Events
Pre-1600
*
393 –
Roman emperor Theodosius I
Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...
proclaims his eight-year-old son
Honorius co-emperor.
*
971 – Using
crossbows,
Song dynasty troops soundly
defeat a
war elephant
A war elephant is an elephant that is Animal training, trained and guided by humans for combat purposes. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge (warfare), charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elep ...
corps of the
Southern Han at Shao.
*
1229 – The episcopal seat is moved from
Nousiainen to
Koroinen (located near the current centre of
Turku) by the permission of
Pope Gregory IX. The date is starting to be considered as the founding of Turku.
*
1264 – In the conflict between King
Henry III of England
Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...
and his rebellious barons led by
Simon de Montfort, King
Louis IX of France
Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis VI ...
issues the
Mise of Amiens, a one-sided decision in favour of Henry that later leads to the
Second Barons' War.
*
1368 –
Zhu Yuanzhang proclaims himself the
Hongwu Emperor, beginning the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
.
*
1546 – Having published nothing for eleven years,
François Rabelais publishes the ''Tiers Livre'', his sequel to ''
Gargantua and Pantagruel''.
*
1556 – The deadliest
earthquake in history, the
Shaanxi earthquake, hits
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000.
*
1565 – The
Deccan Sultanates defeat
Rama Raya of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
at the
Battle of Talikota, resulting in over 100,000 casualties and the destruction of the capital
Vijayanagara.
*
1570 –
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray,
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
for the infant King
James VI of Scotland, is assassinated by firearm, the first recorded instance of such.
*
1571 – The
Royal Exchange opens in London.
*
1579 – The
Union of Utrecht forms a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
republic in the Netherlands.
1601–1900
*
1656 –
Blaise Pascal publishes the first of his ''
Lettres provinciales''.
*
1719 – The
Principality of
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
is created within 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 ...
.
*
1755 –
Moscow University is established (12 January 1755
O.S.).
*
1789 –
Georgetown College, the first
Catholic university in the United States, is founded in
Georgetown, Maryland (now a part of Washington, D.C.) when Bishop
John Carroll, Rev.
Robert Molyneux, and Rev. John Ashton purchase land for the proposed academy for the education of youth.
*
1793 –
Second Partition of Poland.
*
1795 – After crossing the frozen
Zuiderzee, the French cavalry
captured 14 Dutch ships and 850 guns, in a rare occurrence of surrender of naval vessels to land forces.
*
1846 –
Slavery in Tunisia is abolished.
*
1849 –
Elizabeth Blackwell is awarded her M.D. by the
Geneva Medical College of
Geneva, New York, becoming the United States' first female doctor.
*
1870 – In
Montana, U.S. cavalrymen kill 173
Native Americans, mostly women and children, in what becomes known as the
Marias Massacre.
*
1879 –
Anglo-Zulu War: The
Battle of Rorke's Drift ends.
*
1899 – The
Malolos Constitution is inaugurated, establishing the
First Philippine Republic.
Emilio Aguinaldo is sworn in as its
first president.
*
1900 –
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
: The
Battle of Spion Kop between the forces of the
South African Republic and the
Orange Free State and British forces ends in a British defeat.
1901–present
*
1904 –
Ålesund Fire: The Norwegian coastal town
Ålesund is devastated by fire, leaving 10,000 people homeless and one person dead.
Kaiser Wilhelm II funds the rebuilding of the town in
Jugendstil style.
*
1909 – , a passenger ship of the
White Star Line, becomes the first ship to use the
CQD distress signal after colliding with another ship, the
SS ''Florida'', off the Massachusetts coastline, an event that kills six people. The ''Republic'' sinks the next day.
*
1912 – The
International Opium Convention is signed at
The Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
.
*
1919 – The
First Regional Congress of Peasants, Workers and Insurgents is held by the
Makhnovshchina at
Velykomykhailivka.
*
1920 – The Netherlands refuses to surrender the exiled
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to the
Allies.
