Rösler, German politician
*
1974 –
Mike Lowell, Puerto Rican baseball player
* 1974 –
Khadzhimurad Magomedov, Russian freestyle wrestler
* 1974 –
Gila Gamliel, Israeli politician and
Minister of Science, Technology and Space
*
1975 –
Ashley MacIsaac, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler
*
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 ...
–
Marco Campos, Brazilian race car driver (died 1995)
* 1976 –
Zach Johnson, American golfer
* 1976 –
Bradley McGee, Australian cyclist and coach
*
1977 –
Jason Akermanis, Australian footballer and coach
* 1977 –
Bronson Arroyo, American baseball player
* 1977 –
Floyd Mayweather Jr., American boxer
*
1980 –
Shinsuke Nakamura, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
*1980 –
Jorrit Faassen, Dutch businessman
*
1981 –
Jonas Andersson, Swedish ice hockey player
* 1981 –
Felipe Baloy, Panamanian footballer
* 1981 –
Lleyton Hewitt, Australian tennis player
* 1981 –
Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricketer
* 1981 –
Bob Sanders, American football player
*
1982 –
Nick Blackburn, American baseball player
* 1982 –
Fala Chen, Chinese actress and singer
* 1982 –
Klára Koukalová, Czech tennis player
* 1982 –
Emanuel Villa, Argentine footballer
*
1984 –
Wilson Bethel, American actor
* 1984 –
Corey Graves, American wrestler and sportscaster
* 1984 –
Nani, Indian actor and film producer
*
1985 –
Nakash Aziz, Indian playback singer and composer
*
1986 –
Wojtek Wolski, Polish-Canadian ice hockey player
*
1987 –
Kim Kyu-jong, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor
* 1987 –
Ashley Walker, American-Romanian basketball player
* 1987 –
Mario Suárez, Spanish footballer
* 1987 –
Christopher Trimmel, Austrian footballer
*
1988 –
Rodrigue Beaubois, French basketball player
* 1988 –
Alexander Koch, American actor
* 1988 –
Connie Ramsay, Scottish judoka
* 1988 –
Maksym Radziwill, Polish-Canadian mathematician
*
1989 –
Trace Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1989 –
Daniel Kaluuya, English actor
* 1989 –
Kosta Koufos, Greek-American basketball player
*
1990 –
Dwayne Allen, American football player
* 1990 –
Derek Wolfe, American football player
*
1991 –
Tim Erixon, American-Swedish ice hockey player
* 1991 –
Madison Hubbell, American ice dancer
* 1991 –
O'Shea Jackson Jr., American actor and rapper
* 1991 –
Semih Kaya, Turkish footballer
* 1991 –
Christian Kabasele, Congolese-born Belgian footballer
* 1992 –
Stefan Ashkovski, Macedonian footballer
*
1994 –
Jessica Pegula, American tennis player
* 1994 –
Earl Sweatshirt, American rapper
*
1996 –
Royce Freeman, American football player
*
1997 –
Anjali Paragsingh, Surinamese badminton player
*1997 –
Đurđina Jauković, Montenegrin handball player
*
2000 –
Antony Matheus dos Santos, Brazilian footballer
*2000 –
Nichika Yamada, Japanese volleyball player
*
2003 –
Honey Osrin, British swimmer
*
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 ...
