Events
Pre-1600
*
380 –
Theodosius I
Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...
makes his ''
adventus'', or formal entry, into
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
.
*
1190 –
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat (Italian language, Italian: ''Corrado del Monferrato''; Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ''Conrà ëd Monfrà'') (c. 1146 – 28 April 1192) was a nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the '' ...
becomes
King of Jerusalem
The king or queen of Jerusalem was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a Crusader state founded in Jerusalem by the Latin Church, Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade, when the city was Siege of Jerusalem (1099), conquered in ...
upon his marriage to
Isabella I of Jerusalem.
*
1221 –
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
defeats the renegade
Khwarazmian prince
Jalal al-Din at the
Battle of the Indus, completing the
Mongol conquest of Central Asia
Mongol campaigns in Central Asia occurred after the unification of the Mongol and Turkic peoples, Turkic tribes on the Mongolian plateau in 1206. Smaller military operations of the Mongol Empire in Central Asia included the destruction of survivi ...
.
*
1227 –
Gąsawa massacre: At an assembly of
Piast dukes at
Gąsawa, Polish Prince
Leszek the White
Leszek the White (; c. 1184/85 – 24 November 1227) was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland in the years 1194–1198, 1199, 1206–1210, and 1211–1227. During the early stages of his reign, his uncle Duke Mieszko III the Old and ...
, Duke
Henry the Bearded and others are attacked by assassins while bathing.
*
1248 – An overnight landslide on the north side of
Mont Granier, one of the largest historical rockslope failures ever recorded in Europe, destroys five villages.
*
1359 –
Peter I of Cyprus
Peter I (9 October 1328 – 17 January 1369) was King of Cyprus and titular King of Jerusalem from his father's abdication on 24 November 1358 until his death in 1369. He was invested as titular Count of Tripoli in 1346. As King of Cyprus, ...
ascends the throne of Cyprus after his father,
Hugh IV of Cyprus, abdicates.
*
1429 –
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
:
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 ...
unsuccessfully
besieges La Charité.
*
1542 –
Battle of Solway Moss: An English army defeats a much larger Scottish force near the
River Esk in
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the no ...
.
1601–1900
*
1642
Events
January–March
* January 4 – King Charles I of England, accompanied by soldiers, arrives at a session of the Long Parliament and attempts to arrest his chief opponents, the Five Members, John Hampden, Arthur Haselri ...
–
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch sea explorer, seafarer and exploration, explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first European to reach New ...
becomes the first European to discover the island
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania during the European exploration of Australia, European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal Tasmanians, Aboriginal-inhabited island wa ...
(later renamed
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
).
*
1750 –
Tarabai, regent of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
, imprisons
Rajaram II of Satara for refusing to remove
Balaji Baji Rao from the post of
peshwa
The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...
.
*
1832 –
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 ...
passes the
Ordinance of Nullification, declaring that the
Tariffs of 1828 and
1832 were null and void in the state, beginning the
Nullification Crisis.
*
1835 – The Texas Provincial Government
authorizes the creation of a horse-mounted police force called the Texas Rangers (which is now the
Texas Ranger Division of the
Texas Department of Public Safety).
*
1850 – Danish troops
defeat a
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
force in the town of
Lottorf, Schleswig-Holstein.
*
1859 – British naturalist
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
's ''
On the Origin of Species
''On the Origin of Species'' (or, more completely, ''On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life'')The book's full original title was ''On the Origin of Species by M ...
'' is published.
[ "Schools trying to link religious, moral and spiritual education into the wider framework of group assemblies will find here a calendar listing the main religious festivals of the six main faiths, the United Nation's designated days of concern, profile-raising days of the main British charities, anniversaries of major figures whose lives embodied important values and days of special interest to those dealing with children �� November24 Evolution Day (Humanist - publication of Origin of Species)"]
*
1863 –
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 ...
:
Battle of Lookout Mountain: Near
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
,
Union forces under General
Ulysses S. Grant capture
Lookout Mountain and begin to break the
Confederate siege of the city led by General
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army Officer (armed forces), officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate General officers in the Confederate States Army, general in th ...
.
*
1877
Events January
* January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom .
* January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...
–
Anna Sewell's
animal welfare
Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...
novel ''
Black Beauty'' is published.
1901–present
*
1906 – A 13–6 victory by the
Massillon Tigers over their rivals, the
Canton Bulldogs, for the "
Ohio League" Championship, leads to accusations that the championship series was
fixed and results in
the first major scandal in professional
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
.
*
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 ...
– In
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, nine members of the
Milwaukee Police Department are
killed by a bomb, the most deaths in a single event in U.S. police history until the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
in
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 ...
.
*
1922 – Nine
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
members are
executed by an
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
firing squad. Among them is author
Erskine Childers, who had been arrested for illegally carrying a revolver.
*
1929 – The Finnish far-right
Lapua Movement officially begins when a group of mainly the former
White Guard members, led by
Vihtori Kosola, interrupted
communism
Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
occasion at the Workers' House in
Lapua, Finland.
*
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 Washington, D.C., the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (better known as the
FBI Crime Lab) officially opens.
*
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 ...
– The
Senegalese Socialist Party holds its second congress.
*
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 ...
–
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 ...
: The
First Slovak Republic becomes a signatory to the
Tripartite Pact, officially joining the
Axis powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
.
*
1941 – World War II: The United States grants
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft)
* 28 naval vessels:
** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign)
* ...
to the
Free French Forces
__NOTOC__
The French Liberation Army ( ; AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (; FFL) during World War II. The military force of Free France, it participated ...
.
*
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 � ...
