Events
Pre-1600
*
AD 37 –
Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the
Principate
The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...
, bestowed on him by the
Senate.
*
193 – After
assassinating the Roman Emperor
Pertinax
Publius Helvius Pertinax ( ; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was Roman emperor for the first three months of 193. He succeeded Commodus to become the first emperor during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.
Born to the son of a freed sl ...
, his
Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to
Didius Julianus
Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including Dalmatia (Roman province) ...
.
*
364 – Roman Emperor
Valentinian I appoints his brother
Flavius Valens co-
emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
.
*
1065 – The
Great German Pilgrimage, which had been under attack by
Bedouin bandits for three days, is rescued by the
Fatimid governor of
Ramla.
*
1566 – The foundation stone of
Valletta
Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...
,
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 ...
's capital city, is laid by
Jean Parisot de Valette,
Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
1601–1900
*
1745 –
War of the Austrian Succession: In the
Battle of Vilshofen, Austrian forces defeat French forces.
*
1776 –
Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the
Presidio of San Francisco.
*
1795
Events
January–June
* January – Central England records its coldest ever month, in the CET records dating back to 1659.
* January 14 – The University of North Carolina opens to students at Chapel Hill, becoming the ...
–
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
: The
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern
fief
A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, ceases to exist and becomes part of
Imperial Russia.
*
1801 –
Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the
French Republic and the
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...
.
*
1802 –
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers
2 Pallas, the second
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
ever to be discovered.
*
1809 –
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
: France defeats Spain in the
Battle of Medellín.
*
1814 –
War of 1812: In the
Battle of Valparaíso, two American naval vessels are captured by two Royal Navy vessels.
*
1842 – First concert of the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by
Otto Nicolai.
*
1854 –
Crimean War: France and Britain declare war on Russia.
*
1860 –
First Taranaki War: The Battle of Waireka begins.
*
1862 –
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 ...
: In the
Battle of Glorieta Pass,
Union forces stop the
Confederate invasion of the
New Mexico Territory. The battle began on
March 26.
1901–present
*
1910 –
Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a
seaplane, the
Fabre Hydravion, after taking off from water runway Étang le Barre, near Marseille.
*
1918
The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...
–
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
John J. Pershing, during
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 ...
, cancels
42nd 'Rainbow' Division's orders to
Rolampont for further
training and diverted it to the occupy the
Baccarat sector. Rainbow Division becomes "the first
American division to take over an entire sector on its own, which it held longer than any other American division-occupied sector alone for a period of three months".
* 1918 –
Finnish Civil War: On the so-called "Bloody Maundy Thursday of
Tampere
Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
", the
Whites force the
Reds to attack the city center, where the
city's fiercest battles being fought in Kalevankangas with large casualties on both sides. During the same day, an explosion at the Red headquarters of Tampere kills several commanders.
*
1920 –
Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 affects the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
region and
Deep South states.
*
1933 – The
Imperial Airways biplane ''City of Liverpool'' is believed to be the first airliner lost to
sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...
when a passenger
sets a fire on board.
*
1939 –
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 ...
:
Generalissimo Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
conquers
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
after
a three-year siege.
*
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 day of the
Battle of Cape Matapan in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
between the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy.
*
1942 – World War II: A British
combined force permanently disables the
Louis Joubert Lock in
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Loire-Atlantique Departments of France, department in western France, in traditional Brittany.
The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Oc ...
in order to keep the
German battleship ''Tirpitz'' away from the mid-ocean convoy lanes.
*
1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
–
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
: The
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
releases the
Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of
nuclear power.
*
1959 – The
State Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Central People's Government, is the chief administrative authority and national cabinet. It is constitutionally the highest administrative organ of the country and the e ...
dissolves the government of Tibet.
*
1961 –
ČSA Flight 511 crashes in
Igensdorf, Germany, killing 52.
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
– An
7.4 earthquake in Chile sets off a series of
tailings dam failures, burying the town of El Cobre and killing at least 500 people.
*
1968 – Brazilian high school student
Edson Luís de Lima Souto is killed by military police at a student protest.
*
1969 – Greek poet and
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate
Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the
BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece.
*
1970 – An
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
strikes western
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
at about 23:05 local time, killing 1,086 and injuring at least 1,200.
*
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
– The
US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
hands down 5–3 decision in ''
Stump v. Sparkman'', a controversial case involving involuntary
sterilization and
judicial immunity.
*
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 ...
