Events
Pre-1600
*
1430 –
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
is captured at the
Siege of Compiègne by troops from the
Burgundian faction.
*
1498 –
Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
, Italy.
*
1533
Year 1533 ( MDXXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–March
* January 25 – King Henry VIII of England formally but secretly marries Anne Boleyn, who becomes his second queen cons ...
– The marriage of King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
to
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine,
historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...
is declared null and void.
*
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 ...
– Dutch rebels led by
Louis of Nassau, defeat
Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the
Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the
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 ...
.
1601–1900
*
1609
Events
January–March
* January 12 – The Basque witch trials are started in Spain as the court of the Spanish Inquisition, Inquisition at Logroño receives a letter from the commissioner of the village of Zugarramurdi, and ...
– Official ratification of the
Second Virginia Charter
The Second Virginia Charter, also known as the Charter of 1609 (dated May 23, 1609), is a document that provided "a further Enlargement and Explanation of the said irstGrant, Privileges, and Liberties", which gave the London Company adventurers ...
takes place.
*
1618 – The
Third Defenestration of Prague precipitates the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
.
*
1706 –
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy at the
Battle of Ramillies.
*
1788
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London.
* January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...
–
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
became the eighth state to ratify the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
.
*
1793
The French Republic introduced the French Revolutionary Calendar starting with the year I.
Events
January–June
* January 7 – The Ebel riot occurs in Sweden.
* January 9 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first to ...
–
Battle of Famars during the
Flanders Campaign of the
War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition () was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797, initially against the Constitutional Cabinet of Louis XVI, constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French First Republic, Frenc ...
.
*
1829
Events
January–March
* January 19 – August Klingemann's adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust'' premieres in Braunschweig.
* February 27 – Battle of Tarqui: Troops of Gran Colombia and Peru battle to a draw.
* Marc ...
–
Accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
patent granted to
Cyrill Demian in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
,
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
.
*
1844 –
Báb: A merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement. He is considered to be a forerunner of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
.
*
1846
Events
January–March
* January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom.
* January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon betwee ...
–
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
: President
Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
*
1863 – The
General German Workers' Association, a precursor of the modern
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...
, is founded in
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
,
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony () was a German monarchy in Central Europe between 1806 and 1918, the successor of the Electorate of Saxony. It joined the Confederation of the Rhine after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, later joining the German ...
.
*
1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the
North-West Mounted Police
The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian paramilitary police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory to ...
, the forerunner of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
.
*
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
–
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 ...
: Sergeant
William Harvey Carney is awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for his heroism in the
Assault on the Battery Wagner in 1863.
1901–present
*
1905 –
Abdul Hamid II,
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, publicly announces the creation of the
Ullah millet for the
Aromanians
The Aromanians () are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgari ...
of the empire, which had been established one day earlier. For this reason, the
Aromanian National Day is usually celebrated on May 23, although some do so on
May 22
Events Pre-1600
* 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
* 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
...
instead.
*
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
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...
Parliament of Finland
The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that ...
gathers for its first plenary session.
*
1911
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia.
* January 3
** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
– The
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
is dedicated.
*
1915 –
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
: Italy joins the
Allies, fulfilling its part of the
Treaty of London.
*
1919 –
Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji, a
Kurdish sheikh and at-the-time governor of the Slêmanî Province of British Iraq, initiates the first
Mahmud Barzanji revolt.
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
– In
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, four students are shot and killed during a manifestation against the Brazilian dictator
Getúlio Vargas, which resulted in the outbreak of the
Constitutionalist Revolution
The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War or Brazilian Civil War) is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 wh ...
several weeks later.
*
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
– American
bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in
Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
* 1934 – The
Auto-Lite strike culminates in the "Battle of Toledo", a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the
Ohio National Guard
The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the List of governors of Ohio, governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army Nation ...
and 6,000 picketers.
*
1939
This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
– The
U.S. Navy submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
USS ''Squalus'' sinks off the coast of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
*
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 ...
: German paratroopers start a series of
mass executions of Greek civilians in Missiria for their participation in the ongoing
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...
.
*
1945 – World War II:
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
, head of the
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II.
It beg ...
, commits suicide while in
Allied custody.
* 1945 – World War II: Germany's
Flensburg Government under
Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.
*
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 ...
– The start of a
two-day tornado outbreak across the Central United States that spawned at least 15 significant tornadoes.
*
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) ...
–
Thomas C. Wasson, the US Consul-General, is assassinated in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, Israel.
*
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 ...
– Cold War: The Western
occupying powers approve the
Basic Law and establish a new German state, the
Federal Republic of Germany.
*
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 ...
