July 21
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Pre-1600

* 356 BC – The
Temple of Artemis The Temple of Artemis or Artemision (; ), also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient, localised form of the goddess Artemis (equated with the Religion in ancient Rome, Roman goddess Diana (mythology), Diana) ...
in
Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...
, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is destroyed by
arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...
. *
230 Year 230 ( CCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Agricola and Clementinus (or, less frequently, year 983 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 230 for th ...
Pope Pontian Pope Pontian (; died October 235) was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 230 to 28 September 235.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911). "Pope St. Pontian" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company. In 235, during the perse ...
succeeds Urban I as the eighteenth
pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. After being exiled to Sardinia, he became the first pope to resign his office. * 285
Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...
appoints
Maximian Maximian (; ), nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar (title), Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocleti ...
as
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...
and co-ruler. *
365 365 may refer to: * 365 (number), an integer * a common year, consisting of 365 calendar days * AD 365, a year of the Julian calendar * 365 BC, a year of the 4th century BC Media outlets * 365 (media corporation), Icelandic TV company * 365 ...
– The
365 Crete earthquake The 365 Crete earthquake occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the undersea earthquake to have been a moment magnitude 8.5 or higher. It caused wid ...
affected the Greek island of Crete with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''), causing a destructive tsunami that affects the coasts of Libya and Egypt, especially
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
. Many thousands are killed. * 905 – King
Berengar I of Italy Berengar I (; ; 845 – 7 April 924) was the king of Italy from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor, emperor between 915 and his death in 924. He is usually known as Berengar of Friuli, since he ruled the March of Friuli from 874 until at least 890, bu ...
and a hired Hungarian army defeats the
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...
forces at
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
. King
Louis III Louis III may refer to: * Louis the Younger, sometimes III of Germany (835–882) * Louis III of France (865–882) * Louis the Blind, Louis III, Holy Roman Emperor, (c. 880–928) * Louis the Child, sometimes III of Germany (893–911) * Louis III ...
is captured and blinded for breaking his oath (see
902 __NOTOC__ Year 902 (Roman numerals, CMII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Adalbert II, Margrave of Tuscany, Adalbert II, margrave of March of Tuscany, Tuscany, revol ...
). * 1242
Battle of Taillebourg The Battle of Taillebourg, a major medieval battle fought in July 1242, was the decisive engagement of the Saintonge War. It pitted a French Capetian army under the command of King Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, and his younger brother Al ...
:
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 ...
puts an end to the revolt of his vassals
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
Hugh X of Lusignan Hugh X de Lusignan or Hugh V of La Marche (c. 1183 – c. 5 June 1249, Angoulême) was Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage. He was the son of Hugh IX. Background Hugh's fathe ...
. * 1403
Battle of Shrewsbury The Battle of Shrewsbury was fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King Henry IV and a rebel army led by Henry "Harry Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland. The battle, the first in which English archers fought ea ...
: King
Henry IV of England Henry IV ( – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (a son of King Edward III), and Blanche of Lancaster. Henry was involved in the 1388 ...
defeats rebels to the north of the county town of
Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
, England. * 1545 – The first landing of French troops on the coast of the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...
during the French invasion of the Isle of Wight. *
1568 Year 1568 ( MDLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 6 – In the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom, the delegates of Unio Trium Nationum to the Diet of Torda convene i ...
Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
: Battle of Jemmingen: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva defeats
Louis of Nassau Louis of Nassau (Dutch: Lodewijk van Nassau, 10 January 1538 – 14 April 1574) was a Dutch nobleman, the third son of William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen and Juliana of Stolberg, and the younger brother of Prince William the Silent, William ...
.