– A coolant leak at the
Three Mile Island's Unit 2
nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a Nuclear fission, fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for Nuclear power, commercial electricity, nuclear marine propulsion, marine propulsion, Weapons-grade plutonium, weapons ...
outside
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania leads to the
core overheating and a partial meltdown.
* 1979 – The
British House of Commons passes a
vote of no confidence against
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...
's government by one vote, precipitating a
general election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
.
*
1990 – United States President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
posthumously awards
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who made history at the Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics, 1936 Olympic Games by becoming the first person to win four gold meda ...
the
Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
.
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
– In South Africa,
African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...
security guards
kill dozens of
Inkatha Freedom Party protesters.
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
–
Kosovo War:
Serb paramilitary and military forces kill at least 130
Kosovo Albanians in
Izbica.
*
2001 –
Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos begins operation.
*
2003 – In a
friendly fire incident, two American
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twinjet, twin-turbofan, straight wing, straight-wing, Subsonic aircraft, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Republic ...
aircraft
attack British tanks participating in the
2003 invasion of Iraq, killing one soldier.
*
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 ...
– An
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
shakes northern
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
with a magnitude of 8.6 and killing over 1000 people.
*
2006 – At least one million union members, students and unemployed
take to the streets in France in protest at the government's proposed
First Employment Contract law.
*
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 ...
– An
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
strikes close to
Mandalay,
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
with a magnitude of 7.7, killing over 100 people.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1472 –
Fra Bartolomeo, Italian painter (died 1517)
*
1515 –
Teresa of Ávila, Spanish nun and saint (died 1582)
*
1522 –
Albert Alcibiades, German prince (died 1557)
*
1592 –
John Amos Comenius, Czech bishop and educator (died 1670)
1601–1900
*
1613 –
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang of China (died 1688)
*
1638 –
Frederik Ruysch, Dutch botanist and anatomist (died 1731)
*
1652 –
Samuel Sewall, English judge (died 1730)
*
1725 –
Andrew Kippis, English minister and author (died 1795)
*
1727 –
Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria, (died 1777)
*
1750 –
Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan general and politician (died 1816)
*
1760 –
Thomas Clarkson, English activist (died 1846)
*
1793 –
Henry Schoolcraft, American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist (died 1864)
*
1795
Events
January–June
* January – Central England records its coldest ever month, in the CET records dating back to 1659.
* January 14 – The University of North Carolina opens to students at Chapel Hill, becoming the ...
–
Georg Heinrich Pertz, German historian and author (died 1876)
*
1806 –
Thomas Hare, English lawyer and political scientist (died 1891)
*
1811 –
John Neumann, Czech-American bishop and saint (died 1860)
*
1815 –
Arsène Houssaye, French author and poet (died 1896)
*
1818
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire.
** English author Mary Shelley publishes the novel ''Frankenstein ...
–
Wade Hampton III, American general and politician, 77th
Governor of South Carolina (died 1902)
*
1819 –
Joseph Bazalgette, English architect and engineer (died 1891)
*
1832 –
Henry D. Washburn, American politician and general (died 1871)
*
1836 –
Emmanuel Benner, French artist (died 1896)
*1836 –
Jean Benner, French artist (died 1906)
*1836 –
Frederick Pabst, German-American brewer, founded the
Pabst Brewing Company (died 1904)
*
1840 –
Emin Pasha, German-Jewish Egyptian physician and politician (died 1892)
*
1847 –
Gyula Farkas, Hungarian mathematician and physicist (died 1930)
*
1849 –
James Darmesteter, French historian and author (died 1894)
*
1850 –
Kyrle Bellew, English theatre actor (died 1911)
*
1851 –
Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd
President of Portugal (died 1944)
*
1862 –
Aristide Briand, French politician,
Prime Minister of France
The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers.
The prime ...
,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1932)
*
1868 –
Maxim Gorky, Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright (died 1936)
*
1873 –
John Geiger, American rower (died 1956)
*
1879 –
Terence MacSwiney, Irish republican politician and hunger striker;
Lord Mayor of Cork (died 1920)
*
1881 –
Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (died 1918)
*
1884 –
Angelos Sikelianos, Greek poet and playwright (died 1951)
*
1887 –
Beulah Dark Cloud, American actress (died 1945)
*
1890
Events
January
* January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa.
* January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House.
* January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...
–
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...
