Events
Pre-1600
*
314 –
Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as successor to the late
Pope Miltiades.
*
1208 – The
Battle of Lena
The Battle of Lena occurred on 31 January 1208 and probably took place near :sv:Kungslena, Kungslena, in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland, Sweden. It was an important battle between the Danish-backed King Sverker II of Sweden and Prin ...
takes place between King
Sverker II of Sweden and his rival, Prince Eric, whose victory puts him on the throne as King
Eric X of Sweden.
*
1266 – The
Mudéjar of Murcia, who had rebelled against the
Crown of Castile during the
Mudéjar revolt of 1264–1266, surrender the city to
James I of Aragon after a
siege lasting a month.
*
1504 – The Treaty of Lyon ends the
Italian War, confirming French domination of northern Italy, while Spain receives the
Kingdom of Naples.
*
1578 –
Eighty Years' War and
Anglo-Spanish War: The
Battle of Gembloux is a victory for Spanish forces led by
Don John of Austria over a rebel army of
Dutch,
Flemish,
English,
Scottish,
German,
French and
Walloons.
1601–1900
*
1606 –
Gunpowder Plot: Four of the conspirators, including
Guy Fawkes, are executed for treason by
hanging, drawing and quartering, for plotting against
Parliament and
King James.
*
1609 –
Wisselbank of Amsterdam established
*
1703 –
Forty-seven rōnin, under the command of
Ōishi Kuranosuke, avenged the death of their master, by killing
Kira Yoshinaka.
*
1747 – The first
venereal diseases clinic opens at
London Lock Hospital.
*
1814 –
Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes
Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).
*
1846 – After the
Milwaukee Bridge War, the United States towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown unify to create the City of
Milwaukee.
*
1848 –
John C. Frémont is
court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders.
*
1862 –
Alvan Graham Clark discovers the
white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of
Sirius, through an telescope now located at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
.
*
1865 –
American Civil War: 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, ...
passes the
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery, and submits it to the states for ratification.
* 1865 – American Civil War:
Confederate General
Robert E. Lee becomes general-in-chief of all Confederate armies.
*
1891 –
History of Portugal: The first attempt at a Portuguese
republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
.
*
1900 – Datu Muhammad Salleh is killed in Kampung Teboh, Tambunan, ending the
Mat Salleh Rebellion.
1901–present
*
1901 –
Anton Chekhov's ''
Three Sisters'' premieres at
Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.
*
1915 –
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 ...
:
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
is the first to make large-scale use of
poison gas in warfare in the
Battle of Bolimów against
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 ...
.
*
1917 – World War I: Kaiser Wilhelm II orders the
resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare.
*
1918 – A
series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night leads to the loss of two
Royal Navy submarines with over a hundred lives, and damage to another five British warships.
* 1918 –
Finnish Civil War: The
Suinula massacre, which changes the nature of the war in a more hostile direction, takes place in
Kangasala.
*
1919 – The
Battle of George Square takes place in
Glasgow, Scotland, during a campaign for shorter working hours.
*
1928 –
Leon Trotsky is exiled to
Alma-Ata.
*
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 ...
: Allied forces are defeated by the Japanese at the
Battle of Malaya and retreat to Singapore.
*
1943 – World War II: German field marshal
Friedrich Paulus surrenders to the Soviets at
Stalingrad, followed two days later by the remainder of his Sixth Army, ending one of the war's fiercest battles.
*
1944 – World War II: American forces land on
Kwajalein Atoll
Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...
and other islands in the Japanese-held
Marshall Islands.
* 1944 – World War II: During the
Anzio campaign, the
1st Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) is destroyed behind enemy lines in a heavily outnumbered encounter at
Battle of Cisterna, Italy.
*
1945 – US Army private
Eddie Slovik is
executed for
desertion, the first such execution of an American soldier since the
Civil War.
* 1945 – World War II: About 3,000 inmates from the
Stutthof concentration camp are forcibly marched into the
Baltic Sea at Palmnicken (now
Yantarny, Russia) and executed.