1601–1900

*
1645 Events January–March * January 3 – The Long Parliament adopts the ''Directory for Public Worship'' in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, replacing the Book of Common Prayer ( 1559). Holy Days (other than Sundays) are not ...
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
regent
Dorgon Dorgon (17 November 1612 – 31 December 1650) was a Manchu prince and regent of the early Qing dynasty. Born in the House of Aisin-Gioro as the 14th son of Nurhaci (the founder of the Later Jin dynasty, which was the predecessor of the Qi ...
issues an
edict An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin edictum. Notable edicts * Telepinu ...
ordering all
Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
men to shave their forehead and braid the rest of their hair into a queue identical to those of the
Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...
. *
1656 Events January–March * January 5 – The First War of Villmergen, a civil war in the Old Swiss Confederacy, Confederation of Switzerland pitting its Protestant and Roman Catholic Swiss canton, cantons against each other, breaks o ...
– The Raid on Málaga takes place during the Anglo-Spanish War. *
1674 Events January–March * January 2 – The French West India Company is dissolved after less than 10 years. * January 7 – In the Chinese Empire, General Wu Sangui leads troops into the Giuzhou province, and soon takes cont ...
– A Dutch assault on the French island of
Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
is repulsed against all odds. * 1718 – The
Treaty of Passarowitz The Treaty of Passarowitz, or Treaty of Požarevac, was the peace treaty signed in Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, , ), a town that was in the Ottoman Empire but is now in Serbia, on 21 July 1718 between the Ottoman Empire and its ad ...
between the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, Austria and the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
is signed. * 1774Russo-Turkish War (1768–74): Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (; ), formerly often written Kuchuk-Kainarji, was a peace treaty signed on , in Küçük Kaynarca (today Kaynardzha, Bulgaria and Cuiugiuc, Romania) between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, ending the R ...
ending the war. *
1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of ...
French campaign in Egypt and Syria The French invasion of Egypt and Syria (1798–1801) was a military expedition led by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars. The campaign aimed to undermine British trade routes, expand French influence, and establish a ...
: Napoleon's forces defeat an Ottoman-
Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...
army near
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
in the Battle of the Pyramids. *
1831 Events January–March * January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. * January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto estab ...
– Inauguration of
Leopold I of Belgium Leopold I (16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865. The youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Leopold took a commission in the Imperial Rus ...
, first king of the
Belgians Belgians ( ; ; ) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority ...
. *
1861 This year saw significant progress in the Unification of Italy, the outbreak of the American Civil War, and the emancipation reform abolishing serfdom in the Russian Empire. Events January * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico Ci ...
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 ...
:
First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
.
by Confederate States ...
: At
Manassas Junction, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...
, the first major battle of the war begins and ends in a victory for the
Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
army. *
1865 Events January * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War: Second Battle of Fort Fisher – Unio ...
– In the market square of
Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
,
Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, reconnaissance, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, s ...
shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first western showdown. *
1873 Events January * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
– At
Adair, Iowa Adair is a city in Adair County, Iowa, Adair and Guthrie County, Iowa, Guthrie counties of Iowa in the United States. The population was 791 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The Rock Island Railroad was built through the ...
,
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...
and the James–Younger Gang pull off the first successful
train robbery Since the invention of locomotives in the early 19th century, trains have often been the target of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables. Train robbery was especially common during the 19th century and is commonly asso ...
in the
American Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
. *
1877 Events January * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...
– After rioting by
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
workers and the deaths of nine rail workers at the hands of the
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
militia, workers in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, stage a sympathy strike that is met with an assault by the state militia.