– World War II: At the
battle of Makin the is torpedoed near
Tarawa and sinks, killing 650 men.
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
– World War II: The
73rd Bombardment Wing launches the first
attack on Tokyo from the
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States consistin ...
.
*
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 ...
–
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
: The
West Berlin
West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...
branch of the
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Mar ...
forms a separate party, the
Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin.
* 1962 – The influential British satirical television programme ''
That Was the Week That Was'' is first broadcast.
*
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 ...
–
Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President
John F. Kennedy, is killed by
Jack Ruby on live television.
Robert H. Jackson takes a photograph of the shooting that will win the
1964 Pulitzer Prize in
Photography
Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
.
*
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 ...
–
Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seizes power in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
and becomes
President; he rules the country (which he renames
Zaire
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...
in 1971) for over 30 years, until being overthrown by rebels in 1997.
*
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 ...
– Bulgarian
TABSO Flight 101 crashes near
Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
,
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, killing all 82 people on board.
*
1969 –
Apollo program
The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
: The
Apollo 12 command module splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean, ending the second crewed mission to land on the Moon.
*
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 ...
– During a severe thunderstorm over
Washington state, a
hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (aka
D. B. Cooper) parachutes from a
Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money. He has never been found.
*
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 ...
– A national speed limit is imposed on the
Autobahn
The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'.
Much of t ...
in Germany because of the
1973 oil crisis
In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...
. The speed limit lasts only four months.
*
1974 –
Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discover the 40% complete ''
Australopithecus afarensis
''Australopithecus afarensis'' is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from about 3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya) in the Pliocene of East Africa. The first fossils were discovered in the 1930s, but major fossil finds would not ta ...
'' skeleton, nicknamed "
Lucy
Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...
" (after
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
song "
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), in the
Awash Valley of
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 ...
's
Afar Depression.
*
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 ...
– The
Çaldıran–Muradiye earthquake in eastern Turkey kills between 4,000 and 5,000 people.
*
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 ...
– After a week of mass protests against the Communist regime known as the
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...
,
Miloš Jakeš and the entire Politburo of the
Czechoslovak Communist Party resign from office. This brings an effective end to
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia.
*
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 ...
–
Space Shuttle program:
''Atlantis'' launches on
STS-44.
*
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 ...
–
China Southern Airlines Flight 3943 crashes on approach to
Guilin Qifengling Airport in
Guilin
Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the we ...
, China, killing all 141 people on board.
*
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 ...
–
Crossair Flight 3597 crashes in
Bassersdorf near
Zurich Airport
Zurich Airport is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the airline hub, principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, and, with its surface transport links, much of the rest o ...
, killing 24 people, including singer
Melanie Thornton and two members of the German band
Passion Fruit.
*
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 ...
– The
Avdhela Project, an
Aromanian digital library
A digital library (also called an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, a library without walls, or a digital collection) is an online database of digital resources that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital ...
and cultural initiative, is founded 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 ...
, Romania.
*
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 ...
–
A fire at a clothing factory in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
, Bangladesh, kills at least 112 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 ...
–
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
signs an interim
agreement with the
P5+1 countries, limiting its
nuclear program in exchange for reduced
sanctions.
*
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 ...
– A
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...
Sukhoi Su-24
The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, night fighter, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, Twinjet, twin engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for it ...
fighter jet is
shot down by the
Turkish Air Force
The Turkish Air Force () is the Air force, air and space force of the Turkish Armed Forces. It traces its origins to 1 June 1911 when it was founded as the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons, Aviation Squadrons by the Ottoman Empire. It was composed ...
over the
Syria–Turkey border, killing one of the two pilots; a Russian marine is also killed during a subsequent rescue effort.
* 2015 – A
terrorist attack
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...
on a hotel in
Al-Arish, Egypt, kills at least seven people and injures 12 others.
* 2015 – An
explosion on a bus carrying
Tunisian Presidential Guard personnel in Tunisia's capital
Tunis
Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...
leaves at least 14 people dead.
*
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 ...
– The government of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People's Army sign a revised
peace deal, bringing an end to
the country's more than 50-year-long civil war.
*
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 ...
– A
terrorist attack
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...
on a Mosque in
Al-Rawda, North Sinai, Egypt kills 311 people and injures 128.
*
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 ...
– Five days after
the general elections which resulted in a
hung parliament
A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system (typically employing Majoritarian representation, majoritarian electoral systems) to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing ...
,
opposition leader and
former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim is officially named as
the 10th prime minister of Malaysia.
*
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
– ''
Hibiscus Rising'', commemorating
David Oluwale, is unveiled in Leeds.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1273 –
Alphonso, Earl of Chester (died 1284)
*
1394 –
Charles, Duke of Orléans
Charles of Orléans (24 November 1394 – 5 January 1465) was Duke of Orléans from 1407, following the murder of his father, Louis I, Duke of Orléans. He was also Duke of Valois, Count of Beaumont-sur-Oise and of Blois, Lord of Coucy, ...
(died 1465)
*
1427 –
John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman (died 1473)
*
1472 –
Pietro Torrigiano, Italian sculptor (died 1528)
*
1583 –
Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet and painter (died 1641)
* 1583 –
Philip Massinger, English dramatist (died 1640)
*
1594 –
Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent, English politician,
Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire (died 1651)
1601–1900
*
1603 –
John, Count of Nassau-Idstein (1629–1677) (died 1677)
*
1615 –
Philip William, Elector Palatine (died 1690)
*
1630 –
Étienne Baluze, French scholar and academic (died 1718)
*
1632
Events
January–March
* January 8 – University of Amsterdam is established at the site of the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam.