* 1945 – World War II: The end of fighting in the
Battle of Hill 170 during the
Burma Campaign, in which the British
3 Commando Brigade repulsed a Japanese counterattack on their positions and precipitated a general retirement from the
Arakan Peninsula.
*
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 ...
–
Cold War:
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
's new
constitution, modeling that of 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 ...
, establishes six constituent republics (
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
,
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
,
Macedonia,
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
).
* 1946 – The
Democratic Republic of Vietnam introduces the
đồng to replace the
French Indochinese piastre at par.
*
1949 – ''
These Are My Children'', the first television daytime
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
, is broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago, United States.
*
1951 –
United Nations Security Council Resolution 90 relating to the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
is adopted.
*
1953 – A
North Sea flood causes over 1,800 deaths in the Netherlands and over 300 in the United Kingdom.
*
1957 – Eight people (five total crew from two aircraft and three on the ground) in
Pacoima, California are killed following the
mid-air collision between a
Douglas DC-7 airliner and a
Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet.
*
1958 – Cold War:
Space Race: The
Explorer 1, the first successful American satellite, detects the
Van Allen radiation belt.
*
1961 –
Project Mercury:
Mercury-Redstone 2: The chimpanzee
Ham travels into
outer space.
*
1966 – 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 ...
launches the unmanned
Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the
Luna program.
*
1968 –
Vietnam War:
Viet Cong guerrillas attack the United States embassy in
Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the
Tet Offensive.
*
1971 –
Apollo program:
Apollo 14
Apollo 14 (January 31February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to Moon landing, land on the Moon, and the first to land in the Geology of the Moon#Highlands, lunar highlands. It was the las ...
: Astronauts
Alan Shepard,
Stuart Roosa, and
Edgar Mitchell
Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and United States Naval Aviator, aviator, test pilot, Aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer, Ufology, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. ...
, aboard a
Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the
Fra Mauro Highlands on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
.
* 1971 – The
Winter Soldier Investigation, organized by the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War to publicize alleged
war crimes and atrocities by Americans and allies in
Vietnam, begins in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
.
*
1978 – The
Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) goes on public display after being returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after
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 ...
.
*
1988 –
Doug Williams becomes the first African American quarterback to play in a
Super Bowl and leads the
Washington Redskins to victory in
Super Bowl XXII.
*
1996 – An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka in
Colombo, killing at least 86 people and injuring 1,400.
*
2000 –
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash: An
MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of
Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 aboard.
*
2001 – In the Netherlands, a Scottish court convicts
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 ...
n
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits another Libyan citizen for their part in the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
* 2001 – Two
Japan Airlines planes
nearly collide over
Suruga Bay in Japan.
[JAL planes almost collide]
," ''Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ''The Asahi Shimbun'', the ''Chunichi Shimbun'', the ''Ma ...
''. Retrieved on December 11, 2009.
*
2003 – The
Waterfall rail accident occurs near
Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
*
2007 – Emergency officials in Boston mistakenly identified battery-powered LED placards depicting characters from ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' as
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing
a panic.
*
2009 – At least 113 people are killed in
Kenya and over 200 injured following an
oil spillage ignition in
Molo, days after
a massive fire at a
Nakumatt supermarket in
Nairobi killed at least 25 people.
*
2019 –
Abdullah of Pahang is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
*
2020 – 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 ...
's membership within the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
ceases in accordance with
Article 50, after 47 years of being a member state.
*
2022 –
Sue Gray, a senior
civil servant in 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 ...
, publishes an initial version of her report on the
Downing Street Partygate controversy.
*
2023 – The last
Boeing 747, the first
wide-body airliner, is delivered to
Atlas Air and operated for ApexLogistics. The aircraft was registered as N863GT and named "Empower"
*
2025 –
Med Jets Flight 056 crashes near
Roosevelt Mall 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 ...
, Pennsylvania, killing 7 people and injuring 19.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1512
Year 1512 (Roman numerals, MDXII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Svante Nilsson (regent of Sweden), Svante Nilsson, regent of Sweden since 1504, dies at the a ...