1901–present

*
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter
Gobron-Brillié Gobron-Brillié was an early French automobile manufactured from 1898 to 1930.P. Roberts (1973). ''A Picture History of the Automobile'', Ward Lock Ltd, London, UK. The original company, ''Societé des Moteurs Gobron-Brillié'', was founded by ...
in
Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
, Belgium. *
1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...
– The passenger steamer SS ''Columbia'' sinks after colliding with the steam schooner ''San Pedro'' off Shelter Cove, California, killing 88 people. *
1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
– The
dirigible An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat ( lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding ...
''
Wingfoot Air Express Wingfoot may refer to: *Wingfoot (album), ''Wingfoot'' (album), a 2012 album by alternative hip hop artist Noah23 *Wingfoot Air Express Crash, a Goodyear blimp that crashed in Chicago in 1919 *Akron Wingfoots, a basketball team *Wingfoot Commercial ...
'' crashes into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, killing 12 people. *
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
– The " Belfast Pogrom" begins two years of violence with the expulsion of thousands of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
shipyard, factory and linen mill workers from their jobs. *
1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
Scopes Trial: In
Dayton, Tennessee Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 7,065. The Dayton Urban Cluster includes developed areas adjacent to the city and extends ...
, high school biology teacher John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching
human evolution ''Homo sapiens'' is a distinct species of the hominid family of primates, which also includes all the great apes. Over their evolutionary history, humans gradually developed traits such as Human skeletal changes due to bipedalism, bipedalism, de ...
in class and fined $100. * 1925 –
Malcolm Campbell Major Sir Malcolm Campbell (11 March 1885 – 31 December 1948) was a British racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times, using vehicles called ''Blue Bird'', including a 1 ...
becomes the first man to exceed on land. At
Pendine Sands Pendine Sands () is a beach on the shores of Carmarthen Bay on the south coast of Wales. It stretches west to east from Gilman Point to Laugharne Sands. The village of Pendine () is close to the western end of the beach. In the early 1900s t ...
in Wales, he drives Sunbeam 350HP built by
Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a lightbeam, beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of light scatter ...
at a two-way average speed of . *
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
: The
Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia () was an administrative body created on 21 July 1936 by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Lluís Companys, under pressure by the anarcho-syndicalists of the National Confe ...
is constituted, establishing an
anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...
economy in
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
. *
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
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 ...
: Battle of Guam: American troops land on
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, starting a battle that will end on
August 10 Events Pre-1600 * 654 – Pope Eugene I elected to succeed Martinus I. * 955 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor defeats the Magyars, ending 50 years of Magyar invasion of the West. * 991 – Battle of Maldon: T ...
. * 1944 – World War II:
Claus von Stauffenberg Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Op ...
and four fellow conspirators are executed for the
July 20 plot The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...
to assassinate Adolf Hitler. *
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...
– The
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
ratifies the
North Atlantic Treaty The North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, forms the legal basis of, and is implemented by, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. Background The treat ...
. *
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...
Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 3505 disappears while flying from
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
to
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. The aircraft and its 37 occupants are never found.Civil Aviation Authority 1974, p. 12/51 *
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...
– The 7.3 Kern County earthquake strikes
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''), killing 12 and injuring hundreds. *
1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...
: The Geneva Conference partitions
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
into
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
and
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
. *
1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
– , the first
nuclear-powered Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...
cargo-passenger ship, is launched as a showcase for
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
's "
Atoms for Peace "Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
" initiative. * 1959 – Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green becomes the first
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
to play for the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, the last team to integrate. He came in as a
pinch runner In baseball or softball, a pinch runner is a player substituted into a game for the purpose of base running. Description A pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been s ...
for
Vic Wertz Victor Woodrow Wertz (February 9, 1925 – July 7, 1983) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1947 to 1963. Wertz played for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Br ...
and stayed in as shortstop in a 2–1 loss to the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
. *
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (; ; ; 17 April 1916 – 10 October 2000), commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Sri Lankan politician. She was the List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government, world's first fe ...
is elected Prime Minister of
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, becoming the world's first female head of government *
1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
Mercury program Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...
:
Mercury-Redstone 4 Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States human spaceflight, on July 21, 1961. The suborbital Project Mercury flight was launched with a Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, MRLV-8. The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #11, was nicknamed ''Liber ...
Mission:
Gus Grissom Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (April 3, 1926 – January 27, 1967) was an American engineer and pilot in the United States Air Force, as well as one of the original Mercury Seven selected by the NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration fo ...
piloting''
Liberty Bell 7 Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States human spaceflight, on July 21, 1961. The suborbital Project Mercury flight was launched with a Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, MRLV-8. The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #11, was nicknamed ''Liber ...
'' becomes the second American to go into space (in a suborbital mission). * 1961 – Alaska Airlines Flight 779 crashes near
Shemya Air Force Base Eareckson Air Station , formerly Shemya Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. The airport was closed as an active Air Force Station on 1 July 1994. However, ...
in
Shemya Shemya or Simiya () is a small island in the Semichi Islands group of the Near Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at . It has a land area of , and is about southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. It is wide and long ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
killing six. *
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
A series of racial riots break out in Singapore. In the next six weeks, 23 die with 454 others injured. *
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
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 ...
: At 02:56 UTC, astronaut
Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the Apollo 11#Lunar surface operations, first person to walk on the Moon. He was al ...
becomes the first person to walk on the Moon, followed 19 minutes later by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
– After 11 years of construction, the
Aswan High 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 Chatug ...
in
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 ...
is completed. *
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
: Bloody Friday: The
Provisional IRA The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
detonate 22 bombs in central Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom in the space of 80 minutes, killing nine and injuring 130. *
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
– In
Lillehammer, Norway Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...
,
Mossad The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (), popularly known as Mossad ( , ), is the national intelligence agency of the Israel, State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with M ...
agents kill a waiter whom they mistakenly thought was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre. *
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 ...
Christopher Ewart-Biggs Christopher Thomas Ewart Ewart-Biggs, (5 August 1921 – 21 July 1976) was the British ambassador to Republic of Ireland, Ireland, an author and senior Foreign Office liaison officer with MI6. He was killed in 1976 by the Provisional Irish Rep ...
, the British ambassador to the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
, is assassinated by the Provisional IRA. *
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
– The start of the four-day-long Libyan–Egyptian War. *
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 ...
Jay Silverheels Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was a First Nations in Canada, First Nations and Mohawk people, Mohawk actor and athlete, descended from three Iroquois nations. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the ...
, a Mohawk actor, becomes the first Native American to have a star commemorated in the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. *
1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
– The world's lowest temperature in an inhabited location is recorded at
Vostok Station Vostok Station (, , ) is a Russian research station in inland Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica. Founded by the Soviet Union in 1957, the station lies at the southern Pole of Cold, with the lowest reliably measured natural temperature on ...
, Antarctica at . *
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
Taiwan's military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat '' Min Ping Yu No. 5540'' for repatriation to
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
, causing 25 people to die from suffocation. *
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
Third Taiwan Strait Crisis The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the waters surrounding Taiwan, ...
: The
People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...
begins firing missiles into the waters north of
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 ...
. *
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
– At the conclusion of a fireworks display on Okura Beach in
Akashi, Hyōgo file:Akashi City Hall.JPG, 260px, Akashi City Hall file:Akashi Castle Hitsujisaruyagura.JPG, 260px, Akashi from Akashi Castle is a Cities of Japan, city in southern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 305,925 in 1 ...
, Japan, 11 people are killed and more than 120 are injured when a pedestrian footbridge connecting the beach to JR Asagiri Station becomes overcrowded and people leaving the event fall down in a domino effect. *
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
– Four attempted bomb attacks by Islamist extremists disrupt part of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's public transport system. *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
Ram Baran Yadav is declared the first
President of Nepal The president of Nepal (ISO: ) is the head of state of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The president is the nominal head of the executive,the first citizen of the country, and the supreme commander of the Nepalese Armed Forces. Ra ...
. *2010 – President Barack Obama signs the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. *2011 – NASA's Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis, Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' on mission STS-135 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. *2012 – Erden Eruç completes the first solo Human-powered transport, human-powered circumnavigation of the world. *2019 – 2019 Yuen Long attack, Yuen Long attack or "721 incident" in Hong Kong. Triad (organized crime), Triad members indiscriminately beat civilians returning from 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, protests while police failed to take action. *2023 – The Barbenheimer phenomenon begins as two major motion pictures, Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy ''Barbie (film), Barbie'' and Christopher Nolan's epic film, epic biographical film, biographical thriller film, thriller ''Oppenheimer (film), Oppenheimer'', are released in theaters on the same day and audiences, instead of creating a rivalry between the extremely dissimilar films, instead attend and praise both as an informal, surreal double feature. *2024 – Joe Biden, US President Joe Biden announces he will no longer seek a second term and Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election, withdraws from the 2024 United States presidential election, 2024 election.