–
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 ...
ans sign the
Seventeen Point Agreement
The Seventeen-Point Agreement, officially the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, was an agreement between the Local Government of Tibet and the Centr ...
with China.
*
1960 – A
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
caused by
an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in
Hilo, Hawaii
Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...
.
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
– Seventy-eight people are killed when
Aviogenex Flight 130 crashes on approach to
Rijeka Airport in present-day
Rijeka
Rijeka (;
Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
, Croatia (then the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
).
* 1971 – The
Intercontinental Hotel in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
opens, becoming the second-tallest building in the city.
*
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 ...
– A
Tupolev Tu-144 crashes near the Russian town of
Yegoryevsk, killing two.
*
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
–
Aeroflot Flight 8556 crashes at
Pulkovo Airport, killing 13.
*
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
– Italy's most prominent anti-mafia judge
Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three body guards are killed by the
Corleonesi clan with a half-ton bomb near
Capaci,
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
. His friend and colleague
Paolo Borsellino will be assassinated less than two months later, making 1992 a turning point in the history of
Italian Mafia prosecutions.
*
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 ...
– The first version of the
Java programming language
Java is a high-level, general-purpose, memory-safe, object-oriented programming language. It is intended to let programmers ''write once, run anywhere'' ( WORA), meaning that compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Jav ...
is released.
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
– The
Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a
referendum
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
with roughly 75% voting yes.
*
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
– The "55 parties" clause of the
Kyoto Protocol
The was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is oc ...
is reached after its ratification by
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
.
*
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
– Alaskan
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
Mount Cleveland erupts.
*
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 ...
– The
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...
(ICJ) awards
Middle Rocks to
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
and
Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, ending a 29-year
territorial dispute
A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession (law), possession or control of territories (land, maritime territory, water or airspace) between two or more political entities.
Context and definitions
Territorial ...
between the two countries.
*
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 ...
– A freeway bridge carrying
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
over the
Skagit River collapses in
Mount Vernon, Washington.
*
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 ...
– Seven people, including the perpetrator, are killed and another 14 injured in
a killing spree near the campus of
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an ...
.
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
– At least 30 people are killed as a result of
floods and tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico.
*
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
– Two suicide bombings, conducted by the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, kill at least 45 potential army recruits in
Aden
Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...
, Yemen.
* 2016 – Eight bombings are carried out by the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in
Jableh and
Tartus
Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...
, coastline cities in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. One hundred eighty-four people are killed and at least 200 people injured.
*
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
– Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
declares
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
, following the
Maute's attack in Marawi.
*
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
– A
cable car falls from a mountain near
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided be ...
in northern Italy, killing 14 people.
* 2021 –
Ryanair Flight 4978 is forced to land by
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
ian authorities to detain dissident journalist
Roman Protasevich.
*
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
–
Anthony Albanese
Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
of the
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...
is sworn in as the 31st
Prime Minister of Australia
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...
after winning the
2022 Australian federal election, ending 9 years of
conservative rule.
Births
Pre-1600
*
635 –
Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, Mayan king (died 702)
*
675 –
Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II
Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar (705 AD-745 AD), also known as Suvaran Maran and Perarasar Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar, was a king of Thanjavur from the Mutharaiyar dynasty. He ruled over Thanjavur, Trichy, Pudukkottai, Perambalur and Thiruvarur as a feuda ...
, King of
Mutharaiyar dynasty, Tamil Nadu, India
*
1052 –
Philip I of France (died 1108)
*
1100 –
Emperor Qinzong of Song (died 1161)
*
1127 –
Uijong of Goryeo
Uijong (23 May 1127 – 7 November 1173), personal name Wang Hyŏn, was the 18th king of the Goryeo, Goryeo dynasty of Korea.
He honoured his civilian advisors with many ceremonies but discriminated against the military officials, often forcing ...
, Korean monarch of the Goryeo dynasty (died 1173)
*
1330 –
Gongmin of Goryeo, Korean ruler (died 1374)
*
1586
Events
January – March
* January 3 – Augustus of Wettin, the Elector of Saxony, marries Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt, the 12-year-old daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt. Augustus dies less than six weeks later.
* January ...
–
Paul Siefert, German composer and organist (died 1666)
1601–1900
*
1606 –
Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish mathematician and philosopher (died 1682)
*
1614 –
Bertholet Flemalle, Flemish Baroque painter (died 1675)
*
1617
Events
January–March
* January 5
**Pocahontas and Tomocomo of the Powhatan Algonquian tribe, in the Virginia colony of America, meet King James I of England as his guests, at the Banqueting House at Whitehall.