–
Henry, King of Portugal (died 1580)
*
1543 –
Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese shōgun (died 1616)
*
1583 –
Peter Bulkley, English and later American Puritan (died 1659)
*
1597 –
John Francis Regis, French priest and saint (died 1640)
1601–1900
*
1607 –
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (died 1651)
*
1624 –
Arnold Geulincx, Flemish philosopher and academic (died 1669)
*
1673 –
Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (died 1716)
*
1686 –
Hans Egede, Norwegian missionary and explorer (died 1758)
*
1752 –
Gouverneur Morris, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat,
United States Ambassador to France (died 1816)
*
1759 –
François Devienne, French flute player and composer (died 1803)
*
1769 –
André-Jacques Garnerin, French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute (died 1823)
*
1785 –
Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, Czech cookbook author (died 1845)
*
1797 –
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
, Austrian pianist and composer (died 1828)
*
1799 –
Rodolphe Töpffer, Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist (died 1846)
*
1820 –
William B. Washburn, American politician, 28th
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 1887)
*
1835 –
Lunalilo of Hawaii (died 1874)
*
1854 –
David Emmanuel, Romanian mathematician and academic (died 1941)
*
1865 –
Henri Desgrange, French cyclist and journalist (died 1940)
* 1865 –
Shastriji Maharaj, Indian spiritual leader, founded
BAPS (died 1951)
*
1868 –
Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1928)
*
1872 –
Zane Grey, American author (died 1939)
*
1881 –
Irving Langmuir, American chemist and physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1957)
*
1884 –
Theodor Heuss, German journalist and politician, 1st
President of the Federal Republic of Germany (died 1963)
* 1884 –
Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Azerbaijani scholar and politician, 1st
President of The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (died 1955)
*
1889 –
Frank Foster, English cricketer (died 1958)
*
1892 –
Eddie Cantor, American singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer (died 1964)
*
1894 –
Isham Jones, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (died 1956)
*
1896 –
Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician and historian (died 1966)
*
1900 –
Betty Parsons, American artist, art dealer and collector (died 1982)
1901–present
*
1902 –
Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded
White Spot (died 1978)
* 1902 –
Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (died 1968)
* 1902 –
Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 1986)
* 1902 –
Julian Steward, American anthropologist (died 1972)
*
1905 –
John O'Hara, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1970)
*
1909 –
Miron Grindea, Romanian-English journalist (died 1995)
*
1913 –
Don Hutson, American football player and coach (died 1997)
*
1914 –
Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer and police officer (died 1994)
*
1915 –
Bobby Hackett, American trumpet player and cornet player (died 1976)
* 1915 –
Alan Lomax, American historian, author, and scholar (died 2002)
* 1915 –
Thomas Merton, American monk and author (died 1968)
* 1915 –
Garry Moore, American comedian and game show host (died 1993)
*
1916 –
Frank Parker, American tennis player (died 1997)
*
1917 –
Fred Bassetti, American architect and academic, founded
Bassetti Architects (died 2013)
*
1919 –
Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 1972)
*
1920 –
Stewart Udall, American lawyer and politician, 37th
United States Secretary of the Interior (died 2010)
* 1920 –
Bert Williams, English footballer (died 2014)
*
1921 –
John Agar, American actor (died 2002)
* 1921 –
Carol Channing, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2019)
* 1921 –
E. Fay Jones, American architect, designed the
Thorncrown Chapel (died 2004)
* 1921 –
Mario Lanza, American tenor and actor (died 1959)
*
1922 –
Joanne Dru, American actress (died 1996)
*
1923 –
Norman Mailer, American journalist and author (died 2007)
*
1925 –
Benjamin Hooks, American minister, lawyer, and activist (died 2010)
*
1926 –
Tom Alston, American baseball player (died 1993)
* 1926 –
Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (died 1958)
*
1927 –
Norm Prescott, American animator, producer, and composer, co-founded
Filmation Studios (died 2005)
*
1928 –
Irma Wyman, American computer scientist and engineer (died 2015)
*
1929 –
Rudolf Mössbauer, German physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 2011)
* 1929 –
Jean Simmons, English-American actress (died 2010)
*
1930 –
Joakim Bonnier, Swedish race car driver (died 1972)
* 1930 –
Al De Lory, American composer, conductor, and producer (died 2012)