, American violinist, composer, and bandleader (died 1967)
*
1892 –
Corneille Heymans, Belgian physiologist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 1968)
* 1892 –
Tom Maguire, Irish republican General (died 1993)
*
1893 –
Spyros Skouras, Greek-American businessman (died 1971)
*
1894 –
Ernst Lindemann, German captain (died 1941)
*
1895 –
Christian Herter, American politician,
United States Secretary of State (died 1966)
* 1895 –
Donald Grey Barnhouse, American pastor and theologian (died 1960)
* 1895 –
Spencer W. Kimball, American religious leader, 12th
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (died 1985)
*
1897 –
Sepp Herberger, German footballer and manager (died 1977)
*
1899 –
Gussie Busch, American businessman (died 1989)
* 1899 –
Buck Shaw, American football player and coach (died 1977)
*
1900 –
Edward Wagenknecht, American critic and educator (died 2004)
1901–present
*
1902 –
Flora Robson, English actress (died 1984)
*
1903 –
Rudolf Serkin
Rudolf Serkin (28 March 1903 – 8 May 1991) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century.
Early life, childhood debut, and education
Serkin was born in ...
, Czech-American pianist and educator (died 1991)
*
1904 –
Margaret Tucker, Australian author and activist (died 1996)
*
1905 –
Pandro S. Berman
Pandro Samuel Berman (March 28, 1905July 13, 1996), also known as Pan Berman, was an American film producer.
Early life
Berman was born to a American Jews, Jewish family in Pittsburgh in 1905. His father Henry was general manager of Universal ...
, American production manager and producer (died 1996)
* 1905 –
Marlin Perkins, American zoologist and television host (died 1986)
*
1906 –
Murray Adaskin, Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor (died 2002)
* 1906 –
Robert Allen, American actor (died 1998)
* 1906 –
Dorothy Knowles, South African-English author, fencer and academic (died 2010)
*
1907 –
Irving Paul Lazar, American lawyer and talent agent (died 1993)
*
1909 –
Nelson Algren, American novelist and short story writer (died 1981)
*
1910 –
Jimmie Dodd, American actor and singer-songwriter (died 1964)
* 1910 –
Ingrid of Sweden, Queen of Denmark (died 2000)
*
1911 –
Consalvo Sanesi, Italian race car driver (died 1998)
*
1912 –
A. Bertram Chandler, English-Australian author (died 1984)
* 1912 –
Marina Raskova, Russian pilot and navigator (died 1943)
*
1913 –
Toko Shinoda, Japanese artist (died 2021)
*
1914 –
Edward Anhalt, American screenwriter and producer (died 2000)
* 1914 –
Bohumil Hrabal, Czech author (died 1997)
* 1914 –
Edmund Muskie, American politician, 58th
United States Secretary of State (died 1996)
* 1914 –
Everett Ruess, American explorer, poet, and painter (died 1934)
*
1915 –
Jay Livingston, American singer-songwriter (died 2001)
*
1919 –
Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (died 2007)
* 1919 –
Eileen Crofton, British physician and author (died 2010)
* 1919 –
Vic Raschi, American baseball player and coach (died 1988)
*
1921 –
Harold Agnew, American physicist and academic (died 2013)
* 1921 –
Dirk Bogarde, English actor and author (died 1999)
*
1922 –
Neville Bonner, Australian politician (died 1999)
* 1922 –
Grace Hartigan, American painter and educator (died 2008)
* 1922 –
Joey Maxim, American boxer and actor (died 2001)
*
1923 –
Paul C. Donnelly, American scientist and engineer (died 2014)
* 1923 –
Thad Jones, American trumpet player and composer (died 1986)
*
1924 –
Freddie Bartholomew, American actor (died 1992)
*
1925 –
Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Russian actor (died 1994)
* 1925 –
Dorothy DeBorba, American child actress (died 2010)
*
1926 –
Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba (died 2014)
* 1926 –
Polly Umrigar, Indian cricketer (died 2006)
*
1928 –
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American political activist and analyst;
United States National Security Advisor (died 2017)
* 1928 –
Alexander Grothendieck, German-French mathematician and theorist (died 2014)
*
1930 –
Robert Ashley, American composer (died 2014)
* 1930 –
Jerome Isaac Friedman, American physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate
*
1933 –
Frank Murkowski, American soldier, banker, and politician, 8th
Governor of Alaska
*
1934 –
Laurie Taitt, Guyanese-English hurdler (died 2006)
*
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
–
Michael Parkinson, English journalist and author (died 2023)
* 1935 –
Józef Szmidt, Polish triple jumper (died 2024)
*
1936 –
Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian writer and politician,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 2025)
*
1940 –
Tony Barber, English-Australian television host
* 1940 –
Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer and coach (died 2013)
*1940 –
Michael Plumb, American equestrian
*
1942 –
Daniel Dennett, American philosopher and academic (died 2024)
* 1942 –
Neil Kinnock, Welsh politician,
Vice-President of the European Commission
* 1942 –
Mike Newell, English director and producer
* 1942 –
Samuel Ramey, American opera singer
* 1942 –
Jerry Sloan, American basketball player and coach (died 2020)
*
1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 � ...