Births


Pre-1600

* 541 – Emperor Wen of Sui, emperor of the Sui dynasty (died 604) *1030 – Kyansittha, King of Burma (died 1112) *1414 – Pope Sixtus IV (died 1484) *1462 – Queen Jeonghyeon, Korean royal consort (died 1530) *1476 – Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (died 1534) * 1476 – Anna Sforza, Italian noble (died 1497) *1535 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete, Royal Governor of Chile (died 1609)


1601–1900

*1616 – Anna de' Medici, Archduchess of Austria (died 1676) *1620 – Jean Picard, French astronomer (died 1682) *1648 – John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, Scottish general (died 1689) *1654 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino catechist and sacristan; later canonized (died 1672) *1664 – Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat, List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to France, British Ambassador to France (died 1721) *1693 – Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, English politician, Prime Minister of Great Britain (died 1768) *1710 – Paul Möhring, German physician, botanist, and zoologist (died 1792) *1783 – Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon, French general (died 1853) *1789 – Vasil Aprilov, Bulgarian educator, merchant and writer (died 1847) *1808 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian, academic, and politician (died 1864) *1810 – Henri Victor Regnault, French chemist and physicist (died 1878) *1811 – Sir Robert Mackenzie, 10th Baronet, Robert Mackenzie, Scottish-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of Queensland (died 1873) *1816 – Paul Reuter, German-English journalist, founded Reuters (died 1899) *1858 – Maria Christina of Austria (died 1929) * 1858 – Lovis Corinth, German painter (died 1925) * 1858 – Alfred Henry O'Keeffe, New Zealand painter and educator (died 1941) *1863 – C. Aubrey Smith, English-American cricketer and actor (died 1948) *1866 – Carlos Schwabe, Swiss Symbolist painter and printmaker (died 1926) *1870 – Emil Orlík, Czech painter, etcher, and lithographer (died 1932) *1875 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player and tug of war competitor (died 1947) *1880 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak astronomer, general, and politician (died 1919) *1882 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (died 1967) *1885 – Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1948) *1891 – Julius Saaristo, Finnish javelin thrower and soldier (died 1969) *1893 – Hans Fallada, German author (died 1947) *1896 – Sophie Bledsoe Aberle, American anthropologist, physician and nutritionist (died 1996) *1898 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter (died 1979) *1899 – Hart Crane, American poet (died 1932) * 1899 – Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1961) *1900 – Isadora Bennett, American theatre manager and modern dance publicity agent (died 1980)