* January 31 – The dissection of a body for the benefit of medical students is carried o ...
–
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch (de) Spinoza (24 November 163221 February 1677), also known under his Latinized pen name Benedictus de Spinoza, was a philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, who was born in the Dutch Republic. A forerunner of the Age of Enlightenmen ...
, Dutch philosopher and scholar (died 1677)
*
1655 –
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI or Carl (; ) was List of Swedish monarchs, King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of History of Sweden, Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721).
He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden ...
(died 1697)
*
1690 –
Charles Theodore Pachelbel, German organist and composer (died 1750)
*
1712
In the Swedish calendar it began as a leap year starting on Monday and remained so until Thursday, February 29. By adding a second leap day, Friday, February 30, Sweden reverted to the Julian calendar and the rest of the year (from Saturday, M ...
–
Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French priest and educator (died 1789)
* 1712 –
Ali II ibn Hussein, Tunisian ruler (died 1782)
*
1713 –
Junípero Serra, Spanish priest and missionary (died 1784)
* 1713 –
Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist and clergyman (died 1768)
*
1724 –
Maria Amalia of Saxony (died 1760)
*
1729 –
Alexander Suvorov
Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire.
Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...
, Russian field marshal (died 1800)
*
1745 –
Maria Luisa of Spain (died 1792)
*
1774 –
Thomas Dick, Scottish minister, author, and educator (died 1857)
*
1784 –
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...
, American general and politician, 12th
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
(died 1850)
*
1801 –
Ludwig Bechstein, German author and poet (died 1860)
*
1806 –
William Webb Ellis, English priest, created
Rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league.
Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...
(died 1872)
*
1811 –
Ulrich Ochsenbein, Swiss lawyer and politician,
President of the Swiss National Council (died 1890)
*
1812 –
Xavier Hommaire de Hell, French geographer and engineer (died 1848)
*
1826 –
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini (; 24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi ( ; ), was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio''.
Early lif ...
, Italian journalist and author (died 1890)
*
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 ...
–
John Alfred Brashear, American scientist, telescope maker and educator (died 1920)
*
1849 –
Frances Hodgson Burnett, English-American novelist and playwright (died 1924)
*
1851 –
John Indermaur, British lawyer (died 1925)
*
1857
Events January–March
* January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, '' Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen.
* January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating.
* Ja ...
–
Miklós Kovács, Hungarian-Slovene poet and songwriter (died 1937)
*
1859 –
Cass Gilbert
Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of Early skyscrapers, skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minneso ...
, American architect, designed the
United States Supreme Court Building
The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. The building serves as the official workplace of the Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice o ...
and
Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building is a residential building and early skyscraper at 233 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Cass Gilbert, it was the tallest building in the world f ...
(died 1934)
*
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 ...
–
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Count, ''Comte'' Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose immersion in the colour ...
, French painter and illustrator (died 1901)
*
1868 –
Scott Joplin, American pianist and composer (died 1917)
*
1869 –
Óscar Carmona, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 11th
President of Portugal
The president of Portugal, officially the president of the Portuguese Republic (, ), is the head of state and highest office of Portugal.
The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, and their relation with the prime minister ...
(died 1951)
*
1873 –
Julius Martov, Russian politician (died 1923)
* 1873 –
Herbert Roper Barrett, English tennis player (died 1943)
*
1874 –
Charles William Miller, Brazilian footballer and referee (died 1953)
*
1876
Events
January
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
*January 27 – The Northampton Bank robbery occurs in Massachusetts.
February
* Febr ...
–
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He designed Canberra, Australia's capital city, the New South Wales towns of Griffith, New South Wales, Griffith and Leeton, New So ...
, American architect and urban planner, designed
Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
(died 1937)
*
1877
Events January
* January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom .
* January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...
–
Alben W. Barkley, American lawyer and politician, 35th
Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
(died 1956)
* 1877 –
Kavasji Jamshedji Petigara, Indian police officer (died 1941)
*
1879 –
Wylie Cameron Grant, American tennis player (died 1968)
*
1881 –
Al Christie
Charles Herbert Christie (April 13, 1882 – October 1, 1955) and Alfred Ernest Christie (November 23, 1886 – April 14, 1951) were Canadian motion picture entrepreneurs.
Early life
Charles Herbert Christie was born between April 13, ...
, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1951)
* 1881 –
Ye Gongchuo, Chinese politician, poet, and calligrapher (died 1968)
*
1882 –
Nikolai Janson, Russian politician (died 1938)
*
1884 –
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Ukrainian-Israeli historian and politician, 2nd
President of Israel
The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...
(died 1963)
*
1885 –
Theodor Altermann, Estonian actor, director, and producer (died 1915)
* 1885 –
Christian Wirth, German
SS officer (died 1944)
*
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 ...
–
Margaret Caroline Anderson, American publisher, founded ''
The Little Review'' (died 1973)
*
1887 –
Raoul Paoli, French boxer and rower (died 1960)
* 1887 –
Erich von Manstein, German field marshal (died 1973)
*
1888 –
Dale Carnegie, American author and educator (died 1955)
* 1888 –
Fredrick Willius, American cardiologist and author (died 1972)
*
1891 –
Vasil Gendov, Bulgarian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1970)
*
1893 –
Charles F. Hurley, American soldier and politician, 54th
Governor of Massachusetts
The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...
(died 1946)
*
1894 –
Herbert Sutcliffe, English cricketer and businessman (died 1978)
*
1895 –
Esther Applin, American geologist and paleontologist (died 1972)
*
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 ...
