Events
Pre-1600
*
681 –
Twelfth Council of Toledo: King
Erwig of the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain.
*
1038 – An
earthquake in
Dingxiang, China kills an estimated 32,300.
*
1127 –
Jin–Song Wars: Invading
Jurchen soldiers from the
Jin dynasty besiege and sack Bianjing (Kaifeng), the capital of the
Song dynasty of China, and abduct
Emperor Qinzong of Song and others, ending the
Northern Song period.
*
1349 – The Jewish population of
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing
Black Death, is
rounded up and incinerated.
*
1431 – The
trial of Joan of Arc begins in
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
.
1601–1900
*
1693 –
Sicily earthquake: The first of two earthquakes destroys parts of
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
and
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. After the second quake on 11 January, the death toll is estimated at between 60,000 and 100,000 people.
*
1760 –
Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the
Marathas in the
Battle of Barari Ghat.
*
1787 – The nationally known image of the
Black Nazarene in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
was transferred from what is now
Rizal Park to its present shrine in the
minor basilica of
Quiapo Church. This is annually commemorated through its ''Traslación'' (solemn transfer) in the streets of
Manila and is attended by millions of devotees.
*
1788 –
Connecticut becomes the fifth state to ratify 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 ...
.
*
1792 –
Treaty of Jassy between
Russian and
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
is signed, ending the
Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92.
*
1793 –
Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first person to fly in a
balloon in the United States.
*
1799 –
British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an
income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
of two
shillings to the
pound to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
.
*
1806 –
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a
state funeral and is interred in
St Paul's Cathedral.
*
1816 –
Humphry Davy tests
his safety lamp for miners at
Hebburn Colliery.
*
1822 – The Portuguese prince
Pedro I of Brazil decides to stay in
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
against the orders of the Portuguese King
João VI, beginning the Brazilian independence process.
*
1839 – The
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
announces the
Daguerreotype photography
Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
process.
*
1857 – The 7.9
Fort Tejon earthquake shakes
Central and
Southern California with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent'').
*
1858 – British forces finally defeat
Rajab Ali Khan of
Chittagong
*
1861 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
: "
Star of the West" incident occurs near
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
.
* 1861 –
Mississippi becomes the
second state to secede from the
Union before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
*
1878 –
Umberto I becomes King of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.
1901–present
*
1903 –
Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, son of the poet
Alfred Tennyson, becomes the second
Governor-General of Australia.
*
1909 –
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarcti ...
, leading the
Nimrod Expedition to the
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...
, plants the
British flag from the South Pole, the
farthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
*
1914 – The
Phi Beta Sigma fraternity is founded by African-American students at
Howard University in Washington D.C., United States.
*
1916 –
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
Battle of Gallipoli concludes with an Ottoman Empire victory when the last Allied forces are evacuated from the peninsula.
*
1917 – World War I: The
Battle of Rafa is fought near the
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 border with
Palestine.
*
1918 –
Battle of Bear Valley: The last battle of the
American Indian Wars.
*
1920 –
Ukrainian War of Independence: The
All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee outlaws the
Makhnovshchina by decree, igniting the
Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict.
*
1921 –
Greco-Turkish War: The
First Battle of İnönü, the first battle of the war, begins near
Eskişehir in
Anatolia
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
.
*
1923 –
Juan de la Cierva makes the first
autogyro flight.
* 1923 –
Lithuanian residents of the
Memel Territory rebel against the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
' decision to leave the area as a
mandated region under French control.
*
1927 – A fire at the
Laurier Palace movie theatre in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, kills 78 children.
*
1941 –
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 flight of the
Avro Lancaster.
*
1945 – World War II: The
Sixth United States Army begins the
invasion of Lingayen Gulf.
*
1957 –
British Prime Minister Sir
Anthony Eden resigns from office following his failure to
retake the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
from Egyptian sovereignty.
*
1959 – The
Vega de Tera dam fails, triggering a disastrous flood that nearly destroys the town of
Ribadelago and kills 144 residents.