1901–present

*1903 – Russell Lee (photographer), Russell Lee, American photographer and journalist (died 1986) * 1903 – Roy Neuberger, American businessman and financier, co-founded Neuberger Berman (died 2010) *1908 – Jug McSpaden, American golfer and architect (died 1996) *1911 – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author and theorist (died 1980) * 1911 – Umashankar Joshi, Indian author, poet, and scholar (died 1988) *1914 – Aleksander Kreek, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (died 1977) *1917 – Alan B. Gold, Canadian lawyer and jurist (died 2005) *
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
– Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter, sculptor, and illustrator (died 2005) * 1920 – Isaac Stern, Russian-American violinist and conductor (died 2001) * 1920 – Jean Daniel, Algerian-French journalist and author (died 2020) *1921 – James Cooke Brown, American sociologist and author (died 2000) * 1921 – John Horsley (actor), John Horsley, English actor (died 2014) * 1921 – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, Zulu sangoma (died 2020) * 1922 – Philomena Franz, German Romani author (died 2022) *1922 – Kay Starr, American singer (died 2016) * 1922 – Mollie Sugden, English actress (died 2009) *1923 – Rudolph A. Marcus, Canadian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate * 1923 – Queenie Watts, English actress and singer (died 1980) * 1924 – Don Knotts, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (died 2006) *
1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
– Johnny Peirson, Canadian hockey player (died 2021) *1926 – Paul Burke (actor), Paul Burke, American actor (died 2009) * 1926 – Norman Jewison, Canadian actor, director, and producer (died 2024) * 1926 – Rahimuddin Khan, Pakistani general and politician, 7th Governor of Balochistan (died 2022) * 1926 – Bill Pertwee, English actor (died 2013) * 1926 – Karel Reisz, Czech-English director and producer (died 2002) *1928 – Sky Low Low, Canadian wrestler (died 1998) *1929 – Bob Orton, American wrestler (died 2006) *1930 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and songwriter (died 2002) * 1930 – Helen Merrill, American singer *1931 – Sonny Clark, American pianist and composer (died 1963) * 1931 – Plas Johnson, American saxophonist * 1931 – Leon Schidlowsky, Chilean-Israeli painter and composer (died 2022) *1932 – Kaye Stevens, American singer and actress (died 2011) *1933 – John Gardner (American writer), John Gardner, American novelist, essayist, and critic (died 1982) *1934 – Chandu Borde, Indian cricketer and manager * 1934 – Jonathan Miller, English actor, director, and author (died 2019) *1935 – Norbert Blüm, German businessman and politician (died 2020) * 1935 – Moe Drabowsky, Polish-American baseball player and coach (died 2006) *1937 – Eduard Streltsov, Soviet footballer (died 1990) *1938 – Les Aspin, American captain and politician, 18th United States Secretary of Defense (died 1995) * 1938 – Anton Kuerti, Austrian-Canadian pianist, composer, and conductor * 1938 – Janet Reno, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General (died 2016) *1939 – Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and educator * 1939 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (died 2015) * 1939 – John Negroponte, English-American diplomat, 23rd United States Ambassador to the United Nations *1942 – Mallikarjun Kharge, Indian politician, 98th President of the Indian National Congress *1943 – Fritz Glatz, Austrian race car driver (died 2002) * 1943 – Edward Herrmann, American actor (died 2014) * 1943 – Henry McCullough, Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter (died 2016) * 1943 – Bob Shrum, Robert Shrum, American author and political advisor *
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
– John Atta Mills, Ghanaian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Ghana (died 2012) * 1944 – Buchi Emecheta, Nigerian author and academic (died 2017) * 1944 – Paul Wellstone, American academic and politician (died 2002) *1945 – Wendy Cope, English poet, critic, and educator * 1945 – Geoff Dymock, Australian cricketer * 1945 – Barry Richards, South African cricketer *1946 – Ken Starr, American lawyer and judge, 39th Solicitor General of the United States (died 2022) * 1946 – Timothy Harris (writer), Timothy Harris, American author, screenwriter and producer *1947 – Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricketer and politician (died 2020) *1948 – Art Hindle, Canadian actor and director * 1948 – Cat Stevens, English singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1948 – Garry Trudeau, American cartoonist *
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 ...
– Christina Hart, American playwright and actress * 1949 – Hirini Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter and poet (died 2003) *1950 – Ubaldo Fillol, Argentinian footballer and coach * 1950 – Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer, English politician, Minister of State for Transport * 1950 – Robert Walls, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (died 2025) *
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...
– Richard Gozney, English politician and diplomat, 30th Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, 139th Governor of Bermuda * 1951 – Robin Williams, American actor and comedian (died 2014) *
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...
– John Barrasso, American physician and politician * 1952 – Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Malaysian economist *1953 – Eric Bazilian, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer * 1953 – Jeff Fatt, Australian keyboard player and actor * 1953 – Bernie Fraser (rugby union), Bernie Fraser, New Zealand rugby player * 1953 – Brian Talbot, English footballer and manager *1955 – Howie Epstein, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 2003) * 1955 – Dannel Malloy, American lawyer and politician, 88th Governor of Connecticut * 1955 – Taco (musician), Taco, Indonesian-born Dutch singer and entertainer * 1955 – Béla Tarr, Hungarian director, producer, and screenwriter *1956 – Michael Connelly, American author *1957 – Stefan Löfven, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Sweden * 1957 – Jon Lovitz, American comedian, actor, and producer *1958 – Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 2015) *
1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
– Gene Miles, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster * 1959 – Reha Muhtar, Turkish journalist * 1959 – Paul Vautin, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster *
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...