*
1931 –
Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (died 2015)
* 1931 –
Christopher Chataway, English runner, journalist, and politician (died 2014)
*
1932 –
Miron Babiak, Polish sea captain (died 2013)
*
1933 –
Camille Henry, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1997)
* 1933 –
Morton Mower, American cardiologist and inventor (died 2022)
*
1934 –
Ernesto Brambilla, Italian motorcycle racer and race car driver (died 2020)
* 1934 –
Gene DeWeese, American author (died 2012)
* 1934 –
James Franciscus, American actor and producer (died 1991)
* 1934 –
Bob Turner, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2005)
*
1935 –
Kenzaburō Ōe, Japanese author and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023)
*
1936 –
Can Bartu, Turkish footballer and basketball player (died 2019)
*
1937 –
Regimantas Adomaitis, Lithuanian actor (died 2022)
* 1937 –
Andrée Boucher, Canadian educator and politician, 39th
Mayor of Quebec City (died 2007)
* 1937 –
Philip Glass, American composer
* 1937 –
Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (died 2008)
*
1938 –
Beatrix of the Netherlands
* 1938 –
Lynn Carlin, American actress
* 1938 –
James G. Watt, American lawyer and politician, 43rd
United States Secretary of the Interior (died 2023)
*
1939 –
Jerry Brudos, American serial killer (died 2006)
*
1940 –
Kitch Christie, South African rugby player and coach (died 1998)
* 1940 –
Stuart Margolin, American actor and director (died 2022)
*
1941 –
Len Chappell, American basketball player (died 2018)
* 1941 –
Dick Gephardt, American lawyer and politician
* 1941 –
Gerald McDermott, American author and illustrator (died 2012)
* 1941 –
Jessica Walter, American actress (died 2021)
*
1942 –
Daniela Bianchi, Italian actress
* 1942 –
Derek Jarman, English director, stage designer, and author (died 1994)
*
1944 –
John Inverarity, Australian cricketer and coach
* 1944 –
Charlie Musselwhite, American musician and singer-songwriter
*
1945 –
Rynn Berry, American historian and author (died 2014)
* 1945 –
Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, English lawyer, judge, and academic
* 1945 –
Joseph Kosuth, American sculptor and theorist
*
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 ...
–
Mike Carlton, Australian journalist and radio host
* 1946 –
Terry Kath, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (died 1978)
* 1946 –
Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (died 2012)
*
1947 –
Jonathan Banks, American actor
* 1947 –
Matt Minglewood, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1947 –
Nolan Ryan, American baseball player
* 1947 –
Glynn Turman, American actor
*
1948 –
Volkmar Groß, German footballer (died 2014)
* 1948 –
Muneo Suzuki, Japanese politician
*
1949 –
Johan Derksen, Dutch footballer and journalist
* 1949 –
Norris Church Mailer, American model and educator (died 2010)
* 1949 –
Ken Wilber, American sociologist, philosopher, and author
*
1950 –
Denise Fleming, American author and illustrator
* 1950 –
Alexander Korzhakov, Russian general and bodyguard
* 1950 –
Janice Rebibo, American-Israeli author and poet (died 2015)
*
1951 –
Harry Wayne Casey, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
*
1954 –
Faoud Bacchus, Guyanese cricketer
* 1954 –
Adrian Vandenberg, Dutch guitarist and songwriter
*
1955 –
Virginia Ruzici, Romanian tennis player and manager
*
1956 –
John Lydon, English singer-songwriter
* 1956 –
Guido van Rossum, Dutch programmer, creator of the
Python programming language
*
1957 –
Shirley Babashoff, American swimmer
*
1958 –
Armin Reichel, German footballer and manager
*
1959 –
Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor and producer
* 1959 –
Kelly Lynch, American model and actress
*
1960 –
Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist and author
* 1960 –
Grant Morrison, Scottish author and screenwriter
* 1960 –
Željko Šturanović, Montenegrin politician, 31st
Prime Minister of Montenegro (died 2014)
*
1961 –
Elizabeth Barker, Baroness Barker, English politician
* 1961 –
Fatou Bensouda, Gambian lawyer and judge
* 1961 –
Lloyd Cole, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
1962 –
Bruce McGuire, Australian rugby league player
*
1963 –
Gwen Graham, American lawyer and politician
*
1964 –
Martha MacCallum, American journalist
* 1964 –
Dawn Prince-Hughes, American scientist
*
1965 –
Giorgos Gasparis, Greek basketball player and coach
* 1965 –
Ofra Harnoy, Israeli-Canadian cellist
* 1965 –
Peter Sagal, American author and radio host
*
1966 –
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English film director and actor. He has appeared in Guy Ritchie's '' Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'', as well as in television shows such as the comedy drama
Comedy drama (also known by th ...
