Events
Pre-1600
*
585 BC – A
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season i ...
occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist
Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...
, while
Alyattes is battling
Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated. It is also the earliest event of which the precise date is known.
*
621 –
Battle of Hulao:
Li Shimin, the son of the Chinese emperor
Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of
Dou Jiande near the
Hulao Pass (
Henan
Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
). This victory decides the outcome of the
civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
that followed the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...
's collapse in favour of the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
.
*
1242 –
Avignonet massacre: A group of
Cathars, with the probable connivance of Count
Raymond VII of Toulouse, murdered the inquisitor
William Arnaud and eleven of his companions.
*
1533 – The
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
,
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...
, declares 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. ...
of England to
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...
valid.
*
1588 – The
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...
, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, Portugal, heading for the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. (It will take until May 30 for all ships to leave port.)
1601–1900
*
1644 –
English Civil War
The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
:
Bolton Massacre by
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
troops under the command of
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (31 January 160715 October 1651) was an English nobleman, politician, and supporter of the Cavalier, Royalist cause in the English Civil War. Before inheriting the title in 1642 he was known as Lord Strange. He ...
.
*
1754 –
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
: In the first engagement of the war,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
under the 22-year-old
Lieutenant colonel George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
defeat a French reconnaissance party in the
Battle of Jumonville Glen
The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War, fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood, Pennsylvania, Hopwood and Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Uniontown in Fayette Co ...
in what is now
Fayette County in southwestern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
*
1802 – In
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
, 400 rebellious slaves, led by
Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's troops.
*
1830 –
U.S. President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
signs the
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States president Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, ...
which denies
Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocates them.
*
1871 – The
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
falls after two months.
*
1892 – In
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
John Muir
John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the national park, National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologi ...
organizes the
Sierra Club.
1901–present
*
1905 –
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
: The
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...
ends with the destruction of the Russian
Baltic Fleet
The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
by
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Tōgō Heihachirō and the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
.
*
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 first
Isle of Man TT race is held.
*
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 ...
– The
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the
First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia, was an independent History of Armenia, Armenian state that existed from May (28th ''de jure'', 30th ''de facto'') 1918 to 2 December 1920 in ...
declare their independence.
*
1926 – The
28 May 1926 coup d'état:
Ditadura Nacional is established in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
to suppress the unrest of the
First Republic.
*
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 the Netherlands, construction of the
Afsluitdijk
The Afsluitdijk (; ; "closure dyke") is a major dam and causeway in the Netherlands. It was constructed between 1927 and 1932 and runs from Den Oever in North Holland province to the village of Zurich, Friesland, Zurich in Friesland province, o ...
is completed and the
Zuiderzee bay is
converted to the freshwater
IJsselmeer.
*
1934 – Near
Callander, Ontario, Canada, the
Dionne quintuplets are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne; they will be the first
quintuplets to survive
infancy.
*
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 ...
–
Alan Turing
Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer ...
submits
''On Computable Numbers'' for publication.
*
1937 –
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
, the German automobile manufacturer, is founded.
*
1940 –
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 ...
: Belgium surrenders to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
to end the
Battle of Belgium.
* 1940 – World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces
recapture Narvik
() is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
in Norway. This is the first Allied infantry victory of the War.
*
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) ...
–
Daniel François Malan is elected as
Prime Minister of South Africa
The prime minister of South Africa ( was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984.
History of the office
The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed. He was appointed ...
. He later goes on to implement
Apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
.
*
1958 –
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
:
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
's
26th of July Movement, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero.
*
1961 –
Peter Benenson's article ''
The Forgotten Prisoners'' is published in several internationally read
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
s. This will later be thought of as the founding of the
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
organization
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
.
*1962 – The Soviet
Kosmos 5 satellite is launched.
*
1964 – The
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, with
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...
elected as its first leader.
*
1968 –
Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 crashes near
Nala Sopara in India, killing 30.
*
1974 –
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 ...
's power-sharing
Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a
general strike by
loyalists.
*
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. ...
– Fifteen
West Africa
West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
n countries sign the
Treaty of Lagos, creating the
Economic Community of West African States.