– Amar Singh Chamkila, Indian singer-songwriter (died 1988) * 1960 – Veselin Matić, Serbian basketball player and coach * 1960 – Fritz Walter (footballer, b. 1960), Fritz Walter, German footballer *
1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
– Morris Iemma, Australian politician, 40th Premier of New South Wales * 1961 – Jim Martin (musician), Jim Martin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist *1962 – Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, English businessman *1963 – Kevin Poole, English footballer and manager * 1963 – Giant Silva, Brazilian basketball player, mixed martial artist, and wrestler *
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
– Steve Collins, Irish boxer and actor * 1964 – Ross Kemp, English actor and producer * 1964 – Jens Weißflog, German ski jumper and journalist *1965 – Guðni Bergsson, Icelandic footballer and lawyer * 1965 – Mike Bordick, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster *1966 – Arija Bareikis, American actress * 1966 – Sarah Waters, Welsh author *1968 – Brandi Chastain, American soccer player and sportscaster * 1968 – Aditya Srivastava, Indian actor * 1968 – Lyle Odelein, Canadian ice hockey player *
1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
– Godfrey (comedian), Godfrey, American comedian and actor * 1969 – Klaus Graf (racing driver), Klaus Graf, German race car driver * 1969 – Emerson Hart, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * 1969 – Isabell Werth, German equestrian *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
– Michael Fitzpatrick (musician), Michael Fitzpatrick, American singer-songwriter *1971 – Emmanuel Bangué, French long jumper * 1971 – Charlotte Gainsbourg, English-French actress and singer * 1971 – Nitzan Shirazi, Israeli footballer and manager (died 2014) *
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
– Kimera Bartee, American baseball player (died 2021) * 1972 – Korey Cooper, American singer and guitarist * 1972 – Catherine Ndereba, Kenyan marathon runner *1974 – Geoff Jenkins, American baseball player and coach * 1974 – René Reinumägi, Estonian actor, director, and screenwriter *1975 – Christopher Barzak, American author and educator * 1975 – David Dastmalchian, American actor * 1975 – Cara Dillon, Irish singer-songwriter * 1975 – Ravindra Pushpakumara, Sri Lankan cricketer * 1975 – Mike Sellers, American football player *
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 ...
– Cori Bush, American politician * 1976 – Jalmari Helander, Finnish film director and screenwriter * 1976 – Jaime Murray, English actress *
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
– Paul Casey, English golfer *1978 – Justin Bartha, American actor * 1978 – Anderson da Silva Gibin, Brazilian footballer * 1978 – Josh Hartnett, American actor * 1978 – Julian Huppert, English academic and politician * 1978 – Damian Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer * 1978 – Gary Teale, Scottish footballer *
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 ...
– David Carr (American football), David Carr, American football player * 1979 – Tamika Catchings, American basketball player * 1979 – Luis Ernesto Michel, Mexican footballer * 1979 – Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer *1980 – Jon Dorenbos, American football player * 1980 – Justin Griffith, American football player * 1980 – Sandra Laoura, French skier * 1980 – CC Sabathia, American baseball player * 1980 – Yvonne Sampson, Australian journalist and sportscaster * 1980 – Heath Scotland, Australian rules footballer *1981 – Paloma Faith, English singer-songwriter and actress * 1981 – Anabelle Langlois, Canadian figure skater * 1981 – Joaquín (footballer, b. 1981), Joaquín, Spanish footballer * 1981 – Blake Lewis, American musician, American Idol contestant * 1981 – Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter * 1981 – Stefan Schumacher, German cyclist *1982 – Jason Cram, Australian swimmer * 1982 – Mao Kobayashi (actress), Mao Kobayashi, Japanese newscaster and actress (died 2017) *
1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
– Kellen Winslow II, American football player *1984 – Jurrick Juliana, Dutch footballer * 1984 – Liam Ridgewell, English footballer * 1985 – Mati Lember, Estonian footballer * 1985 – Von Wafer, American basketball player *1986 – Anthony Annan, Ghanaian footballer * 1986 – Rebecca Ferguson (singer), Rebecca Ferguson, American-English singer-songwriter * 1986 – Jason Thompson (basketball), Jason Thompson, American basketball player *1987 – Peter Doocy, American journalist * 1987 – Bilel Mohsni, French footballer * 1987 – Jesús Zavala (footballer), Jesús Zavala, Mexican footballer *1988 – KB (rapper), KB, American rapper * 1988 – DeAndre Jordan, American basketball player * 1988 – Chris Mitchell (Scottish footballer), Chris Mitchell, Scottish footballer (died 2016) *1989 – Rory Culkin, American actor * 1989 – Marco Fabián, Mexican footballer * 1989 – Juno Temple, English actress * 1989 – Jamie Waylett, British actor *
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
– Franck Elemba, Congolese athlete * 1990 – Chris Martin (footballer, b. 1990), Chris Martin, English footballer * 1990 – Jason Roy, South African-English cricketer * 1990 – Erislandy Savón, Cuban amateur heavyweight boxer *1991 – Sara Sampaio, Portuguese model *1992 – Jude Adjei-Barimah, Italian-American football player * 1992 – Jessica Barden, English actress * 1992 – Julia Beljajeva, Estonian épée fencer * 1992 – Burak Çelik, Turkish actor and model * 1992 – Dash (rapper), Da$H, American rapper * 1992 – Giovanni De Gennaro (canoeist), Giovanni De Gennaro, Italian slalom canoeist * 1992 – Charlotte de Witte, Belgian DJ and record producer * 1992 – Dawid Dryja, Polish volleyball player * 1992 – Rachael Flatt, American figure skater * 1992 – Marcus Harris (cricketer), Marcus Harris, Australian cricketer * 1992 – Jonathon Jennings, American Canadian football player * 1992 – Dante Marini, American soccer player * 1992 – Henry Owens (left-handed pitcher), Henry Owens, American baseball pitcher * 1992 – Andrew Rayel, Moldovan DJ and producer * 1992 – Yuka Sato (javelin thrower), Yuka Sato, Japanese javelin thrower * 1992 – Miles Ukaoma, American-born Nigerian hurdler *1996 – Mikael Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian footballer *1998 – Maggie Lindemann, American singer-songwriter. * 1998 – Marie Bouzkova, Czech tennis player *1999 – Evan McPherson, American football player *2000 – Erling Haaland, Norwegian footballer * 2000 – Lia (South Korean singer), Lia, South Korean singer *2006 – Endrick (footballer, born 2006), Endrick, Brazilian footballer