–
Lucky Luciano
Charles "Lucky" Luciano ( ; ; born Salvatore Lucania ; November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962) was an Italian gangster who operated mainly in the United States. He started his criminal career in the Five Points Gang and was instrumental in the ...
, Italian-American mob boss (died 1962)
* 1897 –
Dorothy Shepherd-Barron, English tennis player (died 1953)
*
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 ...
–
Ward Morehouse, American author, playwright, and critic (died 1966)
1901–present
*
1904 –
Albert Ross Tilley, Canadian captain and surgeon (died 1988)
*
1908 –
Libertad Lamarque, Argentinian actress and singer (died 2000)
*
1910 –
Larry Siemering, American football player and coach (died 2009)
*
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 ...
–
Kirby Grant, American actor (died 1985)
* 1911 –
Joe Medwick, American baseball player and manager (died 1975)
*
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 ...
–
Bernard Delfgaauw, Dutch philosopher and academic (died 1993)
* 1912 –
Garson Kanin
Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films.
Early life
Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his Jewish family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He at ...
, American director and screenwriter (died 1999)
* 1912 –
Joan Sanderson, English actress (died 1992)
* 1912 –
Charles Schneeman, American soldier and illustrator (died 1972)
* 1912 –
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive Swing music, swing pianist", Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic. His style was high ...
, American pianist and educator (died 1986)
*
1913 –
Howard Duff
Howard Green Duff (November 24, 1913July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career ...
, American actor, director, and producer (died 1990)
* 1913 –
Geraldine Fitzgerald, Irish-American actress (died 2005)
*
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 ...
–
Lynn Chadwick, English sculptor (died 2003)
* 1914 –
Bessie Blount Griffin, American physical therapist, inventor and forensic scientist (died 2009)
*
1916 –
Forrest J Ackerman, American soldier and author (died 2008)
* 1917 –
Shabtai Rosenne, English-Israeli academic, jurist, and diplomat (died 2010)
*
1919 –
David Kossoff, English actor and screenwriter (died 2005)
*
1921 –
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, the mayor of New York City, and a candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regu ...
, American lawyer and politician, 103rd
Mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...
(died 2000)
*
1922 –
Claus Moser, Baron Moser, German-English statistician and academic (died 2015)
*
1924 –
Eileen Barton, American singer (died 2006)
* 1924 –
Lorne Munroe
Lorne Munroe (November 24, 1924 – May 4, 2020) was an American cellist.Gibson, Ronald and Winters, Kenneth"Munroe, Lorne*, ''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''. Accessed March 12, 2009 He was principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra from ...
, Canadian-American cellist and educator (died 2020)
*
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 ...
–
William F. Buckley, Jr., American publisher and author, founded the ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich L ...
'' (died 2008)
* 1925 –
Simon van der Meer, Dutch-Swiss 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 2011)
*
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 ...
–
Tsung-Dao Lee, Chinese-American physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate (died 2024)
*
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
–
Ahmadou Kourouma, Ivorian-French author and playwright (died 2003)
* 1927 –
Alfredo Kraus
Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...
, Spanish tenor (died 1999)
* 1927 –
Emma Lou Diemer, American composer (died 2024)
* 1927 –
Kevin Skinner, New Zealand rugby player (died 2014)
*
1929 –
Franciszek Kokot, Polish nephrologist and endocrinologist (died 2021)
* 1929 –
George Moscone, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th
Mayor of San Francisco (died 1978)
*
1930 –
Ken Barrington, English cricketer (died 1981)
* 1930 –
Bob Friend, American baseball player and politician (died 2019)
*
1931 –
Tommy Allsup, American guitarist (died 2017)
* 1931 –
Arthur Chaskalson, South African lawyer and judge, 18th
Chief Justice of South Africa (died 2012)
*
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 ...
–
Claudio Naranjo, Chilean psychiatrist (died 2019)
* 1932 –
Fred Titmus, English cricketer and coach (died 2011)
*
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 ...
–
John Sheridan, English rugby player and coach (died 2012)
*
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 ...
–
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer. Among the most performed and recorded composers of late 20th-century classical music, he is described by musicologist Ivan Moody (composer), Ivan Moody as a ...
, German-Russian journalist and composer (died 1998)
*
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 ...
–
Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Bahraini politician,
Prime Minister of Bahrain (died 2020)
* 1935 –
Ron Dellums, American soldier and politician, 48th
Mayor of Oakland
The city of Oakland, California, was founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1854. The city uses a strong mayor form of government. Until the early 20th century, all Oakland mayors served terms of only one or two years each. Oakland mayors now serv ...
(died 2018)
* 1935 –
Mordicai Gerstein, American author, illustrator, and director (died 2019)
*
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 ...
–
Willy Claes, Belgian conductor and politician, 8th
Secretary General of NATO
* 1938 –
Oscar Robertson, American basketball player and sportscaster
* 1938 –
Charles Starkweather, American spree killer (died 1959)
*
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 ...
–
Marshall Berman, American philosopher and Marxist humanist writer (died 2013)
* 1940 –
Paul Tagliabue, American lawyer and businessman, 5th Commissioner of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
* 1940 –
Eric Wilson, Canadian author and educator
*
1941 –
Pete Best, Indian-English drummer and songwriter
* 1941 –
Donald "Duck" Dunn, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 2012)
* 1941 –
Wayne Jackson, American trumpeter (died 2016)
*
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 ...
–
Billy Connolly, Scottish comedian and actor
* 1942 –
Marlin Fitzwater, American soldier and journalist, 17th
White House Press Secretary
* 1942 –
Jean Ping, Gabonese politician and diplomat
* 1942 –
Andrew Stunell, English minister and politician (died 2024)
*
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 � ...