*
1937 – The
trial of the anti-Soviet Trotskyist center sees seventeen mid-level Communists accused of sympathizing with
Leon Trotsky and plotting to overthrow
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
's regime.
*
1941 –
Charles Lindbergh testifies before the
U.S. Congress and recommends that the United States negotiate a
neutrality pact with
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 ...
.
*
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 ...
: The
Battle of Rabaul commences Japan's
invasion of Australia's
Territory of New Guinea.
*
1943 – World War II: Troops of the British
Eighth Army capture
Tripoli in
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
from the
German–Italian Panzer Army.
*
1945 – World War II: German admiral
Karl Dönitz launches
Operation Hannibal.
*
1950 – The
Knesset resolves that
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
is the capital of Israel.
*
1957 – American inventor
Walter Frederick Morrison sells the rights to his
flying disc to the
Wham-O toy company, which later renames it the "Frisbee".
*
1958 – After a
general uprising and rioting in the streets,
President Marcos Pérez Jiménez leaves
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
.
*
1960 – The
bathyscaphe USS ''Trieste'' breaks a depth record by descending to in the Pacific Ocean.
*
1963 – The
Guinea-Bissau War of Independence officially begins when
PAIGC guerrilla fighters attack the
Portuguese Army stationed in
Tite.
*
1964 – The
24th Amendment to the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
, prohibiting the use of
poll taxes in national elections, is ratified.
*
1967 –
Diplomatic relations between 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 ...
and
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
are established.
* 1967 –
Milton Keynes (England) is founded as a
new town by
Order in Council, with a planning brief to become a city of 250,000 people. Its initial designated area enclosed three existing towns and twenty-one villages. The area to be developed was largely farmland, with
evidence of continuous settlement dating back to the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
.
*
1968 –
USS ''Pueblo'' (AGER-2) is attacked and seized by the
Korean People's Navy.
*
1982 –
World Airways Flight 30 overshoots the runway at
Logan International Airport in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts, and crashes into
Boston Harbor. Two people are missing and presumed dead.
*
1986 – The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members:
Little Richard,
Chuck Berry,
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
Ray Charles,
Sam Cooke,
Fats Domino,
The Everly Brothers,
Buddy Holly,
Jerry Lee Lewis and
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
.
*
1987 –
Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan sends a "
letter of death" to Somali President
Siad Barre, proposing the genocide of the Isaaq people.
*
1997 –
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Körbelová, later Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political science, political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, United S ...
becomes the first woman to serve as
United States Secretary of State.
*
1998 –
Netscape announces
Mozilla, with the intention to release Communicator code as
open source.
*
2001 – Five people attempt to
set themselves on fire in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square, an act that many people later claim is staged by the
Chinese Communist Party to frame
Falun Gong and thus escalate their
persecution.
*
2002 – U.S. journalist
Daniel Pearl is kidnapped in
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
, Pakistan and subsequently murdered.
*
2003 – A very weak signal from
Pioneer 10 is detected for the last time, but no usable data can be extracted.
*
2018 – A 7.9
earthquake occurs in the
Gulf of Alaska. It is tied as the
sixth-largest earthquake ever recorded in the United States, but there are no reports of significant damage or fatalities.
* 2018 – A double car bombing in
Benghazi, Libya, kills at least 33 people and wounds "dozens" of others. The victims include both military personnel and civilians, according to local officials.
* 2018 – The
China–United States trade war begins when President
Donald Trump places
tariffs on Chinese solar panels and washing machines.
*
2022 – Mutinying Burkinabè soldiers led by
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba depose and detain President
Roch Marc Christian Kaboré amid widespread anti-government protests.