**'' The Mad L ...
–
Elias Ashmole, English astrologer and politician (died 1692)
*
1629 –
William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (23 May 1629 – 16 July 1663), known as William the Just, was Landgrave of Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Kassel from 1637 to 1663.
Through two of his surviving children, he is the ancestor of all the ...
, noble of Hesse-Kassel (died 1663)
*
1707 –
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (died 1778)
*
1718 –
William Hunter, Scottish-English anatomist and physician (died 1783)
*
1729 –
Giuseppe Parini, Italian poet and educator (died 1799)
*
1730 –
Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, Prussian prince and general (died 1813)
*
1734 –
Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologer (died 1815)
*
1741 –
Andrea Luchesi, Italian organist and composer (died 1801)
*
1789
Events
January–March
* January – Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes the pamphlet '' What Is the Third Estate?'' ('), influential on the French Revolution.
* January 7 – The 1788-89 United States presidential election ...
–
Franz Schlik, Austrian earl and general (died 1862)
*
1790 –
Jules Dumont d'Urville
Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville (; 23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842) was a French List of explorers, explorer and French Navy, naval officer who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. As a botanist an ...
, French admiral and explorer (died 1842)
* 1790 –
James Pradier, French neoclassical sculptor (died 1852)
*
1794
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Stibo Group is founded by Niels Lund as a printing company in Aarhus (Denmark).
* January 13 – The U.S. Congress enacts a law providing for, effective May 1, 1795, a United St ...
–
Ignaz Moscheles, Czech pianist and composer (died 1870)
*
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 ...
–
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was an English architect best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...
, English architect, designed the
Upper Brook Street Chapel and
Halifax Town Hall (died 1860)
*
1800 –
Rómulo Díaz de la Vega, Mexican general and president (1855) (died 1877)
*
1810 –
Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (died 1850)
*
1817 –
Manuel Robles Pezuela, Unconstitutional Mexican interim president (died 1862)
*
1820
Events
January–March
*January 1 – A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament to meet on March 7, becoming the nominal beginning of the "Trienio Liberal" in History of Spain (1 ...
–
James Buchanan Eads
James Buchanan Eads (May 23, 1820 – March 8, 1887) was an American civil engineer and inventor. He held more than 50 patents and was known internationally. He designed and built the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, which was ...
, American engineer, designed the
Eads Bridge (died 1887)
* 1820 –
Lorenzo Sawyer, American lawyer and judge (died 1891)
*
1824
Events
January–March
* January 1 – John Stuart Mill begins publication of The Westminster Review. The first article is by William Johnson Fox
* January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of th ...
–
Ambrose Burnside, American general and politician, 30th
Governor of Rhode Island (died 1881)
*
1834 –
Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis, Latvian architect (died 1891)
* 1834 –
Carl Bloch, Danish painter and academic (died 1890)
*
1837 –
Anatole Mallet, Swiss mechanical engineer and inventor (died 1919)
* 1837 –
Józef Wieniawski, Polish pianist and composer (died 1912)
*
1838 –
Amaldus Nielsen, Norwegian painter (died 1932)
*
1840
Events
January–March
* January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded.
* January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom.
* Janu ...
–
George Throssell, Irish-Australian politician, 2nd
Premier of Western Australia (died 1910)
*
1844 –
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , ;, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás (, ), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who designated him to be his successor and head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 un ...
, Iranian religious leader (died 1921)
*
1848 –
Otto Lilienthal, German pilot and engineer (died 1896)
*
1855 –
Isabella Ford, English author and activist (died 1924)
*
1861 –
József Rippl-Rónai, Hungarian painter (died 1927)
*
1863 –
Władysław Horodecki, Polish architect (died 1930)
*
1864
Events
January
* January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
–
William O'Connor, American fencer (died 1939)
*
1865 –
Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian jurist and politician, 11th
President of Brazil (died 1942)
*
1875 –
Alfred P. Sloan, American businessman and philanthropist (died 1966)
*
1882 –
William Halpenny, Canadian pole vaulter (died 1960)
*
1883 –
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...
, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1939)
*
1884 –
Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist and demographer (died 1965)
*
1887 –
Thoralf Skolem
Thoralf Albert Skolem (; 23 May 1887 – 23 March 1963) was a Norwegian mathematician who worked in mathematical logic and set theory.
Life
Although Skolem's father was a primary school teacher, most of his extended family were farmers. Skole ...
, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (died 1963)
* 1887 –
Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian sailor and captain (died 1951)
* 1887 –
C. R. M. F. Cruttwell, English historian (died 1941)
[ ]
*
1888 –
Adriaan Roland Holst, Dutch writer (died 1976)
* 1888 –
Zack Wheat, American baseball player and police officer (died 1972)
*
1889 –
Ernst Niekisch, German educator and politician (died 1967)
*
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 ...