–
Dave Bing, American basketball player and politician, 70th
Mayor of Detroit
This is a list of mayors of Detroit, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2014.
History of Detroit's executive authority
During the earliest part of its history, Detroit was a ...
* 1943 –
Richard Tee, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (died 1993)
* 1943 –
Margaret E. M. Tolbert, American chemist and academic
* 1943 –
Robin Williamson, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
*
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 ...
–
Bev Bevan, English drummer
* 1944 –
Candy Darling, American model and actress (died 1974)
* 1944 –
Ibrahim Gambari, Nigerian academic and diplomat, 9th
Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
* 1944 –
Dan Glickman
Daniel Robert Glickman (born November 24, 1944) is an American politician, lawyer, lobbyist, and nonprofit leader. He served as the United States secretary of agriculture from 1995 until 2001 in the Clinton administration. He previously represen ...
, American businessman and politician, 26th
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments
The department includes several organi ...
*
1945 –
Nuruddin Farah
Nuruddin Farah (, ) (born 24 November 1945) is a Somali novelist. His first novel, '' From a Crooked Rib'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East African literature today". Farah has also written ...
, Somali novelist
* 1945 –
Lee Michaels, American singer-songwriter and musician
*
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 ...
–
Ted Bundy, American serial killer (died 1989)
* 1946 –
Tony Clarkin, English guitarist and songwriter (died 2024)
* 1946 –
Penny Jordan, English author (died 2011)
* 1946 –
Roberto Chale, Peruvian footballer (died 2024)
*
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 ...
–
Dwight Schultz, American actor
* 1947 –
Dave Sinclair, English keyboard 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) ...
–
Spider Robinson, American-Canadian author and critic
* 1948 –
Rudy Tomjanovich, American basketball player and coach
* 1948 –
Steve Yeager, American baseball player and coach
*
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 ...
–
Henry Bibby, American basketball player and coach
* 1949 –
Shane Bourne, Australian comedian, actor, and television host
* 1949 –
Ewen Cameron, Baron Cameron of Dillington, English politician
* 1949 –
Sally Davies, English hematologist and academic
*
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 ...
–
Bob Burns, American drummer and songwriter (died 2015)
* 1950 –
Stanley Livingston, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
*
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 ...
–
Mimis Androulakis, Greek author and politician
* 1951 –
Chet Edwards, American businessman and politician
* 1951 –
Margaret Mountford, Northern Irish-British lawyer and businesswoman
* 1951 –
Graham Price, Egyptian-Welsh rugby player
*
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, ...
–
Rachel Chagall, American actress
* 1952 –
Norbert Haug, German journalist and businessman
* 1952 –
Thierry Lhermitte, French actor, producer, and screenwriter
* 1952 –
Parveen Shakir, Pakistani Urdu poet (died 1994)
* 1952 –
Jim Sheridan, Scottish politician (died 2022)
* 1952 –
Ken Wilson, Australian rugby league player (died 2022)
*
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 ...
–
Clem Burke, American drummer (died 2025)
* 1954 –
Emir Kusturica, Serbian actor, director, and screenwriter
* 1954 –
Margaret Wetherell, English psychologist and academic
*
1955 –
Ian Botham, English cricketer, footballer, and sportscaster
* 1955 –
Scott Hoch, American golfer
* 1955 –
Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Swedish politician,
Swedish Minister for Culture
* 1955 –
Najib Mikati
Najib Azmi Mikati (born 24 November 1955) is a Lebanese politician and businessman who served as the 52nd prime minister of Lebanon from 2021 to 2025. He previously served in this post as the 48th and 45th prime minister from 2011 to 2014 and i ...
, Lebanese businessman and politician, 31st
Prime Minister of Lebanon
The prime minister of Lebanon, officially the president of the Council of Ministers, is the head of government and the head of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Lebanon, with the consen ...
* 1955 –
Takashi Yuasa, Japanese lawyer and author
*
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 ...
–
Terry Lewis, American musician, producer, and songwriter
* 1956 –
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, American actor, playwright, and director
*
1957
Events January
* January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany.
* January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
* January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
–
Denise Crosby, American actress and producer
* 1957 –
Edward Stourton, English journalist and author
*
1958 –
Roy Aitken, Scottish footballer and manager
* 1958 –
Margaret Curran, Scottish academic and politician
* 1958 –
Nick Knight, British photographer
*
1959 –
Todd Brooker, Canadian skier and sportscaster
*
1960 –
Edgar Meyer, American bassist and composer
*
1961 –
Carlos Carnero, Spanish lawyer and politician
* 1961 –
Arundhati Roy
Suzanna Arundhati Roy (; born 24 November 1961) is an Indian author best known for her novel ''The God of Small Things'' (1997), which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. ...
, Indian writer and 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 ...
–
John Kovalic, English author and illustrator
* 1962 –
John Squire, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1962 –
Paul Thorburn, German-Welsh rugby player and manager
* 1962 –
Ioannis Topalidis, Greek footballer and manager
* 1962 –
Tracey Wickham, Australian swimmer
*
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 ...
–
Neale Cooper, Scottish footballer (died 2018)
*
1964 –
Garret Dillahunt, American actor
* 1964 –
Conleth Hill, Northern Irish actor
* 1964 –
Brad Sherwood, American actor and game show host
*
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 ...
–
Shirley Henderson, Scottish actress
*
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 ...
–
Russell Watson, English tenor and actor
*
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 ...