, English actor and director
* 1966 –
Thant Myint-U, Myanmar historian, diplomat, conservationist, and former presidential advisor.
*
1967 –
Fat Mike, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
*
1968 –
John Collins, Scottish footballer and manager
* 1968 –
Matt King, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
* 1968 –
Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician, 2nd
Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
* 1968 –
Patrick Stevens, Belgian sprinter
*
1969 –
Dov Charney, Canadian-American fashion designer and businessman, founded
American Apparel
* 1969 –
Daniel Moder, American cinematographer
*
1970 –
Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress
* 1970 –
Danny Michel, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
*
1971 –
Patricia Velásquez, Venezuelan model and actress
*
1973 –
Portia de Rossi, Australian-American actress
*
1974 –
Othella Harrington, American basketball player and coach
* 1974 –
Ariel Pestano, Cuban baseball player
*
1975 –
Preity Zinta, Indian actress, producer, and television host
*
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 ...
–
Traianos Dellas, Greek footballer and manager
* 1976 –
Buddy Rice, American race car driver
*
1977 –
Bobby Moynihan, American actor and comedian
* 1977 –
Kerry Washington, American actress
*
1978 –
Fabián Caballero
Néstor Fabián Caballero (31 January 1978 – 27 September 2024), commonly referred to as Tyson, was an Argentine-Paraguayan professional footballer who played as a forward.
Caballero had a 19-year career, playing in Argentina, Paraguay, Eng ...
, Argentine footballer and manager
*
1979 –
Daniel Tammet, English author and educator
*
1980 –
James Adomian, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
* 1980 –
Gary Doherty, Irish footballer
* 1980 –
Shim Yi-young, South Korean actress
*
1981 –
Julio Arca, Argentine footballer
* 1981 –
Mark Cameron, Australian cricketer
* 1981 –
Gemma Collins, English media personality and businesswoman
* 1981 –
Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
*
1982 –
Maret Ani, Estonian tennis player
* 1982 –
Allan McGregor, Scottish footballer
* 1982 –
Jānis Sprukts, Latvian ice hockey player
*
1983 –
Fabio Quagliarella, Italian footballer
*
1984 –
Vernon Davis, American football player
* 1984 –
Mikhail Grabovski, German-Belarusian ice hockey player
* 1984 –
Josh Johnson, Canadian-American baseball player
* 1984 –
Jeremy Wariner, American runner
* 1984 –
Alessandro Zanni, Italian rugby player
*
1985 –
Adam Federici, Australian footballer
* 1985 –
Mario Williams, American football player
*
1986 –
Walter Dix, American sprinter
* 1986 –
Megan Ellison, American film producer, founded
Annapurna Pictures
* 1986 –
George Elokobi, Cameroonian footballer
* 1986 –
Yves Ma-Kalambay, Belgian footballer
* 1986 –
Pauline Parmentier, French tennis player
*
1987 –
Marcus Mumford, American-English singer-songwriter
*
1988 –
Brett Pitman, English footballer
* 1988 –
Taijo Teniste, Estonian footballer
*
1989 –
Tommy La Stella, American baseball player
*
1990 –
Cro, German rapper
* 1990 –
Jacopo Fortunato, Italian footballer
* 1990 –
Nicolás Laprovíttola, Argentine basketball player
* 1990 –
Jacob Markström, Swedish ice hockey player
* 1990 –
Kota Yabu, Japanese singer-songwriter, model, and actor
*
1992 –
Tyler Seguin, Canadian ice hockey player
*
1993 –
Qiu Bo, Chinese diver
*
1994 –
Kenneth Zohore, Danish footballer
*
1996 –
Joel Courtney, American actor
* 1996 –
Nikita Dragun, American Youtuber
*
1997 –
Arnaut Danjuma, Dutch footballer
* 1997 –
Donte DiVincenzo, American basketball player
* 1997 –
Miyeon, South Korean singer and actress
*
1998 –
Jalen McDaniels, American basketball player
*
2000 –
Julián Álvarez, Argentine footballer
*
2002 –