–
Herbert Marshall, English-American actor and singer (died 1966)
*
1891 –
Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet,
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 1974)
*
1892 –
Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, British peer (died 1975)
*
1896 –
Felix Steiner, Russian-German
SS officer (died 1966)
*
1897
Events
January
* January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City.
* January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a punitive expedit ...
–
Jimmie Guthrie, Scottish motorcycle racer (died 1937)
*
1898 –
Scott O'Dell, American soldier, journalist, and author (died 1989)
* 1898 –
Josef Terboven, German soldier and politician (died 1945)
*
1899
Events January
* January 1
** Spanish rule formally ends in Cuba with the cession of Spanish sovereignty to the U.S., concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.''The American Monthly Review of Reviews'' (February 1899), p ...
–
Jeralean Talley, American super-centenarian (died 2015)
*
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
–
Hans Frank, German lawyer and politician (died 1946)
* 1900 –
Franz Leopold Neumann, German lawyer and theorist (died 1954)
1901–present
*
1908 –
John Bardeen
John Bardeen (; May 23, 1908 – January 30, 1991) was an American solid-state physicist. He is the only person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice: first in 1956 with William Shockley and Walter Houser Brattain for their inventio ...
, American physicist and engineer,
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 1991)
* 1908 –
Hélène Boucher, French pilot (died 1934)
* 1908 –
Tomiko Itooka, Japanese supercentenarian (died 2024)
* 1908 –
Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Swiss author and photographer (died 1942)
*
1910 –
Margaret Wise Brown
Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952) was an American writer of children's books, including ''Goodnight Moon'' (1947) and ''The Runaway Bunny'' (1942), both illustrated by Clement Hurd. She has been called "the laureate of the ...
, American author and educator (died 1952)
* 1910 –
Hugh Casson, English architect and academic (died 1999)
* 1910 –
Scatman Crothers, American actor and comedian (died 1986)
* 1910 –
Franz Kline, American painter and academic (died 1962)
* 1910 –
Artie Shaw, American clarinet player, composer, and bandleader (died 2004)
*
1911
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia.
* January 3
** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
–
Lou Brouillard, Canadian boxer (died 1984)
* 1911 –
Paul Augustin Mayer, German cardinal (died 2010)
* 1911 –
Betty Nuthall, English tennis player (died 1983)
*
1912
This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15.
In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
–
Jean Françaix, French pianist and composer (died 1997)
* 1912 –
John Payne, American actor (died 1989)
*
1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip ...
–
Harold Hitchcock, English visionary landscape artist (died 2009)
* 1914 –
Celestine Sibley, American journalist and author (died 1999)
* 1914 –
Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, English economist, journalist, and prominent Catholic layperson (died 1981)
*
1915 –
S. Donald Stookey, American physicist and chemist, invented
CorningWare (died 2014)
*
1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...
–
Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (died 2008)
*
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 ...
–
Denis Compton, English cricketer and sportscaster (died 1997)
*
1919 –
Robert Bernstein, American author and playwright (died 1988)
* 1919 –
Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the
Puerto Rican Senate (died 2012)
* 1919 –
Betty Garrett, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2011)
*
1920 –
Helen O'Connell, American singer (died 1993)
*
1921 –
Humphrey Lyttelton, British jazz musician and broadcaster (died 2008)
*
1923 –
Alicia de Larrocha, Catalan-Spanish pianist (died 2009)
* 1923 –
Irving Millman, American virologist and microbiologist (died 2012)
*
1924 –
Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (died 2014)
*
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 ...
–
Joshua Lederberg
Joshua Lederberg (May 23, 1925 – February 2, 2008) was an American molecular biology, molecular biologist known for his work in microbial genetics, artificial intelligence, and the United States space program. He was 33 years old when he won t ...
, American biologist and geneticist,
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 2008)
*
1926
In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
–
Basil Salvadore D'Souza, Indian bishop (died 1996)
* 1926 –
Joe Slovo
Yossel Mashel "Joe" Slovo (23 May 1926 – 6 January 1995) was a South African politician and Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist. A Marxist-Leninist, he was a long-time leader and theorist in the South African Com ...
, Lithuanian-South African activist and politician (died 1995)
*
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...
–
Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (died 2002)
* 1928 –
Nigel Davenport, English actor (died 2013)
* 1928 –
Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (died 2015)
*
1929 –
Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish-Austrian actress (died 1982)
*
1930 –
Friedrich Achleitner, German poet and critic (died 2019)
*
1931 –
Barbara Barrie, American actress
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
–
Kevork Ajemian, Syrian-French journalist and author (died 1998)
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
–
Joan Collins, English actress
* 1933 –
Ove Fundin, Swedish motorcycle racer
*
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
–
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthe ...