*
2024 –
Northwestern Air Flight 738 crashes after takeoff from
Fort Smith Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada, killing six people.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1350 –
Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (died 1419)
*
1378 –
Louis III, Elector Palatine (died 1436)
*
1514 –
Hai Rui, Chinese politician (died 1587)
*
1585 –
Mary Ward, English Catholic Religious Sister (died 1645)
1601–1900
*
1622 –
Abraham Diepraam, Dutch painter (died 1670)
*
1719 –
John Landen, English mathematician and theorist (died 1790)
*
1737 –
John Hancock, American general and politician, first
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 1793)
*
1745 –
William Jessop, English engineer, built the
Cromford Canal (died 1814)
*
1752 –
Muzio Clementi, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1832)
*
1780 –
Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (died 1827)
*
1783 –
Stendhal, French novelist (died 1842)
*
1786 –
Auguste de Montferrand, French-Russian architect, designed
Saint Isaac's Cathedral and
Alexander Column (died 1858)
*
1799 –
Alois Negrelli, Tyrolean engineer and railroad pioneer active in the Austrian Empire (died 1858)
*
1809 –
Surendra Sai, Indian activist (died 1884)
*
1813 –
Camilla Collett, Norwegian novelist and activist (died 1895)
*
1828
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France.
* January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organiz ...
–
Saigō Takamori, Japanese samurai (died 1877)
*
1832 –
Édouard Manet, French painter (died 1883)
*
1833 –
Muthu Coomaraswamy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (died 1879)
*
1838 –
Marianne Cope, German-American nun and saint (died 1918)
*
1840 –
Ernst Abbe, German physicist and engineer (died 1905)
*
1846 –
Nikolay Umov, Russian physicist and mathematician (died 1915)
*
1853 –
John Marks Moore, American politician (died 1902)
*
1855 –
John Browning, American weapons designer, founded the
Browning Arms Company (died 1926)
*
1857 –
Andrija Mohorovičić, Croatian meteorologist and seismologist (died 1936)
*
1862 –
David Hilbert, German mathematician and academic (died 1943)
* 1862 –
Frank Shuman, American inventor and engineer (died 1918)
*
1872 –
Paul Langevin, French physicist and academic (died 1946)
* 1872 –
Jože Plečnik, Slovenian architect, designed
Plečnik Parliament (died 1957)
*
1876 –
Otto Diels, German chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1954)
*
1878 –
Rutland Boughton, English composer (died 1960)
*
1880 –
Antonio Díaz Soto y Gama, Mexican politician (died 1967)
*
1889 –
Claribel Kendall, American mathematician (died 1965)
*
1894 –
Jyotirmoyee Devi, Indian author (died 1988)
*
1896 –
Alf Blair, Australian rugby league player and coach (died 1944)
* 1896 –
Alf Hall, English-South African cricketer (died 1964)
*
1897 –
Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian freedom fighter and politician (died 1945)
* 1897 –
Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Austrian architect (died 2000)
* 1897 –
Ieva Simonaitytė, Lithuanian author (died 1978)
* 1897 –
William Stephenson, Canadian captain and spy (died 1989)
*
1898 –
Georg Kulenkampff, German violinist (died 1948)
* 1898 –
Randolph Scott, American actor (died 1987)
* 1898 –
Freda Utley, English scholar and author (died 1978)
*
1899 –
Glen Kidston, English racing driver and pilot (died 1931)
*
1900 –
William Ifor Jones, Welsh organist and conductor (died 1988)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Arthur Wirtz, American businessman (died 1983)
*
1903 –
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Colombian lawyer and politician, 16th
Minister of National Education of Colombia (died 1948)
*
1905 –
Erich Borchmeyer, German sprinter (died 2000)
*
1907 –
Dan Duryea, American actor and singer (died 1968)
* 1907 –
Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1981)
*
1910 –
Django Reinhardt, Belgian guitarist and composer (died 1953)
*
1912 –
Boris Pokrovsky, Russian director and manager (died 2009)
*
1913 –
Jean-Michel Atlan, Algerian-French painter (died 1960)
* 1913 –
Wally Parks, American businessman, founded the
National Hot Rod Association (died 2007)
*
1915 –
Herma Bauma, Austrian javelin thrower and handball player (died 2003)
* 1915 –