*
1960 –
President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser opens construction on the
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam, or Aswan High Dam, is one of the world's largest embankment dams, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. When it was completed, it was the tallest earthen dam in the world, surpassing the Chatuge D ...
by detonating ten tons of
dynamite to demolish twenty tons of granite on the east bank of the
Nile
The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
.
*
1961 – British authorities announce they have uncovered the
Soviet
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 ...
Portland spy ring in London.
*
1962 –
Apollo program
The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
:
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
announces plans to build the C-5 rocket
launch vehicle, then known as the "Advanced
Saturn", to carry human beings to the Moon.
*
1964 –
Martyrs' Day: Several
Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag in the U.S.-controlled
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...
, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians.
*
1991 – Representatives from the United States and
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 ...
meet at the
Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait.
*
1992 – The
Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaims the creation of
Republika Srpska, a new state within
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 ...
.
* 1992 – The first discoveries of
extrasolar planets are announced by astronomers
Aleksander Wolszczan and
Dale Frail. They discovered two planets orbiting the pulsar
PSR 1257+12.
*
1996 –
First Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...
:
Chechen separatists launch a raid against the helicopter airfield and later a civilian hospital in the city of
Kizlyar in the neighboring
Dagestan, which turns into
a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of
civilians.
*
1997 –
Comair Flight 3272 crashes in
Raisinville Township in
Monroe County, Michigan, killing 29 people.
*
2003 –
TANS Perú Flight 222 crashes on approach to
Chachapoyas Airport in
Chachapoyas, Peru, killing 46 people.
*
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 ...
– An
inflatable boat carrying illegal
Albanian emigrants
stalls near the
Karaburun Peninsula en route to
Brindisi, Italy; exposure to the elements kills 28. This is the second deadliest marine disaster in Albanian history.
*
2005 –
Mahmoud Abbas wins the
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 ...
to succeed
Yasser Arafat as President of the
Palestinian National Authority, replacing interim president
Rawhi Fattouh.
* 2005 – The
Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the
Government of Sudan sign the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end the
Second Sudanese Civil War.
*
2007 –
Apple
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
CEO
Steve Jobs introduces the original
iPhone at a Macworld keynote in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.
*
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 ...
–
Iran Air Flight 277 crashes near
Urmia in the northwest of the country, in icy conditions, killing 78 people.
*
2014 – An
explosion at a
Mitsubishi Materials chemical plant in
Yokkaichi, Japan, kills at least five people and injures 17 others.
*
2015 – The perpetrators of the
''Charlie Hebdo'' shooting in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
two days earlier are both killed after a hostage situation; a
second hostage situation, related to the ''Charlie Hebdo'' shooting, occurs at a Jewish market in
Vincennes.
* 2015 – A
mass poisoning at a funeral in
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
involving beer that was contaminated with ''
Burkholderia gladioli'' leaves 75 dead and over 230 people ill.
*
2021 –
Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashes north of
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, Indonesia, killing all 62 people on board.
Births
Pre-1600
*
727 –
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang (11 November 726According to Daizong's biography in the ''Old Book of Tang'', he was born on the 13th day in the 12th month of the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of Tang Xuanzong's reign. This date corresponds to 11 Nov 72 ...