, electronic engineer and inventor of the
Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer ...
(died 2005)
*
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 ...
–
Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish author (died 2009)
*
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 ...
–
Ingeborg Hallstein, German soprano and actress
* 1936 –
Charles Kimbrough, American actor (died 2023)
*
1939
This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
–
Michel Colombier, French-American composer and conductor (died 2004)
* 1939 –
Reinhard Hauff, German director and screenwriter
*
1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
*Janu ...
–
Bjørn Johansen (musician), Norwegian saxophonist (died 2002)
* 1940 –
Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Gilles Marie Armand Larrousse (born 23 May 1940) is a former sports car racing, rallying and Formula One driver from France. His greatest success as a driver was winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1973 and 1974 24 ...
, French race car driver
* 1940 –
Cora Sadosky, Argentinian mathematician and academic (died 2010)
*
1941 –
Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012)
* 1941 –
Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive
*
1942
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
–
Gabriel Liiceanu
Gabriel Liiceanu (; b. May 23, 1942, Râmnicu Vâlcea) is a Romanian philosopher.
He graduated from the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Philosophy in 1965, and from Faculty of Classical Languages in 1973. He earned a doctorate in philosoph ...
, Romanian philosopher, author, and academic
* 1942 –
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao, Indian director, screenwriter, and choreographer
*
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 � ...
–
Peter Kenilorea, Solomon Islands politician, 1st
Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands (died 2016)
*
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 Newcombe, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
*
1945 –
Padmarajan, Indian director, screenwriter, and author (died 1991)
*
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 ...
–
David Graham, Australian golfer
*
1947
It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Events
January
* January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
–
Jane Kenyon, American poet and translator (died 1995)
*
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) ...
–
Myriam Boyer, French actress, director, and producer
*
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 ...
–
Daniel DiNardo, American cardinal
* 1949 –
Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 61st and 64th
President of Peru
The president of Peru (), officially the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru (), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is the head of the executive branch and is the supreme head of the Peruvian Armed ...
(died 2019)
*
1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
–
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman for Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during The Troubles. He was the deputy First Minist ...
, Irish republican and Sinn Féin politician,
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (died 2017)
*1950 –
Richard Chase, American serial killer (died 1980)
*
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 ...
–
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...
, Russian chess player
* 1951 –
Antonis Samaras, Greek economist and politician, 185th
Prime Minister of Greece
The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet.
The officeholder's of ...
*
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, ...
–
Martin Parr, English photographer and journalist
*
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 ...
–
Gerry Armstrong, Northern Irish international footballer
* 1954 –
Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American boxer and actor (died 2021)
*
1955 –
Luka Bloom, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
–
Andrea Pazienza, Italian illustrator and painter (died 1988)
* 1956 –
Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician and diplomat,
Foreign Minister of Austria
* 1956 –
Buck Showalter, American baseball player, coach, and manager
*
1958 –
Mitch Albom, American journalist, author, and screenwriter
* 1958 –
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor and game show host. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey gained stardom in his own Situa ...
, American actor, game show host, and entrepreneur
* 1958 –
Lea DeLaria, American actress and singer
*
1959 –
Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player and sportscaster
*
1960 –
Linden Ashby, American actor
*
1961 –
Daniele Massaro, Italian footballer and manager
* 1961 –
Norrie May-Welby, Scottish Australian gender activist
*
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
–
Karen Duffy, American actress
*
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
–
Viviane Baladi, Swiss mathematician
*
1964 –
Ruth Metzler, Swiss lawyer and politician
*
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 ...
–
Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
* 1965 –
Tom Tykwer, German director, producer, screenwriter, and composer
* 1965 –
Melissa McBride, American actress
* 1965 –
Paul Sironen, Australian rugby league player
*
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
–
Graeme Hick, Zimbabwean-English cricketer and coach
* 1966 –
Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
*
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
–
Luís Roberto Alves, Mexican footballer
* 1967 –
Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
* 1967 –
Philip Selway, English musician
*
1968 –
Guinevere Turner, American actress and screenwriter
*
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 ...
–
Bryan Herta, American race car driver and businessman, co-founded
Bryan Herta Autosport
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
–
George Osborne, English journalist and politician, former
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...
*
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, ...
–
Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian race car driver
* 1972 –
Poppy King, Australian entrepreneur
* 1972 –
Martin Saggers, English cricketer and umpire
*
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 ...
–
Maxwell
Maxwell may refer to:
People
* Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist
* Justice Maxwell (disambiguation)
* Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...