–
Henrik Brockmann, Danish singer-songwriter
* 1967 –
Jon Hein, American radio personality
*
1968 –
Bülent Korkmaz, Turkish footballer and manager
* 1968 –
Scott Krinsky, American actor and comedian
* 1968 –
Dawn Robinson, American singer and actress
*
1969 –
David Adeang
David Ranibok Waiau Adeang (born 24 November 1969) is a Nauruan politician, currently serving as President of Nauru. Adeang is the former Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru, and Nauru's Minister of Finance and Justice, as well as the Minist ...
, Nauruan lawyer and politician
* 1969 –
Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sri Lankan cricketer
* 1969 –
Rob Nicholson, American bass player and songwriter
*
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 ...
–
Doug Brien, American football player
* 1970 –
Julieta Venegas, American-Mexican singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
* 1970 –
Ashley Ward, English footballer and businessman
*
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 ...
–
Lola Glaudini, American actress
* 1971 –
Cosmas Ndeti, Kenyan runner
* 1971 –
Keith Primeau, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
*
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, ...
–
Ruxandra Dragomir, Romanian tennis player
* 1972 –
Marek Lemsalu, Estonian footballer
*
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 ...
–
Alejandro Ávila, Mexican actor
* 1973 –
Danielle Nicolet, American actress
*
1974 –
Amy Faye Hayes, American boxing ring announcer and model
* 1974 –
Stephen Merchant, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
* 1974 –
Machel Montano, Trinidadian singer-songwriter and producer
* 1974 –
Tarō Yamamoto, Japanese actor and politician
*
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. ...
–
Thomas Kohnstamm, American author
*
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 ...
–
Mona Hanna-Attisha, British-American pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate
* 1976 –
Christian Laflamme, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1976 –
Chen Lu, Chinese figure skater
*
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 ...
–
Colin Hanks, American actor
* 1977 –
Celaleddin Koçak, German-Turkish footballer
*
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
–
Katherine Heigl, American actress and producer
*
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 ...
–
Joseba Llorente, Spanish footballer
*1979 –
Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter "fastest woman alive".
* 1979 –
Horacio Ramírez, Mexican-American baseball 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 ...
–
Kabir Ali, English cricketer
* 1980 –
Brandon Hunter, American basketball player (died 2023)
* 1980 –
Beth Phoenix, American wrestler
* 1980 –
Branko Radivojevič, Slovak ice hockey player
*
1982 –
Ryan Fitzpatrick, American football player
* 1982 –
Sean O'Loughlin, English rugby 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 ...
–
Dean Ashton, English footballer
* 1983 –
Lars Eckert, German rugby player
* 1983 –
André Laurito, German footballer
* 1983 –
Gwilym Lee, Welsh actor
* 1983 –
José López, Venezuelan baseball player
* 1983 –
Shavlik Randolph, American basketball player
* 1983 –
Karine Vanasse, Canadian actress and producer
*
1984 –
David Booth, American ice hockey player
* 1984 –
Maria Höfl-Riesch, German skier
*
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 ...
–
Julia Alexandratou, Greek model, actress, and singer
*
1986 –
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham (born November 24, 1986) is an American professional American football, football tight end. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. Graham has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, G ...
, American football player
* 1986 –
Pedro León, Spanish footballer
*
1988 –
Jarrod Parker, American baseball player
*
1990 –
Mario Gaspar, Spanish footballer
* 1990 –
Sarah Hyland, American actress
* 1990 –
Tom Odell
Thomas Peter Odell (born 24 November 1990) is an English singer-songwriter. He released his debut extended play, ''Songs from Another Love'', in 2012. He won the 2013 BRIT Awards, BRITs Critics' Choice Award in early 2013. Odell's debut studio ...
, English singer-songwriter
* 1990 –
Michael Oldfield, Australian rugby league player
*
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 ...
–
Sergei Kulbach, Ukrainian figure skater (died 2023)
*
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
–
Ivi Adamou, Cypriot-Greek singer-songwriter
* 1993 –
Joe Pigott, English footballer
*
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
–
Nabil Bentaleb, Algerian footballer
*
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 ...
–
Marcus Bontempelli, Australian 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 ...
–
Jeremy Swayman, American ice hockey player
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
654
__NOTOC__
Year 654 (Roman numerals, DCLIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 654 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent ...
–
Emperor Kōtoku of Japan (born 596)
*
1072 –
Bagrat IV of Georgia (born 1018)
*
1227 –
Leszek I the White, High Duke of Poland (born c. 1186)
*
1265 –
Magnús Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles
*
1326
Year 1326 (Roman numerals, MCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.
Events January – March
* January 21 – The foundation of Oriel College, Oxford, Oriel College (or King's College), the University ...
–
Hugh Despenser the Younger, English courtier (born 1296)
*
1426 –
Elizabeth of Lancaster, Duchess of Exeter, (born c. 1363)
*
1468 –
Jean de Dunois, French soldier (born 1402)
*
1492
Year 1492 ( MCDXCII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
1492 is considered to be a significant year in the history of the West, Europe, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Spain, and the New World, among others, because of the ...
–
Loys of Gruuthuse, Earl of
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
(born c. 1427)
*
1530 –
Mingyi Nyo, Burmese ruler (born 1459)
*
1531 –
Johannes Oecolampadius, German theologian and reformer (born 1482)
*
1572 –
John Knox
John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...
, Scottish pastor and theologian (born 1510)
*
1583 –
René de Birague, French cardinal (born 1506)
1601–1900
*
1615 –
Sethus Calvisius, German composer and theorist (born 1556)
*
1642
Events
January–March
* January 4 – King Charles I of England, accompanied by soldiers, arrives at a session of the Long Parliament and attempts to arrest his chief opponents, the Five Members, John Hampden, Arthur Haselri ...