W. Arthur Lewis, Saint Lucian-Barbadian economist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1991)
* 1915 –
Potter Stewart, American lawyer and judge (died 1985)
*
1916 –
David Douglas Duncan, American photographer and journalist (died 2018)
* 1916 –
Airey Neave, English colonel, lawyer, and politician,
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (died 1979)
*
1918 –
Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and pharmacologist,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999)
*
1918 –
Charlie Kerins, Executed
Irish Republican (died 1944)
* 1918 –
Florence Rush, American social worker and theorist (died 2008)
*
1919 –
Frances Bay, Canadian-American actress (died 2011)
* 1919 –
Hans Hass, Austrian biologist and diver (died 2013)
* 1919 –
Ernie Kovacs, American actor and game show host (died 1962)
* 1919 –
Bob Paisley, English footballer and manager (died 1996)
*
1920 –
Gottfried Böhm, German architect (died 2021)
* 1920 –
Henry Eriksson, Swedish runner (died 2000)
* 1920 –
Walter Frederick Morrison, American businessman, invented the
Frisbee (died 2010)
*
1922 –
Leon Golub, American painter and academic (died 2004)
* 1922 –
Tom Lewis, Australian politician, 33rd
Premier of New South Wales
The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales actin ...
(died 2016)
*
1923 –
Horace Ashenfelter, American runner (died 2018)
* 1923 –
Walter M. Miller, Jr., American soldier and author (died 1996)
*
1924 –
Frank Lautenberg, American soldier, businessman, and politician (died 2013)
*
1925 –
Marty Paich, American pianist, composer, producer, and conductor (died 1995)
*
1926 –
Bal Thackeray, Indian journalist, cartoonist, and politician (died 2012)
*
1927 –
Lars-Eric Lindblad, Swedish-American businessman and explorer (died 1994)
* 1927 –
Fred Williams, Australian painter (died 1982)
*
1928 –
Jeanne Moreau, French actress (died 2017)
*
1929 –
Myron Cope, American journalist and sportscaster (died 2008)
* 1929 –
Filaret Denysenko, Ukrainian religious leader, Patriarch of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate
* 1929 –
Phillip Knightley, Australian journalist, author, and critic (died 2016)
* 1929 –
John Polanyi, German-Canadian chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate
*
1930 –
Tanya Savicheva, Russian child diarist (died 1944)
*
1930 –
Mervyn Rose, Australian tennis player (died 2017)
* 1930 –
Derek Walcott, Saint Lucian poet and playwright,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 2017)
* 1930 –
Teresa Żylis-Gara, Polish operatic soprano (died 2021)
*
1932 –
George Allen, English footballer (died 2016)
* 1932 –
Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (died 2013)
*
1933 –
Bill Hayden, Australian politician, 21st
Governor General of Australia (died 2023)
* 1933 –
Chita Rivera, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2024)
*
1934 –
Lou Antonio, American actor and director
* 1934 –
Pierre Bourgault, Canadian journalist and politician (died 2003)
*
1935 –
Mike Agostini, Trinidadian sprinter (died 2016)
* 1935 –
Tom Reamy, American author (died 1977)
*
1936 –
Jerry Kramer, American football player and sportscaster
* 1936 –
Cécile Ousset, French pianist
*
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 ...
–
Giant Baba, Japanese wrestler and promoter, founded
All Japan Pro Wrestling (died 1999)
* 1938 –
Georg Baselitz, German painter and sculptor
*
1939 –
Ed Roberts, American activist (died 1995)
*
1940 –
Alan Cheuse, American writer and critic (died 2015)
* 1940 –
Joe Dowell, American singer (died 2016)
*
1941 –
Jock R. Anderson, Australian economist and academic
* 1941 –
João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Brazilian journalist, author, and academic (died 2014)
*
1942 –
Laurie Mayne, Australian cricketer
*1942 –
Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, Mongolian politician, 1st
President of Mongolia (died 2025)
* 1942 –
Herman Tjeenk Willink, Dutch judge and politician
*
1943 –
Gary Burton, American musician
* 1943 –
Gil Gerard, American actor
* 1943 –
Özhan Canaydın, Turkish basketball player and businessman (died 2010)
*
1944 –
Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor, director, and producer (died 2019)
*
1945 –
Mike Harris, Canadian politician, 22nd
Premier of Ontario
*
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 ...