*1975 – At
Brampton Centennial Secondary School, student Michael Slobodian
kills two people and injures 13 others before committing suicide.
*
1977 – The
Beverly Hills Supper Club in
Southgate, Kentucky, is engulfed by fire, killing 165 people inside.
*
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 ...
–
Konstantinos Karamanlis signs the full treaty of the accession of Greece with the
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
.
*
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 ...
– An 18-year-old West German pilot,
Mathias Rust, evades
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
air defences and lands a private plane in
Red Square in Moscow, Russia.
*
1991 – The capital city of
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
falls to the
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, ending both the
Derg regime in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
and the
Ethiopian Civil War
The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991.
The Derg overthre ...
.
*
1995 – The 7.0
Neftegorsk earthquake shakes the former Russian settlement of
Neftegorsk with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). Total damage was
$64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt.
*
1996 – U.S. President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
's former business partners in the
Whitewater land deal,
Jim McDougal and
Susan McDougal
Susan Carol McDougal (née Henley; born June 27, 1955) is a real estate investor who served prison time as a result of the Whitewater controversy.
Her refusal to answer "three questions" for a grand jury, on whether President Bill Clinton lied ...
, and the
Governor of Arkansas
The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of the Politics and government of Arkansas, Arkansas government a ...
,
Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud.
*
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 ...
–
Nuclear testing: Pakistan responds to a series of nuclear tests by India with five of its own codenamed ''
Chagai-I'', prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose
economic sanctions
Economic sanctions or embargoes are Commerce, commercial and Finance, financial penalties applied by states or institutions against states, groups, or individuals. Economic sanctions are a form of Coercion (international relations), coercion tha ...
. Pakistan celebrates
Youm-e-Takbir annually.
*
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 ...
– In
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work,
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
's masterpiece ''
The Last Supper'' is put back on display.
*
2002 – The last steel girder is removed from the original
World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially end with closing ceremonies at
Ground Zero in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, New York City.
*
2003 –
Peter Hollingworth resigns as
Governor-General of Australia following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his tenure as
Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
*
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 ...
– The
Iraqi Governing Council
The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) was the provisional government of Iraq from 13 July 2003 to 1 June 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The IGC consisted of various Iraqi ...
chooses
Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
exile, as prime minister of
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
's interim government.
*
2008 – The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the
Shah dynasty
The Shah dynasty (), also known as the Shahs of Gorkha or the Royal House of Gorkha, was the ruling Chaubise Thakuri dynasty and the founder of the Gorkha Kingdom from 1559 to 1768 and later the unified Kingdom of Nepal from 1768 to 28 May ...
.
*
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 ...
– In
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, India, the
Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers.
*
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 ...
–
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 ...
votes on the introduction of divorce; the proposal was approved by 53% of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later in the year.
*
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 ...
– The
Arkankergen massacre in Kazakhstan's
Alakol District kills 15 people.
*
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 ...
– Start of the
Gezi Park protests in Turkey.
*
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 ...
–
Harambe, a
gorilla, is shot to death after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking various
internet meme
An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...
s.
*
2017 – Former
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
driver
Takuma Sato wins his first
Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so. Double world champion
Fernando Alonso retires from an engine issue in his first entry of the event.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1140 –
Xin Qiji, Chinese poet, general, and politician (died 1207)
*
1371 –
John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (died 1419)
*
1588 –
Pierre Séguier, French politician,
Lord Chancellor of France (died 1672)
*
1589 –
Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, French writer (died 1674)
1601–1900
*
1663 –
António Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (died 1736)
*
1676 –
Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician and academic (died 1754)
*
1692
Events
January–March
* January 24 – At least 75 residents of what is now York, Maine are killed in the Raid on York (1692), Candlemas Massacre, carried out by French soldiers led by missionary Louis-Pierre Thury, along with a ...
–
Geminiano Giacomelli, Italian composer (died 1740)
*
1738 –
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician (died 1814)
*
1759 –
William Pitt the Younger, English lawyer and politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
(died 1806)
*
1763 –
Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (died 1811)
*
1764 –
Edward Livingston, American jurist and politician, 11th
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State.