(died 779)
*
1304 –
Hōjō Takatoki, Japanese
shikken of the
Kamakura bakufu (died 1333)
*
1418 –
Juan Ramón Folch III de Cardona, Aragonese admiral (died 1485)
*
1554 –
Pope Gregory XV (died 1623)
*
1571 –
Charles Bonaventure de Longueval, Count of Bucquoy, French commander (died 1621)
*
1590 –
Simon Vouet, French painter (died 1649)
1601–1900
*
1606 –
William Dugard, English printer (died 1662)
*
1624 –
Empress Meishō of Japan (died 1696)
*
1645 –
Sir William Villiers, 3rd Baronet, English noble and politician (date baptized; (died 1712)
*
1674 –
Reinhard Keiser, German composer (died 1739)
*
1685 –
Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist and critic (died 1766)
*
1728 –
Thomas Warton, English poet, historian, and critic (died 1790)
*
1735 –
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (died 1823)
*
1745 –
Caleb Strong, American lawyer and politician, 6th
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 1819)
*
1753 –
Luísa Todi, Portuguese soprano and actress (died 1833)
*
1773 –
Cassandra Austen, English painter and illustrator (died 1845)
*
1778 –
Hammamizade İsmail Dede Efendi, Turkish
Ney player and composer (died 1846)
*
1811 –
Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, English journalist and author (died 1856)
*
1818 –
Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, French sculptor and photographer (died 1881)
*
1819 –
James Francis, English-Australian businessman and politician, 9th
Premier of Victoria (died 1884)
*
1822 –
Carol Benesch, Czech-Romanian architect, designed the
Peleș Castle (died 1896)
*
1823 –
Friedrich von Esmarch, German surgeon and academic (died 1908)
*
1829 –
Thomas William Robertson, English director and playwright (died 1871)
* 1829 –
Adolf Schlagintweit, German botanist and explorer (died 1857)
*
1832 –
Félix-Gabriel Marchand, Canadian journalist and politician, 11th
Premier of Quebec (died 1900)
*
1839 –
John Knowles Paine, American composer and academic (died 1906)
*
1848 –
Princess Frederica of Hanover (died 1926)
*
1849 –
John Hartley, English tennis player (died 1935)
*
1854 –
Jennie Jerome, American-born wife of
Lord Randolph Churchill, mother of Sir
Winston Churchill (died 1921)
*
1856 –
Anton Aškerc, Slovenian priest and poet (died 1912)
*
1859 –
Carrie Chapman Catt, American activist, founded the
League of Women Voters and
International Alliance of Women (died 1947)
*
1864 –
Vladimir Steklov, Russian mathematician and physicist (died 1926)
*
1868 –
S. P. L. Sørensen, Danish chemist and academic (died 1939)
*
1870 –
Joseph Strauss, American engineer, co-designed the
Golden Gate Bridge (died 1938)
*
1873 –
Hayim Nahman Bialik, Ukrainian-Austrian journalist, author, and poet (died 1934)
* 1873 –
Thomas Curtis, American sprinter and hurdler (died 1944)
* 1873 –
John Flanagan, Irish-American hammer thrower (died 1938)
*
1875 –
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, American sculptor and art collector, founded the
Whitney Museum of American Art (died 1942)
*
1879 –
John B. Watson, American psychologist and academic (died 1958)
*
1881 –
Lascelles Abercrombie, English poet and critic (died 1938)
* 1881 –
Giovanni Papini
Giovanni Papini (9 January 18818 July 1956) was an Italian journalist, essayist, novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, and Italian philosophy, philosopher. A controversial literary figure of the early and mid-twentieth century, he ...
, Italian journalist, author, and poet (died 1956)
*
1885 –
Charles Bacon, American runner and hurdler (died 1968)
*
1886 –
Lloyd Loar, American sound engineer and instrument designer (died 1943)
*
1889 –
Vrindavan Lal Verma, Indian author and playwright (died 1969)
*
1890 –
Karel Čapek, Czech author and playwright (died 1938)
* 1890 –
Kurt Tucholsky, German-Swedish journalist and author (died 1935)
*
1892 –
Eva Bowring, American lawyer and politician (died 1985)
*
1893 –
Edwin Baker, Canadian soldier and educator, co-founded the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (died 1968)
*
1896 –
Warwick Braithwaite, New Zealand-English conductor and director (died 1971)
*
1897 –
Karl Löwith, German philosopher, author, and academic (died 1973)
* 1897 –
Halyna Kuzmenko, Ukrainian teacher and anarchist revolutionary (died 1978)
*
1898 –
Gracie Fields, English actress and singer (died 1979)
*
1899 –
Harald Tammer, Estonian journalist and weightlifter (died 1942)
*
1900 –
Richard Halliburton, American journalist and author (died 1939)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Vilma Bánky, Hungarian-American actress (died 1991)
*
1902 –
Rudolf Bing, American impresario and businessman (died 1997)
* 1902 –
Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish priest and saint, founded
Opus Dei (died 1975)
*
1908 –
Simone de Beauvoir, French philosopher and author (died 1986)
*
1909 –
Anthony Mamo, Maltese lawyer and politician, 1st
President of Malta (died 2008)
* 1909 –
Patrick Peyton, Irish-American priest, television personality, and activist (died 1992)
*
1912 –
Basil Langton, English actor, director, photographer, and teacher (died 2003)
* 1912 –
Ralph Tubbs, English architect, designed the
Dome of Discovery (died 1996)
*
1913 –
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 37th
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 ...