–
Arnoldo Alemán, Nicaraguan lawyer and politician,
President of Nicaragua
* 1946 –
Boris Berezovsky, Russian-English businessman and mathematician (died 2013)
* 1946 –
Marie Charlotte Fayanga, Central African politician and diplomat (died 2021)
*
1947 –
Tom Carper, American captain and politician, 71st
Governor of Delaware
* 1947 –
Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesian politician,
President of Indonesia
*
1948 –
Anita Pointer, American singer-songwriter (died 2022)
*
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 ...
–
Charlie Papazian, American nuclear engineer, brewer and author.
*
1950 –
Richard Dean Anderson, American actor, producer, and composer
* 1950 –
Guida Maria, Portuguese actress (died 2018)
* 1950 –
Suzanne Scotchmer, American economist and academic (died 2014)
* 1950 –
Luis Alberto Spinetta, Argentinian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet (died 2012)
*
1951 –
Chesley Sullenberger, American airline pilot and safety expert
*
1952 –
Omar Henry, South African cricketer
* 1952 –
Jaroslav Pouzar, Czech ice hockey player
*
1953 –
John Luther Adams, American composer
* 1953 –
Alister McGrath, Irish priest, historian, and theologian
* 1953 –
Antonio Villaraigosa, American politician, 41st
Mayor of Los Angeles
* 1953 –
Robin Zander, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
1954 –
Trevor Hohns, Australian cricketer
*
1957 –
Caroline, Princess of Hanover
*
1958 –
Sergey Litvinov, Russian hammer thrower (died 2018)
*
1959 –
Clive Bull, English radio host
*
1960 –
Greg Ritchie, Australian cricketer
*
1961 –
Peter Mackenzie, American actor
* 1961 –
Yelena Sinchukova, Russian long jumper
*
1962 –
David Arnold, English composer
* 1962 –
Aivar Lillevere, Estonian footballer and coach
* 1962 –
Elvira Lindo, Spanish journalist and author
* 1962 –
Boris McGiver, American actor
*
1963 –
Gail O'Grady, American actress
*
1964 –
Jonatha Brooke, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1964 –
Mariska Hargitay, American actress and producer
* 1964 –
Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyanese economist and politician, 7th
President of Guyana
*
1965 –
Louie Clemente, American drummer
*
1966 –
Damien Hardman, Australian surfer
* 1966 –
Haywoode Workman, American basketball player and referee
*
1967 –
Owen Cunningham, Australian rugby league player
*
1968 –
Taro Hakase, Japanese violinist and composer
* 1968 –
Petr Korda, Czech-Monégasque tennis player
*
1969 –
Andrei Kanchelskis, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager
* 1969 –
Brendan Shanahan, Canadian ice hockey player and actor
* 1969 –
Susen Tiedtke, German long jumper
*
1970 –
Richard Šmehlík, Czech ice hockey player
* 1970 –
Spyridon Vasdekis, Greek long jumper
*
1971 –
Kevin Mawae, American football player and coach
* 1971 –
Adam Parore, New Zealand cricketer and mountaineer
* 1971 –
Claire Rankin, Canadian actress
*
1972 –
Ewen Bremner, Scottish actor
*
1973 –
Tomas Holmström, Swedish ice hockey player
*
1974 –
Glen Chapple, English cricketer
* 1974 –
Rebekah Elmaloglou, Australian actress
* 1974 –
Richard T. Slone, English painter
* 1974 –
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress. Her roles as List of Saved by the Bell characters#Kelly Kapowski, Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993) and its Saved by the Bell#Spin-offs, spin-off me ...