–
Samuele Vignato, Italian football player
*2004 –
Rafael Obrador, Spanish footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
616 –
Æthelberht of Kent
*
951 –
Liu Yun, Chinese governor (''
jiedushi'')
*
1018 –
Borrell,
bishop of Vic
*
1114 –
Thomas, archbishop of York
*
1386 –
Charles III of Naples (born 1345)
*
1496 –
Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg (born 1445)
*
1525 –
Jacques de La Palice, French nobleman and military officer (born 1470)
* 1525 –
Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur de Bonnivet, French soldier (born c. 1488)
* 1525 –
Richard de la Pole, last Yorkist claimant to the English throne (born 1480)
*
1530 –
Properzia de' Rossi, Italian Renaissance sculptor
*
1563 –
Francis, Duke of Guise (born 1519)
*
1580 –
Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, English nobleman (born 1511)
*
1588 –
Johann Weyer, Dutch physician and occultist (born 1515)
1601–1900
*
1666 –
Nicholas Lanier, English composer and painter (born 1588)
*
1674 –
Prataprao Gujar, 3rd Commander-in-chief of
Maratha Confederacy
*
1685 –
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, English general and politician,
Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland (born 1629)
*
1704 –
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, French composer (born 1643)
*
1714 –
Edmund Andros, English courtier and politician, 4th
Colonial Governor of New York (born 1637)
*
1721 –
John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician,
Lord President of the Council (born 1648)
*
1732 –
Francis Charteris, Scottish soldier (born 1675)
*
1777 –
Joseph I of Portugal
'' Dom'' Joseph I (; 6 June 1714 – 24 February 1777), known as the Reformer (Portuguese: ''o Reformador''), was King of Portugal from 31 July 1750 until his death in 1777. Among other activities, Joseph was devoted to hunting and the opera. ...
(born 1714)
*
1785 –
Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican lawyer and politician (born 1746)
*
1799 –
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (; 1 July 1742 – 24 February 1799) was a German physicist, satirist, and Anglophile. He was the first person in Germany to hold a professorship explicitly dedicated to experimental physics. He is remembered for his p ...
, German physicist and academic (born 1742)
*
1810 –
Henry Cavendish, French-English physicist and chemist (born 1731)
*
1812 –
Étienne-Louis Malus, French physicist and mathematician (born 1775)
*
1815 –
Robert Fulton, American engineer (born 1765)
*
1825 –
Thomas Bowdler, English physician and philanthropist (born 1754)
*
1856 –
Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician and academic (born 1792)
*
1876 –
Joseph Jenkins Roberts, American-Liberian politician, 1st
President of Liberia (born 1809)
*
1879 –
Shiranui Kōemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 11th
Yokozuna (born 1825)
1901–present
*
1910 –
Osman Hamdi Bey, Turkish archaeologist and painter (born 1842)
*
1914 –
Joshua Chamberlain, American general and politician, 32nd
Governor of Maine (born 1828)
*
1925 –
Hjalmar Branting, Swedish journalist and politician, 16th
Prime Minister of Sweden,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1860)
*
1927 –
Edward Marshall Hall, English lawyer and politician (born 1858)
*
1929 –
André Messager, French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1853)
*
1930 –
Hermann von Ihering, German-Brazilian zoologist (born 1850)
*
1953 –
Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (born 1895)
* 1953 –
Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (born 1875)
*
1967 –
Mir Osman Ali Khan, Last
Nizam of
Hyderabad State (born 1886)
*
1970 –
Conrad Nagel, American actor (born 1897)
*
1974 –
Margaret Leech, American historian and author (born 1895)
*
1975 –
Hans Bellmer, German artist (born 1902)
* 1975 –
Nikolai Bulganin, Russian marshal and politician, 6th
Premier of the Soviet Union (born 1895)
*
1978 –
Alma Thomas, American painter and educator (born1891)
*
1982 –
Virginia Bruce, American actress (born 1910)
*
1986 –
Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian Bharatnatyam dancer (born 1904)
* 1986 –
Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th
Premier of Saskatchewan (born 1904)
*
1990 –
Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (born 1945)
* 1990 –
Malcolm Forbes, American sergeant and publisher (born 1917)
* 1990 –
Sandro Pertini, Italian journalist and politician, 7th
President of Italy (born 1896)
* 1990 –
Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1927)
*
1991 –
John Daly, American journalist and game show host (born 1914)
* 1991 –
George Gobel, American actor (born 1919)
* 1991 –
Webb Pierce, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1921)
*
1993 –
Danny Gallivan, Canadian sportscaster (born 1917)
* 1993 –
Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (born 1941)
*
1994 –
Jean Sablon, French singer and actor (born 1906)
* 1994 –
Dinah Shore, American actress and singer (born 1916)
*
1998 –
Antonio Prohías, Cuban-American cartoonist (born 1921)
* 1998 –
Henny Youngman, English-American comedian and violinist (born 1906)
*
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 ...