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...
(died 1836)
*
1779 –
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852), was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist who was widely regarded as Ireland's "National poet, national bard" during the late Georgian era. The acclaim rested primarily on the popularity of his ''I ...
, Irish poet and composer (died 1852)
*
1807 –
Louis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history.
Spending his early life in Switzerland, he recei ...
, Swiss-American paleontologist and geologist (died 1873)
*
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 ...
–
P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (died 1893)
*
1828
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France.
* January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organiz ...
–
Ratmalane Sri Dharmaloka Thera, Buddhist monk and scholar, founder of
Vidyalankara Pirivena (died 1885)
*
1836 –
Friedrich Baumfelder
Friedrich August Wilhelm Baumfelder (28 May 1836 – 8 September 1916 in Dresden) was a German composer of classical music, Conducting, conductor, and pianist. He started in the Leipzig Conservatory, and went on to become a well-known compose ...
, German pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1916)
* 1836 –
Alexander Mitscherlich, German chemist and academic (died 1918)
*
1837 –
George Ashlin, Irish architect, co-designed
St Colman's Cathedral (died 1921)
* 1837 –
Tony Pastor, American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner (died 1908)
*
1841 –
Sakaigawa Namiemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 14th
Yokozuna (died 1887)
*
1853
Events
January–March
* January 6 –
** Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida.
**U.S. President-elect ...
–
Carl Larsson, Swedish painter and author (died 1919)
*
1858 –
Carl Richard Nyberg, Swedish inventor and businessman, developed the
blow torch (died 1939)
*
1872
Events January
* January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years.
*January 20 – The Cavite mutiny was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort S ...
–
Marian Smoluchowski, Polish physicist and mountaineer (died 1917)
*
1878 –
Paul Pelliot, French sinologist and explorer (died 1945)
*
1879 –
Milutin Milanković, Serbian mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (died 1958)
*
1883 –
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian poet and politician (died 1966)
* 1883 –
Clough Williams-Ellis, English-Welsh architect, designed the
Portmeirion Village (died 1978)
*
1884 –
Edvard Beneš, Czech academic and politician, 2nd and 4th
President of Czechoslovakia
The president of Czechoslovakia (, ) was the head of state of Czechoslovakia, from the Origins of Czechoslovakia, creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 until the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, dissolution of the Czech and Slovak F ...
(died 1948)
*
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 ...
–
Santo Trafficante, Sr., Italian-American mobster (died 1954)
*
1888 –
Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian journalist and politician, 6th
Prime Minister of Estonia (died 1942)
* 1888 –
Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot, English author and educator (died 1947)
* 1888 –
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 decathlete, football player, and coach (died 1953)
*
1889 –
Richard Réti, Slovak-Czech chess player and author (died 1929)
*
1892 –
Minna Gombell, American actress (died 1973)
*
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 ...
– Tommy Ladnier, American trumpet player (died 1939)
1901–present
*1903 – S. L. Kirloskar, Indian businessman, founded Kirloskar Group (died 1994)
*1906 – Henry Thambiah, Sri Lankan lawyer, judge, and diplomat, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada (died 1997)
*1908 – Léo Cadieux, Canadian journalist and politician, 17th Minister of National Defence (Canada), Canadian Minister of National Defence (died 2005)
* 1908 – Ian Fleming, English journalist and author, created ''James Bond'' (died 1964)
*1909 – Red Horner, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2005)
*1910 – Georg Gaßmann, German politician, List of mayors of Marburg, Mayor of Marburg (died 1987)
* 1910 – Rachel Kempson, English actress (died 2003)
* 1910 – T-Bone Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1975)
*1911 – Bob Crisp, South African cricketer (died 1994)
* 1911 – Thora Hird, English actress (died 2003)
* 1911 – Fritz Hochwälder, Austrian playwright (died 1986)
*1912 – Herman Johannes, Indonesian scientist, academic, and politician (died 1992)
* 1912 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (died 1981)
* 1912 – Patrick White, Australian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1990)
*1914 – W. G. G. Duncan Smith, English captain and pilot (died 1996)
*1915 – Joseph Greenberg, American linguist and academic (died 2001)
*1916 – Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (died 1990)
*1917 – Barry Commoner, American biologist, academic, and politician (died 2012)
*
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 ...