, American actress
*
1975 –
Phil Dawson, American football player
* 1975 –
Tito Ortiz, American mixed martial artist
*
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 Duckworth, American baseball player and scout
* 1976 –
Anne Margrethe Hausken, Norwegian orienteering competitor
* 1976 –
Alex Shaffer, American skier
*
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 ...
–
Scott Hannan, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1979 –
Larry Hughes, American basketball player
* 1979 –
Dawn O'Porter, Scottish-English fashion designer and journalist
* 1979 –
Juan Rincón, Venezuelan baseball player and coach
* 1979 –
Maria Stepanova, Russian basketball player
*
1981 –
Rob Friend, Canadian soccer player
* 1981 –
Julia Jones, American actress
*
1982 –
Oceana Mahlmann, German singer and songwriter
* 1982 –
Wily Mo Peña, Dominican baseball player
* 1982 –
Andrew Rock, American sprinter
*
1983 –
Irving Saladino, Panamanian long jumper
*
1984 –
Arjen Robben, Dutch footballer
*
1985 –
San E, South Korean rapper
* 1985 –
Dong Fangzhuo, Chinese footballer
* 1985 –
Doutzen Kroes, Dutch model and actress
* 1985 –
Yevgeny Lukyanenko, Russian pole vaulter
* 1985 –
Aselefech Mergia, Ethiopian runner
* 1985 –
Jeff Samardzija, American baseball and football player
*
1986 –
Gelete Burka, Ethiopian runner
* 1986 –
Marc Laird, Scottish footballer
* 1986 –
José Enrique, Spanish footballer
* 1986 –
Steven Taylor, English footballer
* 1986 –
Sandro Viletta, Swiss skier
*
1987 –
Leo Komarov, Estonian-Finnish ice hockey player
*
1990 –
Alex Silva, Canadian wrestler
*
1991 –
Steve Birnbaum, American soccer player
*
1992 –
Reina Triendl, Japanese model and actress
*
1994 –
Addison Russell, American baseball player
*
1996 –
Keita Bates-Diop, American basketball player
*
1996 –
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, English footballer
*
1998 –
XXXTentacion, American rapper (died 2018)
*
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 ...
–
Alban Lafont, French footballer
*
2001 –
Olga Danilović, Serbian tennis player
*
2002 –
Joško Gvardiol, Croatian footballer
* 2002 –
Nicola Zalewski, 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 ...
–
Julio Enciso, Paraguayan footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
667 –
Ildefonsus,
bishop of Toledo
*
989 –
Adalbero, archbishop of
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
*
1002 –
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu.
Otto III was cro ...
(born 980)
*
1199 –
Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, Moroccan caliph (born 1160)
*
1252 –
Isabella, Queen of Armenia
*
1297 –
Florent of Hainaut, Prince of Achaea (born c. 1255)
*
1423 –
Margaret of Bavaria, Burgundian regent (born 1363)
*
1516 –
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
(born 1452)
*
1548 –
Bernardo Pisano, Italian priest, scholar, and composer (born 1490)
*
1549 –
Johannes Honter, Romanian-Hungarian cartographer and theologian (born 1498)
*
1567 –
Jiajing Emperor
The Jiajing Emperor (16September 150723January 1567), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art name, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming ...