Hong Ye-ji, South Korean actress
*
2006 –
Sára Bejlek, Czech tennis player
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
632 –
Máedóc of Ferns, Irish bishop and saint (born 550)
*
876 –
Hemma of Altdorf, Frankish queen
*
985 –
Ryōgen, Japanese monk and abbot (born 912)
*
1030 –
William V, duke of Aquitaine (born 969)
*
1216 –
Theodore II, patriarch of Constantinople
*
1398 –
Sukō, emperor of Japan (born 1334)
*
1418 –
Mircea I, prince of Wallachia (born 1355)
*
1435 –
Xuande, emperor of China (born 1398)
*
1561 –
Bairam Khan, Mughalan general (born 1501)
* 1561 –
Menno Simons, Dutch minister and theologian (born 1496)
*
1580 –
Henry, king of Portugal (born 1512)
1601–1900
*
1606 –
Guy Fawkes, English conspirator, leader of the
Gunpowder Plot (born 1570)
* 1606 –
Ambrose Rookwood, English
Gunpowder Plot conspirator (born 1578)
* 1606 –
Thomas Wintour, English
Gunpowder Plot conspirator (born 1571)
*
1615 –
Claudio Acquaviva, Italian priest, 5th
Superior General of the Society of Jesus (born 1543)
*
1632 –
Jost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (born 1552)
*
1665 –
Johannes Clauberg, German philosopher and theologian (born 1622)
*
1686 –
Jean Mairet, French playwright (born 1604)
*
1720 –
Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford, English politician,
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1654)
*
1729 –
Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (born 1659)
*
1736 –
Filippo Juvarra, Italian architect and set designer, designed the
Basilica of Superga (born 1678)
*
1790 –
Thomas Lewis, Irish-born American lawyer and surveyor (born 1718)
*
1794 –
Mariot Arbuthnot, English admiral and politician, 12th
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (born 1711)
*
1811 –
Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (born 1763)
*
1815 –
José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan soldier (born 1775)
*
1828 –
Alexander Ypsilantis, Greek general (born 1792)
*
1836 –
John Cheyne, English physician and author (born 1777)
*
1844 –
Henri Gatien Bertrand, French general (born 1773)
*
1856 –
11th Dalai Lama (born 1838)
*
1870 –
Cilibi Moise, Moldavian Romanian journalist and author (born 1812)
*
1888 –
John Bosco, Italian priest and educator, founded the
Salesian Society (born 1815)
*
1892 –
Charles Spurgeon, English pastor and author (born 1834)
*
1900 –
John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, Scottish nobleman (born 1844)
1901–present
*
1911 –
Paul Singer, German politician (born 1844)
*
1923 –
Eligiusz Niewiadomski, Polish painter and critic (born 1869)
*
1933 –
John Galsworthy, English novelist and playwright,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1867)
*
1944 –
Jean Giraudoux, French author and playwright (born 1882)
*
1954 –
Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, invented
FM radio (born 1890)
*
1955 –
John Mott, American activist,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1865)
*
1956 –
A. A. Milne, English author, poet, and playwright, created ''
Winnie-the-Pooh'' (born 1882)
*
1958 –
Karl Selter, Estonian politician, 14th
Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1898)
*
1960 –
Auguste Herbin, French painter (born 1882)
*
1961 –
Krishna Singh, Indian politician, 1st
Chief Minister of Bihar (born 1887)
*
1966 –
Arthur Percival, English general (born 1887)
*
1967 –
Eddie Tolan, American sprinter and educator (born 1908)
*
1969 –
Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (born 1894)
*
1971 –
Viktor Zhirmunsky, Russian historian and linguist (born 1891)
*
1973 –
Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1895)
*
1974 –
Samuel Goldwyn, Polish American film producer, co-founded
Goldwyn Pictures (born 1882)
*
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 ...