Deaths


Pre-1600

* 658 – K'an II, Mayan ruler (born 588) * 710 – Princess Anle, Li Guo'er, princess of the Tang dynasty * 710 – Empress Wei (Tang Dynasty), Wei, empress of the Tang dynasty * 710 – Shangguan Wan'er, Chinese poet (born 664) * 987 – Geoffrey I, Count of Anjou *1259 – Gojong of Goryeo * 1403 – Henry Percy (Hotspur), Henry Percy, English soldier (born 1364) * 1403 – Walter Blount (soldier), Sir Walter Blount, English soldier, standard-bearer of Henry IV * 1403 – Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford, English soldier *1425 – Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (born 1350) *1552 – Antonio de Mendoza, Spanish politician, 1st Viceroy of New Spain (born 1495)


1601–1900

*1688 – James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (born 1610) *1793 – Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, French admiral, explorer, and politician (born 1739) *1796 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet and songwriter (born 1759) *
1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of ...
– François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt, Austrian field marshal (born 1733) *
1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of ...
– Anthony Perry, Irish rebel leader (born ca. 1760) *1868 – William Bland, Australian surgeon and politician (born 1789) *1878 – Sam Bass (outlaw), Sam Bass, American outlaw (born 1851) *1880 – Hiram Walden, American general and politician (born 1800) *1889 – Nelson Dewey, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Wisconsin (born 1813) *1899 – Robert G. Ingersoll, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (born 1833)