– Johnny Wayne, Canadian comedian (died 1990)
*1921 – D. V. Paluskar, Indian Hindustani classical musician (died 1955)
* 1921 – Heinz G. Konsalik, German journalist and author (died 1999)
* 1921 – Tom Uren, Australian soldier, boxer, and politician (died 2015)
*1922 – Lou Duva, American boxer, trainer, and manager (died 2017)
* 1922 – Roger Fisher (academic), Roger Fisher, American author and academic (died 2012)
* 1922 – Tuomas Gerdt, Finnish soldier (died 2020)
*1923 – György Ligeti, Hungarian-Austrian composer and educator (died 2006)
* 1923 – N. T. Rama Rao, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician, 10th List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (died 1996)
*1924 – Edward du Cann, English naval officer and politician (died 2017)
* 1924 – Paul Hébert, Canadian actor (died 2017)
*1925 – Bülent Ecevit, Turkish journalist, scholar, and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Turkey (died 2006)
* 1925 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German opera singer and conductor (died 2012)
*1928 – Sally Forrest, American actress and dancer (died 2015)
*1929 – Patrick McNair-Wilson, English politician
*1930 – Edward Seaga, American-Jamaican academic and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Jamaica (died 2019)
*1931 – Carroll Baker, American actress
* 1931 – Gordon Willis, American cinematographer (died 2014)
*
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 ...
– Tim Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry, English politician, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (died 2020)
*1933 – John Karlen, American actor (died 2020)
* 1933 – Zelda Rubinstein, American actress and activist (died 2010)
*
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 ...
– Claude Forget, Canadian academic and politician
* 1936 – Ole K. Sara, Norwegian politician (died 2013)
* 1936 – Betty Shabazz, American educator and activist (died 1997)
*1938 – Jerry West, American basketball player, coach, and executive (died 2024)
*1939 – Maeve Binchy, Irish novelist (died 2012)
*
1940 – David Brewer (broker), David Brewer, English politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (died 2023)
* 1940 – Shlomo Riskin, American rabbi and academic, founded the Lincoln Square Synagogue
*1941 – Beth Howland, American actress and singer (died 2015)
*1942 – Stanley B. Prusiner, American neurologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate
*1943 – Terry Crisp, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
*1944 – Faith Brown, English actress and singer
* 1944 – Rudy Giuliani, American lawyer and politician, 107th mayor of New York City
* 1944 – Gladys Knight, American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1944 – Sondra Locke, American actress and director (died 2018)
* 1944 – Rita MacNeil, Canadian singer and actress (died 2013)
* 1944 – Patricia Quinn, British actress and singer
* 1944 – Gary Stewart (singer), Gary Stewart, American singer-songwriter (died 2003)
* 1944 – Billy Vera, American singer-songwriter and actor
*1945 – Patch Adams, American physician and author, founded the Gesundheit! Institute
* 1945 – John N. Bambacus, American military veteran (USMC) and politician
* 1945 – John Fogerty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
* 1945 – Jean Perrault, Canadian politician, List of mayors of Sherbrooke, Mayor of Sherbrooke, Quebec
* 1945 – Helena Shovelton, English physician
*1946 – Bruce Alexander (actor), Bruce Alexander, English actor
* 1946 – Skip Jutze, American baseball player
* 1946 – Janet Paraskeva, Welsh politician
* 1946 – K. Satchidanandan, Indian poet and critic
* 1946 – William Shawcross, English journalist and author
*1947 – Zahi Hawass, Egyptian archaeologist and academic
* 1947 – Lynn Johnston, Canadian author and illustrator
* 1947 – Leland Sklar, American singer-songwriter and bass player
*
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) ...