–
Walatta Petros, saint in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (born 1592)
*
1650 –
Manuel Cardoso, Portuguese organist and composer (born 1566)
*
1675
Events
January–March
* January 5 – Franco-Dutch War – Battle of Turckheim: The French defeat Austria and Brandenburg.
* January 29 – John Sassamon, an English-educated Native American Christian, dies at Assaw ...
–
Guru Tegh Bahadur, Indian guru (born 1621)
*
1722 –
Johann Adam Reincken, Dutch-German organist and composer (born 1623)
*
1741 –
Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden (born 1688)
*
1770 –
Charles-Jean-François Hénault, French historian and author (born 1685)
*
1775 –
Lorenzo Ricci, Italian religious leader, 18th
Superior General of the Society of Jesus (born 1703)
*
1781
Events
January–March
* January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament of Great Britain, Parliament, aged 21.
* January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens ...
–
James Caldwell, American minister (born 1734)
*
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 ...
–
Clément Charles François de Laverdy, French lawyer and politician,
French Minister of Finance (born 1723)
*
1801 –
Franz Moritz von Lacy, Austrian field marshal (born 1725)
* 1801 –
Philip Hamilton, Oldest son of Alexander Hamilton (born 1782)
*
1807 –
Joseph Brant, American tribal leader (born 1742)
*
1848 –
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, 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 1779)
*
1870
Events
January
* January 1
** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England.
** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed.
* January 3 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge be ...
–
Comte de Lautréamont, Uruguayan-French poet and author (born 1846)
*
1885 –
Nicolás Avellaneda, Argentinian journalist and politician, 8th
President of Argentina
The president of Argentina, officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation, is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Argentina, the national constitution, the president is also the Head of go ...
(born 1837)
*
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 ...
–
August Belmont
August Belmont Sr. (born Aron Belmont; December 8, 1813November 24, 1890) was a German-American financier, diplomat, and politician. He served as Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1860 to 1872. He was also a thoroughbred racehors ...
, German-American banker and politician, 16th
United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
The United States diplomatic mission to the Netherlands consists of the embassy located in The Hague and a consular office located in Amsterdam.
In 1782, John Adams was appointed America's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland. According t ...
(born 1816)
*
1895 –
Ludwik Teichmann, Polish anatomist (born 1823)
1901–present
*
1916 –
Hiram Maxim, American-English engineer, invented the
Maxim gun (born 1840)
*
1920 –
Lado Aleksi-Meskhishvili, Georgian actor and director (born 1857)
* 1920 –
Alexandru Macedonski, Romanian author and poet (born 1854)
*
1922 –
Erskine Childers, executed Irish soldier, journalist, and author (born 1870)
*
1929 –
Georges Clemenceau, French physician, publisher, and politician, 72nd
Prime Minister of France
The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers.
The prime ...
(born 1841)
*
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 ...
–
William Arnon Henry American academic and agriculturist (born 1850)
*
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 � ...
–
Doris Miller, American soldier and chef,
Navy Cross recipient (born 1919)
*
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) ...
–
Anna Jarvis, American founder of
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Mar ...
(born 1864)
*
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 ...
–
Mamie Dillard, African American educator, clubwoman and suffragist (born 1874)
*
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 ...
–
Guido Cantelli, Italian conductor (born 1920)
*
1957
Events January
* January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany.
* January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
* January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
–
Diego Rivera, Mexican painter and sculptor (born 1886)
*
1958 –
Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, English lawyer and politician,
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,
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 1864)
*
1959 –
Dally Messenger, Australian rugby player, cricketer, and sailor (born 1883)
*
1960 –
Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia (born 1882)
*
1961 –
Ruth Chatterton, American actress (born 1892)
*
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 ...
–
Lee Harvey Oswald, American assassin of
John F. Kennedy (born 1939)
*
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 ...
–
Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (born 1895)
*
1968 –
D. A. Levy, American poet and publisher (born 1942)
*
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 ...
–
John Neihardt, American author and poet (born 1881)
*
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 ...
–
Herbert Agar, American journalist and historian (born 1897)
* 1980 –
George Raft
George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...
, American actor and dancer (born 1901)
* 1980 –
Molly Reilly, Canadian aviator (born 1922)
* 1980 –
Henrietta Hill Swope, American astronomer and academic (born 1902)
*
1982 –
Barack Obama, Sr., Kenyan economist and academic, father of
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, 44th President of the United States (born 1936)
*
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 ...
–
Jehane Benoît, Canadian journalist and author (born 1904)
*
1990 –
Juan Manuel Bordeu, Argentinian race car driver (born 1934)
* 1990 –
Fred Shero, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1925)
* 1990 –
Dodie Smith, English author and playwright (born 1896)
* 1990 –
Marion Post Wolcott, American photographer (born 1910)
* 1990 –
Bülent Arel, Turkish-American composer and educator (born 1919)
*
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 ...
–
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
, Tanzanian-English singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
, and producer (born 1946)
* 1991 –
Eric Carr, American drummer of
KISS
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
(born 1950)
*
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
–
Albert Collins, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1932)
*
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 ...
–
Eduard Ole, Estonian-Swedish painter (born 1898)
*
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 ...
–
Sorley MacLean, Scottish soldier and poet (born 1911)
*
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 ...
–
Barbara, French singer-songwriter and actress (born 1930)
*
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 ...