, American singer-songwriter and producer
*
1974 –
Jewel, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet
* 1974 –
Manuela Schwesig, German politician,
German Federal Minister of Family Affairs
*
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 ...
–
Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
* 1976 –
Andy Selva
Andy Selva (born 23 May 1976) is a Sammarinese former Association football, footballer who is currently the manager of Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio, Campionato Sammarinese club S.S. Cosmos, Cosmos. During his playing career he played as a F ...
, Sammarinese footballer and manager
*
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 ...
–
Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade ( ; born 23 May 1977) is a British comedian, actor, writer, director and presenter. He played the role of socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom ''The IT Crowd'' (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 Br ...
, British actor, director and writer
* 1977 –
Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
*
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 ...
–
Scott Raynor, American drummer
*
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 ...
–
Rasual Butler, American basketball player (died 2018)
* 1979 –
Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
*
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
–
Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
* 1980 –
Ben Ross, Australian rugby league player
*
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 ...
–
Silvio Proto, Belgian-Italian footballer
*
1984 –
Hugo Almeida, Portuguese footballer
*
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
–
Sebastián Fernández, Uruguayan footballer
* 1985 –
Teymuraz Gabashvili, Russian tennis player
* 1985 –
Wim Stroetinga, Dutch cyclist
* 1985 –
Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
*
1986 –
Ryan Coogler, American film director and screenwriter
* 1986 –
Alexei Sitnikov, Russian-Azerbaijani figure skater
* 1986 –
Alice Tait, Australian swimmer
* 1986 –
Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
*
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
–
Gracie Otto, Australian actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1987 –
Bray Wyatt, American wrestler (died 2023)
*
1988 –
Rosanna Crawford, Canadian biathlete
* 1988 –
Angelo Ogbonna, Italian footballer
* 1988 –
Morgan Pressel, American golfer
*
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
–
Ezequiel Schelotto, Italian footballer
*
1990 –
Dan Evans, British tennis player
* 1990 –
Kristína Kučová
Kristína Kučová (; born 23 May 1990) is a Slovak tennis player. On 12 September 2016, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 71. On 5 October 2009, she peaked at No. 168 in the WTA doubles rankings.
She has won one singles title on ...
, Slovakian tennis player
* 1990 –
Oliver Venno, Estonian volleyball player
*
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
–
Aaron Donald, American football player
* 1991 –
Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Johanna Therese Meyer-Landrut (; born 23 May 1991), also known by the mononym Lena, is a German singer. She rose to fame after representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, winning the event with the song "Satellite (Len ...
, German singer-songwriter
* 1991 –
César Pinares, Chilean footballer
*
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
–
Katharina Althaus, German ski jumper
* 1996 –
Emmanuel Boateng, Ghanaian footballer
* 1996 –
Răzvan Marin, Romanian footballer
* 1996 –
Çağlar Söyüncü, Turkish footballer
*
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
–
Pedro Chirivella, Spanish footballer
* 1997 –
Coy Craft, American footballer
* 1997 –
Joe Gomez, English footballer
* 1997 –
Maximilian Kilman, English footballer
* 1997 –
Gustaf Nilsson, Swedish footballer
* 1997 –
Sam Timmins, New Zealand basketball player
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
–
Sérgio Sette Câmara, Brazilian racing driver
* 1998 –
Salwa Eid Naser, Bahraini track and field sprinter
* 1998 –
Luca de la Torre, American soccer player
*
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 ...
–
James Charles, American internet personality
* 1999 –
Trinidad Cardona, American singer and songwriter
* 1999 –
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgian-American basketball player
*
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
–
Felipe Drugovich
Felipe Drugovich Roncato (born 23 May 2000) is a Brazilian racing driver, who most recently competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Action Express Racing, Cadillac Whelen and serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Aston Martin in ...
, Brazilian-Italian racing driver
* 2000 –
Israel Reyes, Mexican footballer
*
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 ...
–
Brennan Johnson, Welsh footballer
*
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
–
Rayane Messi, French footballer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
230 –
Urban I, pope of the Catholic Church
*
922 –
Li Sizhao, Chinese general and governor
*
962 –
Guibert of Gembloux, Frankish abbot (born 892)
*
1125 –
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1086)
*
1304 –
Jehan de Lescurel
Jehan de Lescurel (; also Jehannot de l'Escurel) was a composer-poet of late medieval music. Jehan's extensive surviving ''oeuvre'' is an important and rare examples of the ''formes fixes'' before the time of Guillaume de Machaut; it consists of ...