(died 1994)
*
1914 –
Kenny Clarke, American jazz drummer and bandleader (died 1985)
*
1915 –
Fernando Lamas, Argentinian-American actor, singer, and director (died 1982)
* 1915 –
Anita Louise, American actress (died 1970)
*
1918 –
Alma Ziegler, American baseball player and golfer (died 2005)
*
1919 –
William Morris Meredith, Jr., American poet and academic (died 2007)
*
1920 –
Clive Dunn, English actor (died 2012)
* 1920 –
Hakim Said, Pakistani scholar and politician, 20th
Governor of Sindh (died 1998)
*
1921 –
Ágnes Keleti, Hungarian Olympic gymnast (died 2025)
*
1922 –
Har Gobind Khorana, Indian-American biochemist and academic,
Nobel laureate (died 2011)
* 1922 –
Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st
President of Guinea (died 1984)
*
1924 –
Sergei Parajanov, Georgian-Armenian director and screenwriter (died 1990)
*
1925 –
Len Quested, English footballer and manager (died 2012)
* 1925 –
Lee Van Cleef
Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of spaghetti Westerns, particularly t ...
, American actor (died 1989)
*
1926 –
Jean-Pierre Côté, Canadian lawyer and politician, 23rd
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (died 2002)
*
1928 –
Judith Krantz, American novelist (died 2019)
* 1928 –
Domenico Modugno, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and politician (died 1994)
*
1929 –
Brian Friel, Irish author, playwright, and director (died 2015)
* 1929 –
Heiner Müller, German poet, playwright, and director (died 1995)
*
1931 –
Algis Budrys, Lithuanian-American author and critic (died 2008)
*
1933 –
Roy Dwight, English footballer (died 2002)
* 1933 –
Wilbur Smith, Zambian-English journalist and author (died 2021)
*
1934 –
Bart Starr, American football player and coach (died 2019)
*
1935 –
Bob Denver, American actor (died 2005)
* 1935 –
Dick Enberg, American sportscaster (died 2017)
* 1935 –
John Graham, New Zealand rugby player and educator (died 2017)
* 1935 –
Brian Harradine, Australian politician (died 2014)
*
1936 –
K Callan, American actress and author
* 1936 –
Marko Veselica, Croatian academic and politician (died 2017)
*
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 ...
–
Claudette Boyer, Canadian educator and politician (died 2013)
*
1939 –
Susannah York, English actress and activist (died 2011)
*
1940 –
Barbara Buczek, Polish composer (died 1993)
* 1940 –
Ruth Dreifuss, Swiss journalist and politician, 86th
President of the Swiss Confederation
*
1941 –
Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist
*
1943 –
Robert Drewe, Australian author and playwright
* 1943 –
Elmer MacFadyen, Canadian lawyer and politician (died 2007)
* 1943 –
Scott Walker, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 2019)
*
1944 –
Harun Farocki, German filmmaker (died 2014)
* 1944 –
Jimmy Page, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
* 1944 –
Mihalis Violaris, Cypriot singer-songwriter and actor
*
1945 –
John Doman, American actor
* 1945 –
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Syrian-Armenian scholar and politician, 1st
President of Armenia
*
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 ...