– Michael Field (politician), Michael Field, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Tasmania
* 1948 – Pierre Rapsat, Belgian singer and songwriter (died 2002)
*1949 – Martin Kelner, English journalist, author, comedian, singer, actor and radio presenter
* 1949 – Wendy O. Williams, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress (died 1998)
*1952 – Roger Briggs, American pianist, composer, conductor, and educator
*1953 – Pierre Gauthier, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
*1954 – João Carlos de Oliveira, Brazilian jumper (died 1999)
* 1954 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist and composer (died 1988)
* 1954 – Charles Saumarez Smith, English historian and academic
* 1954 – Péter Szilágyi (politician, 1954), Péter Szilágyi, Hungarian conductor and politician (died 2013)
* 1954 – John Tory, Canadian lawyer and politician, 65th Mayor of Toronto
*1955 – Laura Amy Schlitz, American author and librarian
*1956 – Jerry Douglas, American guitarist and producer
* 1956 – Jeff Dujon, Jamaican cricketer
* 1956 – Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (died 1980)
* 1956 – Peter Wilkinson (Royal Navy officer), Peter Wilkinson, English admiral
*1957 – Colin Barnes, English footballer
* 1957 – Kirk Gibson, American baseball player and manager
* 1957 – Ben Howland, American basketball player and coach
*1959 – Risto Mannisenmäki, Finnish racing driver
*1960 – Mark Sanford, American military veteran (USAF) and politician, 115th Governor of South Carolina
* 1960 – Mary Portas, English journalist and author
*1963 – Houman Younessi, Australian-American biologist and academic (died 2016)
*
1964 – Jeff Fenech, Australian boxer and trainer
* 1964 – Armen Gilliam, American basketball player and coach (died 2011)
* 1964 – Zsa Zsa Padilla, Filipino singer and actress
* 1964 – Phil Vassar, American singer-songwriter
*1965 – Chris Ballew, American singer-songwriter and bass player
* 1965 – Mary Coughlan (politician), Mary Coughlan, Irish politician
*1966 – Roger Kumble, American director, screenwriter, and playwright
* 1966 – Miljenko Jergović, Bosnian novelist and journalist
* 1966 – Gavin Robertson, Australian cricketer
*1967 – Glen Rice, American basketball player
*
1968 – Kylie Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
*1969 – Mike DiFelice, American baseball player and manager
* 1969 – Rob Ford, Canadian politician, 64th Mayor of Toronto (died 2016)
*1970 – Glenn Quinn, American actor (died 2002)
*1971 – Isabelle Carré, French actress and singer
* 1971 – Ekaterina Gordeeva, Russian figure skater and sportscaster
* 1971 – Marco Rubio, American lawyer and politician
*1972 – Doriva, Brazilian footballer and manager
* 1972 – Michael Boogerd, Dutch cyclist and manager
*1973 – Marco Paulo Faria Lemos, Portuguese footballer and manager
*
1974 – Hans-Jörg Butt, German footballer
* 1974 – Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer
* 1975 – Maura Johnston, American journalist, critic, and academic
*1976 – Steven Bell, Australian rugby league player
* 1976 – Zaza Enden, Georgian-Turkish wrestler, basketball player, and coach
* 1976 – Roberto Goretti, Italian footballer
* 1976 – Glenn Morrison (rugby league), Glenn Morrison, Australian rugby league player and coach
*
1977 – Elisabeth Hasselbeck, American talk show host and author
*1978 – Jake Johnson, American actor
*
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 ...
– Abdulaziz al-Omari, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 11 (died 2001)
* 1979 – Ronald Curry, American football player and coach
*1980 – Miguel Pérez (footballer, born 1980), Miguel Pérez, Spanish footballer
* 1980 – Lucy Shuker, English tennis player
*1981 – Daniel Cabrera, Dominican-American baseball player
* 1981 – Eric Ghiaciuc, American football player
* 1981 – Adam Green (musician), Adam Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*1982 – Alexa Davalos, French-American actress
* 1982 – Jhonny Peralta, Dominican-American baseball player
*1983 – Steve Cronin, American soccer player
* 1983 – Humberto Sánchez, Dominican-American baseball player
* 1983 – Roman Atwood, American YouTuber
*1985 – Colbie Caillat, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1985 – Pablo Andrés González, Argentinian footballer
* 1985 – Kostas Mendrinos, Greek footballer
* 1985 – Carey Mulligan, English actress and singer
*1986 – Berrick Barnes, Australian rugby player
* 1986 – Bryant Dunston, American-Armenian basketball player
* 1986 – Michael Oher, American football player
* 1986 – Seth Rollins, American wrestler
* 1986 – Ingmar Vos, Dutch decathlete
*
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 ...