of China (born 1507)
*
1570 –
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, Scottish politician (born 1531)
1601–1900
*
1620 –
John Croke, English politician and judge (born 1553)
*
1622 –
William Baffin, English explorer and navigator (born 1584)
*
1650 –
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke (born 1584)
*
1744 –
Giambattista Vico, Italian historian and philosopher (born 1668)
*
1785 –
Matthew Stewart, Scottish mathematician and academic (born 1717)
*
1789 –
Frances Brooke, English author and playwright (born 1724)
* 1789 –
John Cleland, English author (born 1709)
*
1800 –
Edward Rutledge, American captain and politician, 39th
Governor of South Carolina (born 1749)
*
1803 –
Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer, founded
Guinness (born 1725)
*
1805 –
Claude Chappe, French engineer (born 1763)
*
1806 –
William Pitt the Younger, English politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1759)
*
1810 –
Johann Wilhelm Ritter, German chemist and physicist (born 1776)
*
1812 –
Robert Craufurd, Scottish general and politician (born 1764)
*
1820 –
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (born 1767)
*
1833 –
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, English admiral and politician (born 1757)
*
1837 –
John Field, Irish pianist and composer (born 1782)
*
1866 –
Thomas Love Peacock, English author and poet (born 1785)
*
1875 –
Charles Kingsley, English priest and author (born 1819)
*
1883 –
Gustave Doré, French engraver and illustrator (born 1832)
*
1893 –
Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II, American lawyer and politician, 16th
United States Secretary of the Interior (born 1825)
* 1893 –
William Price, Welsh physician, Chartist, and neo-Druid (born 1800)
* 1893 –
José Zorrilla, Spanish poet and playwright (born 1817)
1901–present
*
1921 –
Mykola Leontovych, Ukrainian composer and conductor (born 1877)
*
1922 –
René Beeh, Alsatian painter and draughtsman (born 1886)
* 1922 –
Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor and academic (born 1855)
*
1923 –
Max Nordau, Austrian physician and author (born 1849)
*
1931 –
Anna Pavlova, Russian-English ballerina (born 1881)
*
1937 –
Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist and politician (born 1876)
*
1939 –
Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer and manager (born 1903)
*
1943 –
Alexander Woollcott, American actor, playwright, and critic (born 1887)
*
1944 –
Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter and illustrator (born 1863)
*
1947 –
Pierre Bonnard, French painter (born 1867)
*
1956 –
Alexander Korda, Hungarian-English director and producer (born 1893)
*
1963 –
Józef Gosławski, Polish sculptor (born 1908)
*
1966 –
T. M. Sabaratnam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (born 1895)
*
1971 –
Fritz Feigl, Austrian-Brazilian chemist and academic (born 1871)
*
1973 –
Alexander Onassis, American-Greek businessman (born 1948)
* 1973 –
Kid Ory, American trombonist, composer, and bandleader (born 1886)
*
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 ...
–
Paul Robeson, American actor, singer, and activist (born 1898)
*
1977 –
Toots Shor, American businessman, founded
Toots Shor's Restaurant (born 1903)
*
1978 –
Terry Kath, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1946)
* 1978 –
Jack Oakie, American actor (born 1903)
*
1980 –
Giovanni Michelotti, Italian engineer (born 1921)
*
1981 –
Samuel Barber, American pianist and composer (born 1910)
*
1983 –
Fred Bakewell, English cricketer and coach (born 1908)
*
1984 –
Muin Bseiso, Palestinian-Egyptian poet and critic (born 1926)
*
1985 –
James Beard, American chef and cookbook author for whom the
James Beard Foundation Awards are named (born 1905)
*
1986 –
Joseph Beuys, German sculptor and painter (born 1921)
*
1988 –
Charles Glen King, American biochemist and academic (born 1896)
*
1989 –
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...
, Spanish painter and sculptor (born 1904)
* 1989 –
Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish race car driver (born 1961)
*
1990 –
Allen Collins, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1952)
*
1991 –
Northrop Frye, Canadian author and critic (born 1912)
*
1992 –
Freddie Bartholomew, American actor (born 1924)
*
1993 –
Keith Laumer, American soldier, author, and diplomat (born 1925)
*
1994 –
Nikolai Ogarkov, Russian field marshal (born 1917)
* 1994 –
Brian Redhead, English journalist and author (born 1929)
*
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 ...