, French poet and composer
*
1338 –
Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel, English noble (born 1287)
*
1370 –
Toghon Temür, Mongol emperor (born 1320)
*
1423 –
Antipope Benedict XIII (born 1328)
*
1498 –
Girolamo Savonarola, Italian friar and preacher (born 1452)
*
1523 –
Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shōgun (born 1466)
*
1524 –
Ismail I, First Emperor of
Safavid Empire
The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
(born 1487)
*
1591 –
John Blitheman, English organist and composer (born 1525)
1601–1900
*
1662 –
John Gauden, English bishop (born 1605)
*
1670 –
Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was Grand Duchy of Tuscany, grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II de' Medici and Archduchess Maria Mad ...
(born 1610)
*
1691 –
Adrien Auzout, French astronomer and instrument maker (born 1622)
*
1701 –
William Kidd
William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in N ...
, Scottish pirate (born 1645)
*
1749 –
Abraham ben Abraham, Polish martyr (born 1700)
*
1752 –
William Bradford, English-American printer (born 1663)
*
1754 –
John Wood, the Elder, English architect, designed
The Circus and
Queen Square (born 1704)
*
1783 –
James Otis Jr., American lawyer and politician (born 1725)
*
1813 –
Géraud Duroc, French general and diplomat (born 1772)
*
1815 –
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (17 November 1753 – 23 May 1815) was an American clergyman and botanist.
Biography
The son of Henry Muhlenberg, Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, he was born in Trappe, Pennsylvania, Trappe, Pennsylvania. He was ...
, American clergyman and botanist (born 1753)
*
1841 –
Franz Xaver von Baader
Franz von Baader (27 March 1765 – 23 May 1841), born Benedikt Franz Xaver Baader, was a Catholic theologian, philosopher, and mining engineer from Germany. Resisting the empiricism of his day, he denounced most Western philosophy since ...
, German philosopher and theologian (born 1765)
*
1855 –
Charles Robert Malden, English lieutenant and explorer (born 1797)
*
1857 –
Augustin-Louis Cauchy
Baron Augustin-Louis Cauchy ( , , ; ; 21 August 1789 – 23 May 1857) was a French mathematician, engineer, and physicist. He was one of the first to rigorously state and prove the key theorems of calculus (thereby creating real a ...
, French mathematician and academic (born 1789)
*
1868 –
Kit Carson, American general (born 1809)
*
1886
Events January
* January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British rule in Burma, British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885.
* January 5–January 9, 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson ...
–
Leopold von Ranke, German historian and academic (born 1795)
*
1893 –
Anton von Schmerling, Austrian politician (born 1805)
*
1895 –
Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist, physicist, and mathematician (born 1798)
1901–present
*
1906 –
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (born 1828)
*
1908 –
François Coppée, French poet and author (born 1842)
*
1920 –
Svetozar Boroević, Croatian-Austrian field marshal (born 1856)
*
1921 –
August Nilsson, Swedish shot putter and
tug of war competitor (born 1872)
*
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
–
Clyde Barrow, American criminal (born 1909)
* 1934 –
Mihkel Martna, Estonian journalist and politician (born 1860)
* 1934 –
Bonnie Parker, American criminal (born 1910)
*
1937 –
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...
, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the
Standard Oil Company
Standard Oil Company was a corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. The ...
and
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a Private university, private Medical research, biomedical Research university, research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and pro ...
(born 1839)
*
1938
Events
January
* January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS).
* January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
–
Frederick Ruple, Swiss-American painter (born 1871)
*
1942
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...
–
Panagiotis Toundas, Greek composer and conductor (born 1886)
*
1945 –
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
, German commander and politician,
Reich Minister of the Interior and head of the
SS (born 1900)
*
1947
It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Events
January
* January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
–
Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, Swiss author and poet (born 1878)
*
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 ...
–
Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter and illustrator (born 1872)
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
–
Gustav Suits, Latvian-Estonian poet and politician (born 1883)
*
1960 –
Georges Claude
Georges Claude (24 September 187023 May 1960) was a French engineer and inventor. He is noted for his early work on the industrial liquefaction of air, for the invention and commercialization of neon lighting, and for a large experiment on gener ...
, French engineer and inventor, created
Neon lighting
Neon lighting consists of brightly glowing, electrified glass tubes or bulbs that contain Rarefaction, rarefied neon or other gases. Neon lights are a type of cold cathode gas-discharge lamp, gas-discharge light. A neon tube is a sealed gla ...
(born 1870)
*
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
–
Louis Coatalen, French engineer (born 1879)
*
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
–
August Jakobson, Estonian author and politician (born 1904)
*
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 ...
–
David Smith, American sculptor (born 1906)
*
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
–
Moms Mabley, American comedian and actor (born 1894)
*
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 ...