– T.J. Yates, American football player
*1988 – NaVorro Bowman, American football player
* 1988 – Percy Harvin, American football player
* 1988 – Craig Kimbrel, American baseball player
* 1988 – David Perron, Canadian ice hockey player
*1990 – Kyle Walker, English footballer
*
1991 – Danielle Lao, American tennis player
* 1991 – Kail Piho, Estonian skier
*1993 – Daniel Alvaro, Australian rugby league player
* 1993 – Bárbara Luz, Portuguese tennis player
*1994 – Alec Benjamin, American singer and songwriter
* 1994 – John Stones, English footballer
*
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 ...
– Dahyun, Kim Dahyun, South Korean rapper and singer
*
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 ...
– Cameron Boyce, American actor (died 2019)
* 1999 – Jodie Burrage, British tennis player
*2000 – Phil Foden, English footballer
* 2000 – Risi Pouri-Lane, New Zealand rugby sevens player
Deaths
Pre-1600
* 576 – Germain of Paris, French bishop and saint (born 496)
* 741 – Ucha'an K'in B'alam, Mayan king
* 926 – Kong Qian, official of Later Tang
* 926 – Li Jiji, prince of Later Tang
*1023 – Wulfstan (died 1023), Wulfstan, English archbishop
*1279 – William Wishart, Scottish bishop
*1327 – Robert Baldock, Lord Privy Seal and Lord Chancellor of England
*1357 – Afonso IV of Portugal (born 1291)
*1427 – Henry IV, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (born 1397)
*1556 – Saitō Dōsan, Japanese samurai (born 1494)
1601–1900
*1626 – Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk (born 1561)
*1651 – Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent, English politician (born 1594)
*1672 – John Trevor (1626–1672), John Trevor, Welsh politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (born 1626)
*1727 – Juan de Ayala y Escobar, Governor of Spanish Florida (1716–1718) (born 1635)
*1747 – Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French author (born 1715)
*1750 – Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (born 1720)
*1787 – Leopold Mozart, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (born 1719)
*1805 – Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (born 1743)
*1808 – Richard Hurd (bishop), Richard Hurd, English bishop (born 1720)
*1811 – Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for War (born 1742)
*1831 – William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, Scottish-English admiral (born 1756)
*1843 – Noah Webster, American lexicographer (born 1758)
*1849 – Anne Brontë, English novelist and poet (born 1820)
*1864 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian and politician (born 1808)
*
1878 – John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, English politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
(born 1792)
1901–present
*1904 – Kicking Bear, Native American tribal leader (born 1846)
*1916 – Ivan Franko, Ukrainian economist, journalist, and poet (born 1856)
*1927 – Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter and stage designer (born 1878)
*1930 – Frank Cowper, English yachtsman, author and illustrator (born 1849)
*
1937 – Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish ophthalmologist and psychologist (born 1870)
*1946 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (born 1858)
*1947 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (born 1907)
*1952 – Philippe Desranleau, Canadian archbishop (born 1882)
*1953 – Tatsuo Hori, Japanese author and poet (born 1904)
*
1964 – Terry Dillon, American football player (born 1941)
*
1968 – Fyodor Okhlopkov, Russian sergeant and sniper (born 1908)
*1971 – Audie Murphy, American soldier and actor, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1925)
*1972 – Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (born 1894)
*
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. ...