–
Richard Eyre, English director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1943 –
Conchata Ferrell, American actress (died 2020)
*
1944 –
Rick Barry, American basketball player
* 1944 –
Ken Howard, American actor (died 2016)
*
1945 –
Rodrigo Duterte, Filipino politician, 16th
President of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
*
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 ...
–
Wubbo Ockels, Dutch physicist and astronaut (died 2014)
* 1946 –
Henry Paulson, American banker and politician, 74th
United States Secretary of the Treasury
* 1946 –
Alejandro Toledo, Peruvian economist and politician,
President of Peru
*
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
–
Janice Lynde, American actress
* 1948 –
Dianne Wiest, American actress
* 1948 –
Milan Williams, American keyboard player (died 2006)
*
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 ...
–
Ronnie Ray Smith, American sprinter (died 2013)
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
–
Melchior Ndadaye, Burundian banker and politician, 4th
President of Burundi (died 1993)
*
1954 –
Donald Brown, American pianist and educator
*
1955 –
Reba McEntire, American singer-songwriter and actress
*
1957 –
Harvey Glance, American sprinter (died 2023)
*
1958 –
Edesio Alejandro, Cuban composer (died 2025)
* 1958 –
Curt Hennig, American wrestler (died 2003)
*
1959 –
Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rican politician, 46th
President of Costa Rica
*
1960 –
José Maria Neves, Cape Verdeian politician,
4th Prime Minister of Cape Verde
*
1961 –
Byron Scott, American basketball player and coach
*
1962 –
Jure Franko, Slovenian skier
* 1962 –
Simon Bazalgette, English businessman
*
1964 –
Karen Lumley, English politician (died 2023)
*
1968 –
Iris Chang, Chinese-American journalist and author (died 2004)
* 1968 –
Nasser Hussain, Indian-English cricketer and sportscaster
*
1969 –
Brett Ratner, American director and producer
*
1970 –
Vince Vaughn, American actor
* 1970 –
Jennifer Weiner, American journalist and author
*
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, ...
–
Keith Tkachuk, American ice hockey player
*
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 ...
–
Björn Kuipers, Dutch footballer and referee
* 1973 –
Umaga, American Samoan wrestler (died 2009)
*
1975 –
Kate Gosselin, American television personality
* 1975 –
Iván Helguera, Spanish footballer
*
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
–
Nathan Cayless, Australian-New Zealand rugby league player and coach
*
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 ...
–
Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer and media personality
*
1980 –
Stiliani Pilatou, Greek long jumper
* 1980 –
Luke Walton, American basketball player
*
1981 –
Edwar Ramírez, American baseball player
* 1981 –
Julia Stiles, American actress
*
1983 –
Ladji Doucouré, French sprinter and hurdler
*
1984 –
Christopher Samba, Congolese footballer
*
1985 –
Stefano Ferrario, Italian footballer
* 1985 –
Steve Mandanda, French footballer
* 1985 –
Stanislas Wawrinka, Swiss tennis player
* 1985 –
Josh Bray, American politician
*
1986 –
Mustafa Ali, American wrestler
* 1986 –
Bowe Bergdahl, American sergeant
* 1986 –
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
, American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1986 –
J-Kwon, American rapper
* 1986 –
Barbora Strýcová
Barbora Strýcová (; born 28 March 1986), formerly known as Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, is a Czech former professional tennis player who was ranked List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players, world No. 1 in doubles.
She won two Gra ...