–
Joe D'Amato, Italian director and cinematographer (born 1936)
* 1999 –
Jay Pritzker, American businessman, co-founded the
Hyatt Corporation (born 1922)
*
2002 –
Paul Aars, American race car driver (born 1934)
* 2002 –
Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher (born 1930)
* 2002 –
Robert Nozick, American philosopher, author, and academic (born 1938)
*
2003 –
Nell Carter, American actress and singer (born 1948)
*
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 ...
–
Bob Keeshan, American television personality and producer (born 1927)
* 2004 –
Helmut Newton, German-Australian photographer (born 1920)
*
2005 –
Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, English lieutenant and politician (born 1921)
* 2005 –
Johnny Carson, American talk show host, television personality, and producer (born 1925)
*
2007 –
Syed Hussein Alatas, Malaysian sociologist and politician (born 1928)
* 2007 –
E. Howard Hunt, American
CIA officer (born 1918)
* 2007 –
Ryszard Kapuściński, Polish journalist and author (born 1932)
*
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
–
Robert W. Scott, American farmer and politician, 67th
Governor of North Carolina (born 1929)
*
2010 –
Kermit Tyler, American colonel and pilot (born 1913)
* 2010 –
Earl Wild, American pianist and composer (born 1915)
*
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 ...
–
Jack LaLanne, American fitness instructor, author, and television host (born 1914)
*
2012 –
Wesley E. Brown, American lawyer and jurist (born 1907)
* 2012 –
Maurice Meisner, American historian, author, and academic (born 1931)
* 2012 –
Bingham Ray, American businessman, co-founded
October Films (born 1954)
*
2013 –
Józef Glemp
Józef Glemp (18 December 192923 January 2013) was a Polish Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was List of bishops and archbishops of Warsaw, Archbishop of Warsaw from 1981 to 2006, and was elevated to the cardinalate ...
, Polish cardinal (born 1929)
* 2013 –
Peter van der Merwe, South African cricketer and referee (born 1937)
* 2013 –
Jean-Félix-Albert-Marie Vilnet, French bishop (born 1922)
*
2014 –
Yuri Izrael, Russian meteorologist and journalist (born 1930)
* 2014 –
Riz Ortolani, Italian composer and conductor (born 1926)
*
2015 –
Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (born 1931)
* 2015 –
Prosper Ego, Dutch activist, founded the
Oud-Strijders Legioen (born 1927)
* 2015 –
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (born 1924)
*
2016 –
Jimmy Bain, Scottish bassist (born 1947)
* 2016 –
Bobby Wanzer, American basketball player and coach (born 1921)
*
2017 –
Bobby Freeman, American singer, songwriter and record producer (born 1940)
* 2017 –
Gorden Kaye, English actor (born 1941)
*
2018 –
Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, composer and singer (born 1939)
* 2018 –
Nicanor Parra, Chilean poet (born 1914)
* 2018 –
Wyatt Tee Walker, American civil rights activist and pastor (born 1928)
*
2019 –
Aloysius Pang, Singaporean actor (born 1990)
* 2019 –
Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimbabwean Afro Jazz musician (born 1952)
*
2021 –
Hal Holbrook, American actor and director (born 1925)
* 2021 –
Larry King, American journalist and talk show host (born 1933)
* 2021 –
Song Yoo-jung, South Korean actress and model (born 1994)
*
2024 –
Charles Osgood, American radio and television commentator, writer and musician (born 1933)
*
2024 –
Melanie Safka, American Emmy winning singer-songwriter (born 1947)
Holidays and observances
*
Bounty Day (
Pitcairn Islands)
*Christian
feast day:
**
Abakuh
**
Marianne of Molokai
**
Emerentiana
**
Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary
**
Ildefonsus of Toledo
**
Phillips Brooks (
Episcopal Church (USA))
**
January 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Jayanti (
Assam,
Orissa,
Tripura, and
West Bengal, India)
*
World Freedom Day (
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
and
South Korea)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on January 23
{{months
Days of January