–
Mohammad Ishaq Khan, Indian historian and academic (died 2013)
* 1946 –
Mogens Lykketoft, Danish politician, 45th
Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs
*
1948 –
Bill Cowsill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2006)
* 1948 –
Jan Tomaszewski, Polish footballer, manager, and politician
*
1950 –
Alec Jeffreys, English geneticist and academic
* 1950 –
David Johansen, American singer-songwriter and actor (died 2025)
*
1951 –
M. L. Carr, American basketball player, coach, and executive
* 1951 –
Crystal Gayle, American singer-songwriter and producer
*
1952 –
Kaushik Basu, Indian economist and academic
*
1954 –
Philippa Gregory, Kenyan-English author and academic
*
1955 –
Bruce Boudreau, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
* 1955 –
J. K. Simmons, American actor
*
1956 –
Waltraud Meier, German soprano and actress
* 1956 –
Imelda Staunton, English actress and singer
*
1957 –
Phil Lewis, English musician, singer and songwriter
*
1958 –
Rob McClanahan, American ice hockey player
* 1958 –
Mehmet Ali Ağca, Turkish assassin
*
1959 –
Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan activist and politician,
Nobel Prize laureate
*
1960 –
Lisa Walters, Canadian golfer
*
1961 –
Didier Camberabero, French rugby player
*
1962 –
Ray Houghton, Scottish-born footballer
*
1963 –
Eric Erlandson, American musician and songwriter
* 1963 –
Irwin McLean, Northern Irish biologist and academic
*
1965 –
Muggsy Bogues, American basketball player
* 1965 –
Haddaway, Trinidadian-German singer and musician
* 1965 –
Joely Richardson, English actress
*
1967 –
Matt Bevin, American politician, 62nd
Governor of Kentucky
* 1967 –
Claudio Caniggia, Argentinian footballer
* 1967 –
David Costabile, American actor
* 1967 –
Steve Harwell, American rock singer (died 2023)
* 1967 –
Dave Matthews, South African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
*
1968 –
Jimmy Adams, Jamaican cricketer and coach
* 1968 –
Joey Lauren Adams, American actress
* 1968 –
Giorgos Theofanous, Greek-Cypriot composer and producer
*
1970 –
Lara Fabian, Belgian-Italian singer-songwriter and actress
*
1971 –
Angie Martinez, American rapper, actress, and radio host
*
1973 –
Angela Bettis, American actress, director, and producer
* 1973 –
Sean Paul, Jamaican rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor
*
1974 –
Omari Hardwick, American actor
*
1975 –
James Beckford, Jamaican long jumper
*
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 ...
–
Radek Bonk, Czech ice hockey player
*
1978 –
Mathieu Garon, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1978 –
Gennaro Gattuso, Italian footballer and manager
* 1978 –
Chad Johnson, American football player
* 1978 –
AJ McLean, American singer, dancer, and actor
*
1980 –
Édgar Álvarez, Honduran footballer
* 1980 –
Sergio García, Spanish golfer
* 1980 –
Shaun Hill, American football player
* 1980 –
Luke Patten, Australian rugby league player and referee
* 1980 –
Francisco Pavón, Spanish footballer
*
1981 –
Ebi Smolarek, Polish footballer and manager
*
1982 –
Catherine, Princess of Wales
* 1982 –
Sharrod Ford, American basketball player
*
1985 –
Juan Francisco Torres, Spanish footballer
*
1986 –
Raphael Diaz, Swiss ice hockey player
* 1986 –
Jéferson Gomes, Brazilian footballer
* 1986 –
Amanda Mynhardt, South African netball player
*
1987 –
Lucas Leiva, Brazilian footballer
* 1987 –
Paolo Nutini, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1987 –
Jami Puustinen, Finnish footballer
*
1988 –
Lee Yeon-hee, South Korean actress
*
1989 –
Michael Beasley, American basketball player
* 1989 –
Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress
* 1989 –
Yana Maksimava, Belarusian heptathlete
* 1989 –
Samardo Samuels, Jamaican-American basketball player
* 1989 –
Chris Sandow, Australian rugby league player
* 1989 –
Haris Sohail, Pakistani cricketer
*
1991 –
Ruby Soho, American wrestler
* 1991 –
Álvaro Soler, Spanish singer-songwriter
*
1992 –
Jack Campbell, American ice hockey player
* 1992 –
Terrence Jones, American basketball player
* 1992 –
Joseph Parker, Samoan heavyweight boxer
*
1993 –
Katarina Johnson-Thompson, English long jumper and heptathlete
* 1993 –
Marcus Peters, American football player
*
1994 –
Radek Faksa, Czech ice hockey player
*
1995 –
Braden Hamlin-Uele, New Zealand rugby league player
* 1995 –
Dominik Livaković, Croatian football goalkeeper
* 1995 –
Nicola Peltz, American actress
*
1996 –
Vítek Vaněček, Czech ice hockey player
*
1998 –
Kerris Dorsey, American actress
* 1998 –
Brent Rivera, American social media personality and actor
*
2000 –
Luka Šamanić, Croatian basketball player
*
2001 –
Peter Mamouzelos, Australian rugby league player
* 2001 –
Zeke Nnaji, American basketball player
*
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 ...