, Czech tennis player
*
1987 –
Yohan Benalouane, French-Tunisian footballer
* 1987 –
Simeon Jackson, Canadian soccer player
* 1987 –
Jonathan Van Ness, American hairdresser and television personality
*
1988 –
Geno Atkins, American football player
* 1988 –
Ryan Kalish, American baseball player
*
1989 –
Logan Couture, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1989 –
Lukas Jutkiewicz, English footballer
* 1989 –
Mira Leung, Canadian figure skater
*
1990 –
Delroy Edwards, American musician
* 1990 –
Laura Harrier, American actress and model
*
1991 –
Derek Carr, American football player
* 1991 –
Jordan McRae, American basketball player
* 1991 –
Lisa-Maria Moser, Austrian tennis player
* 1991 –
Marie-Philip Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1991 –
Ondřej Palát, Czech ice hockey player
* 1991 –
Christian Walker, American baseball player
* 1991 –
Hoya, South Korean singer and dancer
*
1992 –
Sergi Gómez, Spanish footballer
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
–
Jackson Wang, Hong Kong rapper
*
1995 –
Jonathan Drouin, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1995 –
Will Smith, American baseball player
*
1996 –
Matt Renshaw, English-Australian cricketer
* 1996 –
Max Strus, American basketball player
*
1998 –
Lance Morris, Australian cricketer
*
2001 –
Wang Xiyu, Chinese tennis 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 ...
–
Anna Shcherbakova, Russian figure skater
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
193 –
Pertinax
Publius Helvius Pertinax ( ; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was Roman emperor for the first three months of 193. He succeeded Commodus to become the first emperor during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.
Born to the son of a freed sl ...
, Roman emperor (born 126)
*
592 –
Guntram, French king (born 532)
*
966 –
Flodoard, Frankish
canon and chronicler
*
1072 –
Ordulf, Duke of Saxony
*
1134 –
Stephen Harding, founder of the Cistercian order
*
1239 –
Emperor Go-Toba of Japan (born 1180)
*
1241 –
Valdemar II of Denmark (born 1170)
*
1285 –
Pope Martin IV
*
1346 –
Venturino of Bergamo, Dominican preacher (born 1304)
*
1563 –
Heinrich Glarean, Swiss poet and theorist (born 1488)
*
1566 –
Sigismund von Herberstein
Siegmund (Sigismund) Freiherr von Herberstein (or Baron Sigismund von Herberstein; 23 August 1486 – 28 March 1566) was a Carniolan diplomat, writer, historian and member of the Holy Roman Empire Imperial Council. He was most noted for his exten ...
, Austrian historian and diplomat (born 1486)
*
1584 –
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...
, Russian king (born 1530)
1601–1900
*
1687 –
Constantijn Huygens, Dutch poet and composer (born 1596)
*
1690 –
Emmanuel Tzanes, Greek Renaissance painter (born 1610)
*
1718 –
Thomas Micklethwaite,
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (born 1678)
*
1818
Events
January–March
* January 1
** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire.
** English author Mary Shelley publishes the novel ''Frankenstein ...
–
Antonio Capuzzi, Italian violinist and composer (born 1755)
*
1822 –
Angelis Govios, leader of the Greek War of Independence (born 1780)
*
1868 –
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, English lieutenant and politician (born 1797)
*
1870 –
George Henry Thomas, American general (born 1816)
*
1874 –
Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish-German astronomer and mathematician (born 1795)
*
1881 –
Modest Mussorgsky, Russian pianist and composer (born 1839)
*
1884 –
Georgios Zariphis, Greek banker and financier (born 1810)
*
1893 –
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith (May 16, 1824March 28, 1893) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate States Army Four-star rank, general, who oversaw the Trans-Mississippi Department (comprising Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, western L ...
, American general (born 1824)
*
1900 –
Piet Joubert, South African soldier and politician (born c. 1831)
1901–present
*
1903 –
Magdalene Thoresen, Danish writer (born 1819)
*
1910 –
Édouard Colonne, French violinist and conductor (born 1838)
*
1916 –
James Strachan-Davidson, English classical scholar, academic administrator, translator, and author (born 1843)
*
1917 –
Albert Pinkham Ryder, American painter (born 1847)
*
1923 –
Charles Hubbard, American archer (born 1849)
*
1929 –
Katharine Lee Bates, American poet and songwriter (born 1859)
* 1929 –
Lomer Gouin, Canadian lawyer and politician,
Premier of Quebec (born 1861)
*
1934 –
Mahmoud Mokhtar, Egyptian sculptor and educator (born 1891)
*
1941 –
Marcus Hurley, American basketball player and cyclist (born 1883)
* 1941 –
Virginia Woolf, English writer (born 1882)
*
1942 –
Miguel Hernández, Spanish poet and playwright (born 1910)
*
1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 � ...
–
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1873)
*
1944 –
Stephen Leacock, English-Canadian political scientist and author (born 1869)
*
1947 –
Karol Świerczewski, Polish general (born 1897)
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
–
Jim Thorpe
James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...