–
Andre Dubus, American short story writer, essayist, and memoirist (born 1936)
*
2001 –
Theodore Marier, American composer and educator, founded the
Boston Archdiocesan Choir School (born 1912)
* 2001 –
Claude Shannon, American mathematician, cryptographer, and engineer (born 1916)
*
2002 –
Leo Ornstein, Ukrainian-American pianist and composer (born 1893)
*
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 ...
–
John Randolph, American actor (born 1915)
*
2005 –
Coşkun Kırca, Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician (born 1927)
*
2006 –
Octavia E. Butler, American author and educator (born 1947)
* 2006 –
Don Knotts, American actor and comedian (born 1924)
* 2006 –
John Martin, Canadian broadcaster, co-founded
MuchMusic (born 1947)
* 2006 –
Dennis Weaver, American actor, director, and producer (born 1924)
*
2007 –
Bruce Bennett, American shot putter and actor (born 1906)
* 2007 –
Damien Nash, American football player (born 1982)
*
2008 –
Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1947)
*
2010 –
Dawn Brancheau, senior animal trainer at SeaWorld (born 1969)
*
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
–
Anant Pai, Indian author and illustrator (born 1929)
*
2012 –
Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (born 1930)
* 2012 –
Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (born 1925)
*
2013 –
Virgil Johnson, American singer (born 1935)
* 2013 –
Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (born 1923)
*
2014 –
Franny Beecher, American guitarist (born 1921)
* 2014 –
Alexis Hunter
Alexis Jan Atthill Hunter (4 November 1948 – 24 February 2014) was a New Zealand painter and photographer, who used feminist theory in her work.Gifford, Adam"Feminist art buys a fight" ''The New Zealand Herald'', 4 April 2007. Retrieved 26 Febr ...
, New Zealand-English painter and photographer (born 1948)
* 2014 –
Carlos Páez Vilaró, Uruguayan painter and sculptor (born 1923)
* 2014 –
Harold Ramis, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1944)
*
2015 –
Mefodiy, Ukrainian metropolitan (born 1949)
* 2015 –
Rakhat Aliyev, Kazakh politician and diplomat (born 1962)
*
2016 –
Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st
Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (born 1943)
* 2016 –
Nabil Maleh, Syrian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1936)
* 2016 –
George C. Nichopoulos, American soldier and physician (born 1927)
*
2018 –
Sridevi, Indian actress (born 1963)
* 2018 –
Haukur Hilmarsson, Icelandic political activist and internationalist volunteer fighter (born 1986)
*
2020 –
Katherine Johnson, American physicist and mathematician (born 1918)
*
2021 –
Ronald Pickup, English actor (born 1940)
*
2023 –
Edith Roger, Norwegian dancer and choreographer (born 1922)
*
2024 –
Kumar Shahani, Indian film director and screenwriter (born1940)
*
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 ...
–
Roberta Flack
Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...
, American singer and pianist (born 1937)
Holidays and observances
*Christian
feast day:
**
Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
**
Lindel Tsen and
Paul Sasaki (
Anglican Church of Canada)
**
Modest (bishop of Trier)
**Sergius of Cappadocia
**February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Dragobete (Romania)
*Engineer's Day (Iran)
*Flag Day in Mexico
*Independence Day (Estonia), Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in
1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
*Thailand National Artist, National Artist Day (Thailand)
*Sweden Finns' Day (Sweden)
"Sverigefinländarnas dag firas den 24 februari"
– ''Finland.se'' (in Swedish)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on February 24
{{months
Days of February