–
Souhardya De, Indian author and columnist
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
710 –
Adrian of Canterbury, abbot and
scholar
*
1150 –
Emperor Xizong of Jin (born 1119)
*
1282 –
Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd ibn Hakam al Qurashi, Minorcan ruler (born 1204)
*
1283 –
Wen Tianxiang, Chinese general and scholar (born 1236)
*
1367 –
Giulia della Rena, Italian saint (born 1319)
*
1450 –
Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester
*
1463 –
William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent, English soldier (born 1405)
*
1499 –
John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (born 1455)
*
1511 –
Demetrios Chalkokondyles, Greek scholar and academic (born 1423)
*
1514 –
Anne of Brittany, queen of
Charles VIII of France and
Louis XII of France (born 1477)
*
1529 –
Wang Yangming, Chinese Neo-Confucian scholar (born 1472)
*
1534 –
Johannes Aventinus, Bavarian historian and philologist (born 1477)
*
1543 –
Guillaume du Bellay, French general and diplomat (born 1491)
*
1561 –
Amago Haruhisa, Japanese warlord (born 1514)
*
1571 –
Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon, French admiral (born 1510)
*
1598 –
Jasper Heywood, English poet and scholar (born 1553)
1601–1900
*
1612 –
Leonard Holliday, Lord Mayor of London (born 1550)
*
1622 –
Alix Le Clerc, French Canoness Regular and foundress (born 1576)
*
1757 –
Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, French author, poet, and playwright (born 1657)
*
1762 –
Antonio de Benavides, colonial governor of Florida (born 1678)
*
1766 –
Thomas Birch, English historian and author (born 1705)
*
1799 –
Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician and philosopher (born 1718)
*
1800 –
Jean Étienne Championnet, French general (born 1762)
*
1805 –
Noble Wimberly Jones, American physician and politician (born 1723)
*
1833 –
Adrien-Marie Legendre, French mathematician and theorist (born 1752)
*
1843 –
William Hedley, English engineer (born 1773)
*
1848 –
Caroline Herschel, German-English astronomer (born 1750)
*
1856 –
Neophytos Vamvas, Greek cleric and educator (born 1770)
*
1858 –
Anson Jones, American physician and politician; 4th
President of the Republic of Texas (born 1798)
*
1873 –
Napoleon III, French politician, 1st
President of France (born 1808)
*
1876 –
Samuel Gridley Howe, American physician and activist (born 1801)
*
1878 –
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (born 1820)
*
1895 –
Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American-English businessman (born 1812)
1901–present
*
1901 –
Richard Copley Christie, English lawyer and academic (born 1830)
*
1908 –
Wilhelm Busch, German poet, illustrator, and painter (born 1832)
* 1908 –
Abraham Goldfaden, Russian actor, playwright, and author (born 1840)
*
1911 –
Edwin Arthur Jones, American violinist and composer (born 1853)
* 1911 –
Edvard Rusjan, Italian-Slovene pilot and engineer (born 1886)
*
1917 –
Luther D. Bradley, American cartoonist (born 1853)
*
1918 –
Charles-Émile Reynaud, French scientist and educator, invented the
Praxinoscope (born 1844)
*
1923 –
Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand novelist, short story writer, and essayist (born 1888)
*
1924 –
Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Sri Lankan civil servant and politician (born 1853)
*
1927 –
Houston Stewart Chamberlain, English-German philosopher and author (born 1855)
*
1930 –
Edward Bok, Dutch-American journalist and author (born 1863)
*
1931 –
Wayne Munn, American football player and wrestler (born 1896)
*
1936 –
John Gilbert, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1899)
*
1939 –
Johann Strauss III
Johann Maria Eduard Strauss III (; ; 16 February 18669 January 1939) was an Austrian composer whose father was Eduard Strauss, whose uncles were Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss, and whose grandfather was Johann Strauss I. Born in Vienna, he w ...
, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (born 1866)
*
1941 –
Dimitrios Golemis, Greek runner (born 1874)
*
1945 –
Shigekazu Shimazaki, Japanese admiral and pilot (born 1908)
* 1945 –
Jüri Uluots
Jüri Uluots (13 January 1890 – 9 January 1945) was an Estonian prime minister, journalist, prominent attorney and distinguished Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu.
Early life
Uluots was born in Kirbla Pari ...
, Estonian journalist and politician, 7th
Prime Minister of Estonia (born 1890)
* 1945 –
Osman Cemal Kaygılı, Turkish journalist, author, and playwright (born 1890)
*
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 ...
–
Countee Cullen, American poet and playwright (born 1903)
*
1947 –
Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (born 1893)
*
1960 –
Elsie J. Oxenham, English author and educator (born 1880)
*
1961 –
Emily Greene Balch, American economist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1867)
*
1964 –
Halide Edib Adıvar, Turkish author and academic (born 1884)
*
1971 –
Elmer Flick, American baseball player and scout (born 1876)
*
1972 –
Ted Shawn, American dancer and choreographer (born 1891)
*
1975 –
Pierre Fresnay, French actor and screenwriter (born 1897)
* 1975 –
Pyotr Novikov, Russian mathematician and theorist (born 1901)
*
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 ...
–
Pier Luigi Nervi, Italian engineer and architect, designed the
Tour de la Bourse and
Pirelli Tower (born 1891)
*
1981 –
Kazimierz Serocki, Polish pianist and composer (born 1922)
*
1984 –
Bob Dyer, American-Australian radio and television host (born 1909)
*
1985 –
Robert Mayer, German-English businessman and philanthropist (born 1879)
*
1987 –
Arthur Lake, American actor (born 1905)
*
1988 –
Peter L. Rypdal, Norwegian fiddler and composer (born 1909)
*
1990 –
Spud Chandler, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1907)
* 1990 –
Cemal Süreya, Turkish poet and journalist (born 1931)
*
1992 –
Steve Brodie, American actor (born 1919)
* 1992 –
Bill Naughton, English playwright and screenwriter (born 1910)
*
1993 –
Paul Hasluck, Australian historian and politician,
Governor-General of Australia (born 1905)
*
1995 –
Souphanouvong, Laotian politician, 1st
President of Laos (born 1909)
* 1995 –
Peter Cook, English actor and screenwriter (born 1937)
*
1996 –
Walter M. Miller, Jr., American soldier and author (born 1923)
* 1996 –
Abdullah al-Qasemi, Saudi atheist, writer, and intellectual (born 1907)
*
1997 –
Edward Osóbka-Morawski, Polish politician,
Prime Minister of Poland
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only wa ...
(born 1909)
* 1997 –
Jesse White, American actor (born 1917)
*
1998 –
Kenichi Fukui, Japanese chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918)
* 1998 –
Imi Lichtenfeld, Slovakian-Israeli martial artist, founded
Krav Maga (born 1910)
*
2000 –
Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer and academic (born 1915)
* 2000 –
Nigel Tranter, Scottish historian and author (born 1909)
*
2001 –
Maurice Prather, American photographer and director (born 1926)
*
2003 –
Will McDonough, American journalist (born 1935)
*
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 ...