, American football player and Olympic gold medalist (born 1887)
*
1957 –
Stylianos Lenas, Greek-Cypriot member of the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (
EOKA) against the British rule (born 1931)
*
1958 –
W. C. Handy, American trumpet player and composer (born 1873)
*
1962 –
Hugo Wast, Argentinian author (born 1883)
*
1963 –
Antonius Bouwens, Dutch target shooter (born 1876)
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
–
Clemence Dane, English author and playwright (born 1888)
*
1969 –
Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and politician, 34th
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 ...
(born 1890)
*
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, ...
–
Donie Bush, American baseball player, manager, and team owner (born 1887)
*
1974 –
Arthur Crudup, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1905)
* 1974 –
Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (born 1905)
* 1974 –
Françoise Rosay, French actress (born 1891)
*
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 ...
–
Richard Arlen, American actor (born 1899)
*
1977 –
Eric Shipton, English mountaineer and explorer (born 1907)
*
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 ...
–
Emmett Kelly, American clown and actor (born 1898)
*
1980 –
Dick Haymes, Argentinian-American actor and singer (born 1918)
*
1982 –
William Giauque, Canadian chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (born 1895)
*
1985 –
Marc Chagall, Russian-French painter (born 1887)
*
1986 –
Virginia Gilmore. American actress (born 1919)
*
1987 –
Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (born 1905)
*
1992 –
Nikolaos Platon, Greek archaeologist (born 1909)
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
–
Eugène Ionesco, Romanian-French playwright and critic (born 1909)
*
1996 –
Shin Kanemaru, Japanese politician,
Deputy Prime Minister of Japan (born 1914)
*
2000 –
Anthony Powell, English soldier and author (born 1905)
*
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 ...
–
Peter Ustinov, English-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)
*
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 ...
–
Moura Lympany, English-Monacan pianist (born 1916)
* 2005 –
Robin Spry, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1939)
*
2006 –
Pro Hart, Australian painter (born 1928)
* 2006 –
Charles Schepens, Belgian-American ophthalmologist and author (born 1912)
* 2006 –
Caspar Weinberger, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 15th
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the United States federal executive departments, executive department of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, a ...
(born 1917)
*2006 –
Jerry Brudos, American serial killer, rapist, and necrophile (born 1939)
*
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 ...
–
Maurice Jarre, French-American composer and conductor (born 1924)
* 2009 –
Janet Jagan, 6th
President of Guyana (born 1920)
*
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
–
June Havoc, American actress, dancer, and director (born 1912)
*
2012 –
John Arden, English author and playwright (born 1930)
* 2012 –
Ioannis Banias, Greek politician (born 1939)
* 2012 –
Harry Crews, American novelist (born 1935)
* 2012 –
Addie L. Wyatt, African American labor leader (born 1924)
*
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
–
George E. P. Box, English-American statistician and educator (born 1919)
* 2013 –
Richard Griffiths, English actor (born 1947)
* 2013 –
Hugh McCracken, American guitarist, harmonica player, and producer (born 1942)
* 2013 –
Bob Teague, American college football star and television news-reporter (born 1929)
* 2013 –
Gus Triandos, American baseball player and scout (born 1930)
*
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
–
Jeremiah Denton, American admiral and politician (born 1924)
* 2014 –
Lorenzo Semple, Jr., American screenwriter and producer (born 1923)
*
2015 –
Chuck Brayton, American baseball player and coach (born 1925)
* 2015 –
Joseph Cassidy, Canadian-English priest and academic (born 1954)
* 2015 –
Miroslav Ondříček, Czech cinematographer (born 1934)
* 2015 –
Gene Saks, American actor and director (born 1921)
*
2016 –
James Noble, American actor (born 1922)
*
2021 –
Didier Ratsiraka,
Malagasy politician and naval officer (born 1936)
* 2021 –
Joseph Edward Duncan, American serial killer (born 1963)
*
2023 –
Paul O'Grady, English comedian, actor and drag queen (born 1955)
* 2023 –
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Japanese composer, record producer, and actor (born 1952)
*
2024 –
Larry Lloyd, English professional
football player and coach (born 1948)
* 2024 –
Mark Spiro, American songwriter, record producer and recording artist (born 1957)
Holidays and observances
*Christian
feast day:
**
Christopher Wharton
**
Priscus
**
Pope Sixtus III
**
Stephen Harding
**
March 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
Serfs Emancipation Day (
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
)
*
Teachers' Day (
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
and
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on March 28
{{months
Days of March