–
John Rawls
John Bordley Rawls (; February 21, 1921 – November 24, 2002) was an American moral philosophy, moral, legal philosophy, legal and Political philosophy, political philosopher in the Modern liberalism in the United States, modern liberal tradit ...
, American philosopher, author, and academic (born 1921)
*
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
–
Warren Spahn, American baseball player and coach (born 1921)
*
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 ...
–
Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian journalist and author (born 1920)
* 2004 –
Joseph Hansen, American author and poet (born 1923)
* 2004 –
James Wong, Chinese actor and songwriter (born 1940)
*
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
–
Pat Morita, American actor (born 1932)
*
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 ...
–
Juice Leskinen, Finnish singer-songwriter (born 1950)
* 2006 –
George W. S. Trow, American author, playwright, and critic (born 1943)
* 2006 –
Zdeněk Veselovský, Czech zoologist and ethologist (born 1938)
*
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 ...
–
Casey Calvert, American guitarist (born 1981)
*
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 ...
–
Kenny MacLean
Kenneth Irving MacLean (January 9, 1956 – November 24, 2008) was a Scottish-Canadian musician, best known as a member of the multi-platinum selling band Platinum Blonde.
Biography
MacLean was born in Glasgow on January 9, 1956.
Musical c ...
, Scottish-Canadian bass player and songwriter (born 1956)
* 2008 –
Cecil H. Underwood, American educator and politician, 25th
Governor of West Virginia (born 1922)
*
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 ...
–
Abe Pollin, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1923)
* 2009 –
Samak Sundaravej, Thai politician, 25th
Prime Minister of Thailand (born 1935)
* 2009 –
Jun Ross, Filipino basketball player (born 1949)
*
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 ...
–
Huang Hua, Chinese translator and politician, 5th
Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China
The minister of foreign affairs of the People's Republic of China is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the China, People's Republic of China and one of the country's top and most important Stat ...
(born 1913)
*
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 ...
–
Héctor Camacho, Puerto Rican-American boxer (born 1962)
* 2012 –
Antoine Kohn, Luxembourgian footballer and manager (born 1933)
* 2012 –
Jimmy Stewart, American baseball player and manager (born 1939)
* 2012 –
Nicholas Turro, American chemist and academic (born 1938)
* 2012 –
Ernie Warlick, American football player and sportscaster (born 1932)
*
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 ...
–
Matthew Bucksbaum
Matthew Bucksbaum (February 20, 1926 – November 24, 2013) was an American businessman and philanthropist. Matthew and his brothers Martin and Maurice co-founded General Growth Properties ().
Early life and education
Bucksbaum was born to a Am ...
, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded
General Growth Properties (born 1926)
* 2013 –
Arnaud Coyot, French cyclist (born 1980)
* 2013 –
Lou Hyndman, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1935)
* 2013 –
June Keithley, Filipino actress and journalist (born 1947)
* 2013 –
Jean King, American politician, 6th
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii (born 1925)
* 2013 –
Robin Leigh-Pemberton, Baron Kingsdown, English banker and politician,
Governor of the Bank of England
The governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent choosing and mentoring a successor. The governor ...
(born 1927)
* 2013 –
Matti Ranin, Finnish actor (born 1926)
*
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 ...
–
Jorge Herrera Delgado, Mexican engineer and politician (born 1961)
* 2014 –
Murli Deora, Indian politician,
Indian Minister of Corporate Affairs (born 1937)
* 2014 – Peter Henderson (sportsman), Peter Henderson, New Zealand rugby player (born 1926)
* 2014 – Nenad Manojlović, Serbian water polo player and manager (born 1957)
* 2014 – Viktor Tikhonov (ice hockey, born 1930), Viktor Tikhonov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (born 1930)
*
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 ...
– Robert Ford (British Army officer), Robert Ford, English general (born 1923)
* 2015 – John Forrester (historian), John Forrester, English historian and philosopher (born 1949)
* 2015 – Quincy Monk, American football player (born 1979)
* 2015 – Heinz Oberhummer, Austrian physicist, astronomer, and academic (born 1941)
* 2015 – Douglas W. Shorenstein, American businessman (born 1955)
*
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 ...
– Paul Futcher, English footballer (born 1956)
* 2016 – Florence Henderson, American actress, singer and television personality (born 1934)
*2019 – Goo Hara, South Korean singer and actress (born 1991)
*
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 ...
– Börje Salming, Swedish hockey player (born 1951)
*2024 – Barbara Taylor Bradford, British novelist (born 1933)
*2024 – Breyten Breytenbach, South African-French poet and painter (born 1939)
*2024 – Helen Gallagher, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1926)
Holidays and observances
*Christian Calendar of saints, feast days:
**Albert of Louvain
**Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Pierre Dumoulin-Borie, and other Vietnamese Martyrs
**Saint Chrysogonus, Chrysogonus (Roman Catholic Church)
**Colmán of Cloyne (Roman Catholic Church)
**Eanflæd
**Firmina (Roman Catholic Church)
**Flavian of Ricina (Roman Catholic Church)
**Flora and Maria
**Jehu Jones (Calendar of Saints (Lutheran), Lutheran)
**Justus Falckner (Calendar of Saints (Lutheran), Lutheran)
**Cianán, Kenan (Cianán)
**Saint Mercurius, Mercurius (Eastern Church)
**Pierre Dumoulin-Borie
**Protasius (bishop of Milan), Protasius of Milan
**Romanus of Blaye
**November 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Evolution Day (International observance)
*Lachit Divas (Assam)
*Guru Tegh Bahadur#Legacy and memorials, Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (India)
*Teachers' Day (Turkey)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:November 24
Days of November