–
Ernesto Miranda, American criminal (born 1941)
* 1976 –
Evert Taube, Swedish author and composer (born 1890)
*
1985 –
Reginald Baker, English Australian film producer (born 1896)
* 1985 –
Tatsuzō Ishikawa, Japanese author (born 1905)
*
1987 –
Yves Allégret, French director and screenwriter (born 1907)
*
1989 –
William Stephenson, Canadian captain and spy (born 1896)
*
1990 –
Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, German zoologist and academic (born 1901)
* 1990 –
Rashad Khalifa, Egyptian American biochemist and academic (born 1935)
*
1997 –
John Joseph Scanlan, Irish American bishop (born 1930)
*
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 ...
–
Giant Baba, Japanese wrestler and trainer, co-founded
All Japan Pro Wrestling (born 1938)
*
2000 –
Gil Kane, Latvian American author and illustrator (born 1926)
*
2001 –
Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian American author (born 1923)
*
2002 –
Gabby Gabreski, American colonel and pilot (born 1919)
*
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 ...
–
Eleanor Holm, American swimmer and actress (born 1913)
* 2004 –
Suraiya, Indian actress and playback singer (born 1929)
*
2006 –
Moira Shearer, Scottish actress and ballerina (born 1926)
*
2007 –
Molly Ivins, American journalist and author (born 1944)
* 2007 –
Adelaide Tambo, South African activist and politician (born 1929)
*
2008 –
František Čapek, Czechoslovakian canoeist (born 1914)
*
2011 –
Bartolomeu Anania, Romanian bishop and poet (born 1921)
*
2012 –
Mani Ram Bagri, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1920)
* 2012 –
Dorothea Tanning, American painter and sculptor (born 1910)
*
2013 –
Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Mexican poet and scholar (born 1923)
* 2013 –
Hassan Habibi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 1st
Vice President of Iran
First vice president of Iran () is defined by article 124 of the Constitution of Iran as anyone appointed by the President of Iran to lead an organization related to presidential affairs in Iran. , there are fourteen vice presidents. The first vic ...
(born 1937)
*
2014 –
Anna Gordy Gaye, American songwriter and producer, co-founded
Anna Records (born 1922)
* 2014 –
Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Somalian politician, 4th
Prime Minister of Somalia (born 1924)
* 2014 –
Miklós Jancsó, Hungarian director and screenwriter (born 1921)
*
2015 –
Vic Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1929)
* 2015 –
Udo Lattek, German footballer, coach, and journalist (born 1935)
* 2015 –
Lizabeth Scott, American actress (born 1922)
* 2015 –
Richard von Weizsäcker, German captain and politician, 6th
President of Germany (born 1920)
*
2016 –
Terry Wogan, Irish radio and television host (born 1938)
*
2017 –
Rob Stewart, Canadian filmmaker (born 1979)
*
2018 –
Rasual Butler, American professional basketball player (born 1979)
* 2018 –
Leah LaBelle, American singer (born 1986)
Holidays and observances
*Christian
feast day:
**
Domitius (Domice) of Amiens
**
Francis Xavier Bianchi
**
Geminianus
**
John Bosco
**
Julius of Novara
**
Blessed Ludovica
**
Máedóc (Mogue, Aiden)
**
Marcella of Marseille
**
Marcella of Rome
**
Samuel Shoemaker (
Episcopal Church (USA))
**
Tysul
**
Ulphia
**
Wilgils
**
January 31 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
Amartithi (
Meherabad, India, followers of
Meher Baba)
*
Independence Day (Nauru), celebrates independence from Australia in 1968.
*
Street Children's Day (
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on January 31
{{months
Days of January