1901–present

*
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
– Fiammetta Wilson, English astronomer and educator (born 1864) *1928 – Ellen Terry, English actress (born 1847) *1932 – Bill Gleason, American baseball player (born 1858) *1938 – Owen Wister, American lawyer and author (born 1860) *1941 – Bohdan Lepky, Ukrainian poet and scholar (born 1872) *1943 – Charley Paddock, American runner and actor (born 1900) * 1943 – Louis Vauxcelles, French art critic (born 1870) *
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
Claus von Stauffenberg Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Op ...
, German soldier who 20 July plot, attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler (born 1907) *1946 – Gualberto Villarroel, Bolivian soldier and politician, 45th President of Bolivia (born 1908) *1948 – Arshile Gorky, Armenian-American painter and illustrator (born 1904) *
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...
– Pedro Lascuráin, Mexican politician, president for 45 minutes on February 13, 1913. (born 1856) *1966 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, Vienna Circle member (born 1884) *1967 – Jimmie Foxx, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1907) * 1967 – Albert Lutuli, South African academic and politician, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1898) * 1967 – Basil Rathbone, South African-American actor and singer (born 1892) *1968 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer and choreographer (born 1878) *
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
– Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Russian anthropologist and sculptor (born 1907) * 1970 – Bob Kalsu, American football player and lieutenant (born 1945) *
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
– Ralph Craig, American sprinter and sailor (born 1889) * 1972 – Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (born 1928) *
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
– Lee Miller, American model and photographer (born 1907) *1982 – Dave Garroway, American journalist and actor (born 1913) *1991 – Paul Warwick (racing driver), Paul Warwick, English race car driver (born 1969) *1994 – Marijac, French author and illustrator (born 1908) *1997 – Olaf Kopvillem, Estonian-Canadian conductor and composer (born 1926) *1998 – Alan Shepard, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut (born 1923) * 1998 – Robert Young (actor), Robert Young, American actor and singer (born 1907) *2000 – Marc Reisner, American environmentalist and author (born 1948) *2002 – Esphyr Slobodkina, Russian-American author and illustrator (born 1908) *2003 – John Davies (middle-distance runner), John Davies, English-New Zealand runner and coach (born 1938) *2004 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (born 1929) * 2004 – Edward B. Lewis, American geneticist and biologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) *
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
– Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer and actor (born 1941) * 2005 – Lord Alfred Hayes, English-American wrestler and manager (born 1928) *2006 – Mako Iwamatsu, Japanese-American actor and singer (born 1933) * 2006 – Ta Mok, Cambodian soldier and monk (born 1926) *2007 – Dubravko Škiljan, Croatian linguist and academic (born 1949) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
– Donald Stokes, Baron Stokes, Donald Stokes, English businessman (born 1914) *2010 – Luis Corvalán, Chilean educator and politician (born 1916) * 2010 – Ralph Houk, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1919) * 2010 – John E. Irving, Canadian businessman (born 1932) *2012 – Alexander Cockburn, Scottish-American journalist and author (born 1941) * 2012 – Marie Kruckel, American baseball player (born 1924) * 2012 – Ali Podrimja, Albanian poet and author (born 1942) * 2012 – James D. Ramage, American admiral and pilot (born 1916) * 2012 – Angharad Rees, English-b. Welsh actress (born 1944) * 2012 – Don Wilson (cricketer), Don Wilson, English cricketer and coach (born 1937) *2013 – Andrea Antonelli, Italian motorcycle racer (born 1988) * 2013 – Lourembam Brojeshori Devi, Indian martial artist (born 1981) * 2013 – Det de Beus, Dutch field hockey player (born 1958) * 2013 – Luis Fernando Rizo-Salom, Colombian-French composer and educator (born 1971) * 2013 – Fred Taylor (American football coach), Fred Taylor, American football player and coach (born 1920) *2014 – Louise Abeita, Isleta Pueblo (Native American) writer, poet, and educator (born 1926) * 2014 – Dan Borislow, American businessman, invented the magicJack (born 1961) * 2014 – Lettice Curtis, English engineer and pilot (born 1915) * 2014 – Hans-Peter Kaul, German lawyer and judge (born 1943) * 2014 – Rilwanu Lukman, Nigerian engineer and politician (born 1938) * 2014 – Kevin Skinner (rugby union), Kevin Skinner, New Zealand rugby player and boxer (born 1927) *2015 – Robert Broberg, Swedish singer-songwriter (born 1940) * 2015 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (born 1931) * 2015 – Nicholas Gonzalez (physician), Nicholas Gonzalez, American physician (born 1947) * 2015 – Czesław Marchaj, Polish-English sailor and academic (born 1918) * 2015 – Dick Nanninga, Dutch footballer (born 1949) *2016 – Dennis Green, American football player and coach (born 1949) *2017 – John Heard (actor), John Heard, American film and television actor (born 1946) *2018 – Alene Duerk, U.S. Navy first female admiral (born 1920) *2020 – Annie Ross, Scottish-American singer and actress (born 1930) * 2020 – Andrew Mlangeni, South African political activist (born 1925) * 2023 – Tony Bennett, American singer (born 1926)


Holidays and observances

* Christian Calendar of saints, feast day: ** Albert John Luthuli (Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church) ** Saint Arbogast, Arbogast ** Barhadbesciabas ** Carlos Duarte Costa, Carlos of Brazil (Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church) ** Daniel (biblical figure), Daniel (Catholic Church) ** Lawrence of Brindisi ** Praxedes ** Victor of Marseilles ** July 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) * Liberation Day in 1944 (
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
) * Belgian National Day (Belgium) * Racial Harmony Day (Singapore) * Summer Our Lady of Kazan, Kazanskaya (Russia)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:July 21 Days of July