–
Norberto Bobbio, Italian philosopher and academic (born 1909)
*
2006 –
Andy Caldecott, Australian motorcycle racer (born 1964)
* 2006 –
W. Cleon Skousen, American author and academic (born 1913)
*
2007 –
Elmer Symons, South African motorcycle racer (born 1977)
* 2007 –
Jean-Pierre Vernant, French anthropologist and historian (born 1914)
*
2008 –
Johnny Grant, American radio host and producer (born 1923)
* 2008 –
John Harvey-Jones, English businessman and television host (born 1924)
*
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 ...
–
Rob Gauntlett, English mountaineer and explorer (born 1987)
* 2009 –
T. Llew Jones, Welsh author and poet (born 1914)
* 2009 –
Tan Chor Jin, Singaporean murderer and triad leader of
Ang Soon Tong (born 1966)
*
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 ...
–
Makinti Napanangka, Australian painter (born 1930)
*
2012 –
Brian Curvis, Welsh boxer (born 1937)
* 2012 –
Augusto Gansser-Biaggi, Swiss geologist and academic (born 1910)
* 2012 –
William G. Roll, German-American psychologist and parapsychologist (born 1926)
* 2012 –
Malam Bacai Sanhá, Guinea-Bissau politician,
President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1947)
* 2012 –
László Szekeres, Hungarian physician and academic (born 1921)
*
2013 –
Brigitte Askonas, Austrian-English immunologist and academic (born 1923)
* 2013 –
James M. Buchanan, American economist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1919)
* 2013 –
Robert L. Rock, American businessman and politician, 42nd
Lieutenant Governor of Indiana (born 1927)
* 2013 –
John Wise, Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd
Canadian Minister of Agriculture (born 1935)
*
2014 –
Amiri Baraka, American poet, playwright, and academic (born 1934)
* 2014 –
Josep Maria Castellet, Spanish poet and critic (born 1926)
* 2014 –
Paul du Toit, South African painter and sculptor (born 1965)
* 2014 –
Dale T. Mortensen, American economist and academic,
Nobel Prize laureate (born 1939)
*
2015 –
Michel Jeury, French author (born 1934)
* 2015 –
Józef Oleksy, Polish economist and politician, 7th
Prime Minister of Poland
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only wa ...
(born 1946)
* 2015 –
Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, Malaysian politician, 3rd
Chief Minister of Sarawak (born 1928)
* 2015 –
Roy Tarpley, American basketball player (born 1964)
*
2016 –
John Harvard, Canadian journalist and politician, 23rd
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (born 1938)
* 2016 –
Angus Scrimm, American actor and author (born 1926)
*
2017 –
Zygmunt Bauman, Polish sociologist (born 1925)
*
2018 –
Kato Ottio, Papua New Guinean rugby league player (born 1994)
*
2019 –
Verna Bloom, American actress (born 1938)
* 2019 –
Paul Koslo, German-Canadian actor (born 1944)
*
2021 –
John Reilly, American actor (born 1934)
*
2022 –
Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (born 1956)
*2022 –
Maria Ewing, American opera singer (born 1950)
*
2023 –
Séamus Begley, Irish accordion player, fiddler and
Irish traditional musician (born 1949)
*
2024 –
Rashid Khan, Indian classical musician (born 1968)
*
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 ...
–
Black Bart, American professional wrestler (born 1948)
Holidays and observances
* Christian
feast day:
**
Adrian of Canterbury
**
Berhtwald
**
Feast of the Black Nazarene (
Manila, Philippines)
**
Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow
**
Julia Chester Emery (
Episcopal Church (USA))
**
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...
(old calendar
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
)
**
January 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Start of Hōonkō, Hōonkō (Nishi Honganji) January 9–16 (Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism)
* Martyrs' Day (Panama)
* Non-Resident Indian Day (India)
* Day of Republika Srpska (
Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, result of 2016 Republika Srpska National Day referendum) (note: not celebrated and disputed in wider Bosnia and Herzegovina, having been declared unconstitutional in 2015)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on January 9
{{months
Days of January