– Ezzard Charles, American boxer (born 1921)
*1976 – Zainul Abedin, Bangladeshi painter and sculptor (born 1914)
*1980 – Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician and academic (born 1895)
*1981 – Mary Lou Williams, American pianist and composer (born 1910)
* 1981 – Stefan Wyszyński, Polish cardinal (born 1901)
*1982 – H. Jones, English colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1940)
*1983 – Erastus Corning 2nd, American soldier and politician, 72nd List of mayors of Albany, New York, Mayor of Albany (born 1909)
*1984 – Eric Morecambe, English actor and comedian (born 1926)
*1984 – D'Urville Martin, American actor and director (born 1939)
*1986 – Edip Cansever, Turkish poet and author (born 1928)
*1988 – Sy Oliver, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (born 1910)
*1990 – Julius Eastman, American composer (born 1940)
*1994 – Julius Boros, American golfer (born 1920)
* 1994 – Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American author and academic (born 1916)
*
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 ...
– Phil Hartman, Canadian-American actor and comedian (born 1948)
*
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 ...
– Michael Barkai, Israeli commander (born 1935)
* 1999 – B. Vittalacharya, Indian director and producer (born 1920)
*2000 – George Irving Bell, American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (born 1926)
*2001 – Joe Moakley, American lawyer and politician (born 1927)
* 2001 – Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (born 1946)
*
2002 – Mildred Benson, American journalist and author (born 1905)
*
2003 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (born 1933)
* 2003 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917)
* 2003 – Martha Scott, American actress (born 1912)
*
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 ...
– Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (born 1979)
* 2004 – John Tolos, Greek-Canadian wrestler (born 1930)
*2006 – Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (born 1920)
*2007 – Jörg Immendorff, German painter, sculptor, and academic (born 1945)
* 2007 – Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), Japanese Minister of Agriculture (born 1945)
*
2008 – Beryl Cook, English painter and illustrator (born 1926)
*
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 ...
– Gary Coleman, American actor (born 1968)
*
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 ...
– Gino Valenzano, Italian racing driver (born 1920)
*
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 ...
– Bob Edwards (UK journalist), Bob Edwards, English journalist (born 1925)
* 2012 – Yuri Susloparov, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (born 1958)
*
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 ...
– Viktor Kulikov, Russian commander (born 1921)
* 2013 – Eddie Romero, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1924)
* 2013 – Gerd Schmückle, German general (born 1917)
*2014 – Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet (born 1928)
* 2014 – Stan Crowther (footballer), Stan Crowther, English footballer (born 1935)
* 2014 – Oscar Dystel, American publisher (born 1912)
* 2014 – Malcolm Glazer, American businessman (born 1928)
* 2014 – Bob Houbregs, Canadian-American basketball player and manager (born 1932)
* 2014 – Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer (born 1971)
*2015 – Steven Gerber, American pianist and composer (born 1948)
* 2015 – Johnny Keating, Scottish trombonist, composer, and producer (born 1927)
* 2015 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (born 1940)
*
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 ...
–
Harambe, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati Zoo western lowland gorilla (born 1999)
*2018 – Neale Cooper, Scottish footballer (born 1963)
* 2018 – Jens Christian Skou, Danish medical doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918)
* 2018 – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (born 1941)
*2021 – Mark Eaton, American basketball player (born 1957)
*2022 – Patricia Brake, English actress (born 1942)
*2023 – David Brewer (broker), David Brewer, English politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (born 1940)
Holidays and observances
*Armed Forces Day (Croatia)
*Christian Calendar of saints, feast day:
**Bernard of Menthon
**Germain of Paris
**John Calvin (Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church)
**Lanfranc
**Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, Margaret Pole
**William of Gellone
**May 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Downfall of the Derg (holiday), Downfall of the Derg (
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
)
*Flag Day (Philippines)
*Menstrual Hygiene Day
*Republic Day (Nepal)
*Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, TDFR Republic Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the
First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia, was an independent History of Armenia, Armenian state that existed from May (28th ''de jure'', 30th ''de facto'') 1918 to 2 December 1920 in ...
and the
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918. (Azerbaijan and Armenia)
*
Youm-e-Takbir (Pakistan)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on May 28
{{months
Days of May