–
S. Selvanayagam, Sri Lankan geographer and academic (born 1932)
*
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
–
Gene Green, American baseball player (born 1933)
* 1981 –
Rayner Heppenstall, English author and poet (born 1911)
* 1981 –
George Jessel, American actor, singer, and producer (born 1898)
* 1981 –
David Lewis, Belarusian-Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1909)
*
1986 –
Sterling Hayden, American actor (born 1916)
*
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
–
Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian director and producer (born 1915)
* 1989 –
Karl Koch, German computer hacker (born 1965)
*
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
–
Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (born 1895)
* 1991 –
Jean Van Houtte, Belgian academic and politician, 50th
Prime Minister of Belgium
The prime minister of Belgium (; ; ) or the premier of Belgium is the head of the federal government of Belgium, and the most powerful person in Belgian politics.
The first head of government in Belgian history was Henri van der Noot in 179 ...
(born 1907)
* 1991 –
Fletcher Markle, Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer (born 1921)
*
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
–
Kostas Davourlis
Kostas Davourlis (, 4 January 1948 – 23 May 1992) born in Agyia, Patras, popularly nicknamed The Black Prince, was a former Greek footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A gifted and talented player, he was voted by the Greek s ...
, Greek footballer (born 1948)
* 1992 –
Giovanni Falcone, Italian lawyer and judge (born 1939)
*
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 ...
–
Olav Hauge, Norwegian poet (born 1908)
*
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
–
Kronid Lyubarsky, Russian journalist and activist (born 1934)
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
–
Telford Taylor, American general and lawyer (born 1908)
*
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 ...
–
Owen Hart, Canadian-American wrestler (born 1965)
*
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
–
Big Bill Neidjie, Australian activist and last speaker of the
Gaagudju language (born )
* 2002 –
Sam Snead, American golfer and journalist (born 1912)
*
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
–
Lloyd Bentsen, American colonel and politician, 69th
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
(born 1921)
* 2006 –
Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer and manager (born 1921)
*
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 ...
–
Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Spanish mountaineer (born 1967)
* 2008 –
Utah Phillips, American singer-songwriter and poet (born 1935)
*
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 ...
–
Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean soldier and politician, 9th
President of South Korea
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (), is the head of state and head of government of South Korea. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of South Korea, government and is ...
(born 1946)
*
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 ...
–
José Lima, Dominican-American baseball player (born 1972)
* 2010 –
Simon Monjack
Simon Mark Monjack (9 March 1970 – 23 May 2010) was an English screenwriter, film director, producer and make-up artist. He was the husband of Brittany Murphy.
Early life
Monjack was born on 9 March 1970 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, to a Jews ...
, English director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)
*
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
–
Xavier Tondo, Spanish cyclist (born 1978)
*
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
–
Paul Fussell, American historian, author, and academic (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 ...
–
Epy Guerrero, Dominican baseball player, coach, and scout (born 1942)
* 2013 –
Hayri Kozakçıoğlu, Turkish police officer and politician, 15th
Governor of Istanbul Province (born 1938)
* 2013 –
Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1934)
* 2013 –
Flynn Robinson, American basketball player (born 1941)
*
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 ...
–
Mikhail Egorovich Alekseev, Russian linguist and academic (born 1949)
* 2014 –
Madhav Mantri, Indian cricketer (born 1921)
*
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
–
Anne Meara, American actress, comedian and playwright (born 1929)
* 2015 –
Aleksey Mozgovoy, Pro-Russian Ukrainian separatist leader (born 1975)
* 2015 –
Alicia Nash, Salvadoran-American physicist and engineer (born 1933)
* 2015 –
John Forbes Nash Jr., American mathematician 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 1928)
*
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
–
Roger Moore, English actor (born 1927)
*
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
–
Hana Kimura, Japanese professional wrestler (born 1997)
*
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
–
Ron Hill, English long-distance runner (born 1938)
* 2021 –
Eric Carle, American children's book designer, illustrator, and writer best known for ''
The Very Hungry Caterpillar'' (born 1929)
*
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
–
Caleb Carr, American military historian and author (born 1955)
* 2024 –
Morgan Spurlock, American filmmaker (born 1970)
Holidays and observances
*
Aromanian National Day
*
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
:
**
Aaron the Illustrious (
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church (), also informally known as the Jacobite Church, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination, denomination that originates from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 4-5 million followers. The ch ...
)
**
Desiderius of Vienne
**
Giovanni Battista de' Rossi
**
Julia of Corsica
**
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...
and
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best know ...
(
Episcopal Church (USA))
**
Quintian, Lucius and Julian
**
William of Perth
**
May 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*
Constitution Day (Germany)
*
Labour Day (Jamaica)
*
Students' Day (Mexico)
*
World Turtle Day
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on May 23
{{months
Days of May