Events
January
*
January 1
January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...
– The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
ceases to demand
war reparations from
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
*
January 3
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.
* 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...
– The Italian broadcaster
RAI officially begins transmitting.
*
January 7
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting.
* 1325 – Alfonso IV ...
–
Georgetown-IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a
machine translation
Machine translation, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation MT (not to be confused with computer-aided translation, machine-aided human translation or interactive translation), is a sub-field of computational linguistics that investigates t ...
system is held in New York, at the head office of
IBM.
*
January 10
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
* 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...
–
BOAC Flight 781
BOAC Flight 781 was a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) passenger flight from Singapore to London. On 10 January 1954, a de Havilland Comet passenger jet operating the flight suffered an explosive decompression at altitude an ...
, a
de Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom, the Comet 1 prototype first flew in 1949. It featured an aerodynamically clean design with four d ...
jet plane, disintegrates in mid-air due to
metal fatigue, and crashes in the Mediterranean near
Elba; all 35 people on board are killed.
*
January 12
Events Pre-1600
* 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
*1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned s ...
–
Avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...
s in Austria kill more than 200.
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
–
Mau Mau leader
Waruhiu Itote is captured in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.
*
January 17
Events Pre-1600
* 38 BC – Octavian divorces his wife Scribonia and marries Livia Drusilla, ending the fragile peace between the Second Triumvirate and Sextus Pompey.
* 1362 – Saint Marcellus' flood kills at least 25,000 people on ...
– In
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
,
Milovan Đilas
Milovan Djilas (; , ; 12 June 1911 – 30 April 1995) was a Yugoslav communist politician, theorist and author. He was a key figure in the Partisan movement during World War II, as well as in the post-war government. A self-identified democrat ...
, one of the leading members of the
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
, is relieved of his duties.
*
January 20
Events Pre-1600
* 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution.
* 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.
* 1156 &ndas ...
– The US-based
National Negro Network
The National Negro Network was a black-oriented radio programming service in the United States founded on January 20, 1954 by Chicago advertiser W. Leonard Evans, Jr. It was the first black-owned radio network in the country, and its programming ...
is established, with 46 member
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
s.
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...
– The first nuclear-powered
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
, the , is launched in
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is ...
, by
First Lady of the United States
The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...
Mamie Eisenhower.
*
January 25
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate.
* 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...
– The foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union meet at the
Berlin Conference.
February
*
February 10
Events Pre-1600
* 1258 – Mongol invasions: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, bringing the Islamic Golden Age to an end.
* 1306 – In front of the high altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, Robert the Bruce murders John Comyn, sparkin ...
– After authorizing $385 million over the $400 million already budgeted for military aid to
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
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 of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
warns against his country's intervention in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
*
February 19
Events Pre-1600
* 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
* 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...
–
1954 transfer of Crimea
The transfer of the Crimean Oblast in the Soviet Union in 1954 was an administrative action of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union that transferred the government of the Crimean Peninsula from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainia ...
: The
Soviet Politburo of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
orders the transfer the
Crimean Oblast from the
Russian SFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
to the
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
(
Invaded and annexed by Russia in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
).
*
February 23
Events Pre-1600
* 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.
* 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...
– The first mass
vaccination of children against
polio begins in
Pittsburgh, United States.
*
February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
– Lt. Col.
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
becomes premier of
Egypt.
March
*
March 1
** U.S. officials announce that a
hydrogen bomb
A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lowe ...
test (
Castle Bravo) has been conducted, on
Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
**
U.S. Capitol shooting incident: Four
Puerto Rican nationalists open fire in the
United States House of Representatives chamber and wound 5; they are apprehended by security guards.
*
March 9 – American journalists
Edward R. Murrow and
Fred W. Friendly
Fred W. Friendly (born Ferdinand Friendly Wachenheimer, October 30, 1915 – March 3, 1998) was a president of CBS News and the creator, along with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program '' See It Now''. He originated the concep ...
produce a 30-minute ''
See It Now'' documentary, entitled ''
A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy''.
*
March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
– Finland and Germany officially end their state of war.
*
March 13 –
Việt Minh forces under General
Võ Nguyên Giáp began a massive artillery bombardment on the French military, beginning the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (french: Bataille de Diên Biên Phu ; vi, Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ, ) was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War that took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954. It was fought between the Fr ...
, the climactic battle of the
First Indochina War.
*
March 19 –
Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in the first
televised boxing prize fight to be shown in colour.
*
March 23 – In Vietnam, the
Viet Minh capture the main airstrip of
Dien Bien Phu. The remaining French Army units there are partially isolated.
*
March 25
Events Pre-1600
* 421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto.
* 708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to vi ...
** The
26th Academy Awards
The 26th Academy Awards were held on March 25, 1954, simultaneously at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood (hosted by Fredric March), and the NBC Century Theatre in New York City (hosted by Donald O'Connor).
The second national telecast of ...
Ceremony is held.
** The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
recognises the
sovereignty of
East Germany. Soviet troops remain in the country.
*
March 27 – The
Castle Romeo
Castle Romeo was the code name given to one of the tests in the Operation Castle series of U.S. nuclear tests. It was the first test of the TX-17 thermonuclear weapon, the first deployed thermonuclear bomb.
It was detonated on March 26, 1954, a ...
nuclear test explosion is executed at
Bikini Atoll, in the
Marshall Islands.
*
March 28
** The trial of
A. L. Zissu
Abraham Leib Zissu (first name also Avram, middle name also Leiba or Leibu; he, אברהם לייב זיסו; January 25, 1888 – September 6, 1956) was a Romanian writer, political essayist, industrialist, and spokesman of the Jewish Romanian ...
and 12 other Zionist leaders ends with harsh sentences in
Communist Romania
The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...
.
** Puerto Rico's first television station, ''
WKAQ-TV'', commences
broadcasting.
*
March 29 – A
C-47 transport with French nurse
Geneviève de Galard on board is wrecked on the runway at
Dien Bien Phu.
*
March 30 – The first operational
subway line
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
in Canada opens in
Toronto.
April
*
April 1
** The
U.S. Congress and President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
authorize the founding of the
United States Air Force Academy in
Colorado.
**
South Point School in India is founded, and becomes the largest school in the world by
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
.
*
April 3 –
Petrov Affair: Diplomat
Vladimir Petrov defects from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and asks for
political asylum in Australia.
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 – ...
– Legendary symphony conductor
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...
experiences a lapse of memory during a concert. At this concert's end, his retirement is announced, and he never conducts in public again.
*
April 7 –
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
gives his "
domino theory" speech, during a news conference.
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
– A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
collides with a
Trans-Canada Air Lines Canadair North Star
The Canadair North Star is a 1940s Canadian development, for Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), of the Douglas DC-4. Instead of radial piston engines used by the Douglas design, Canadair used Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engines to achieve a higher cruisin ...
over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
*
April 11
** This day is denoted as the most boring day in the 20th century by
True Knowledge, an
answer engine developed by William Tunstall-Pedoe. No significant newsworthy events, births, or deaths are known to have happened on this day.
** In a
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
in
Belgium, the dominant
Christian Social Party wins 95 of the 212 seats in the
Chamber of Representatives, and 49 of the 106 seats in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. The government led by
Jean Van Houtte
Jean (Jan) Marie Joseph, Baron Van Houtte (17 March 1907 – 23 May 1991) was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1952 to 1954.
Born in Ghent, van Houtte held a doctorate in law and lectured at Ghent Univer ...
loses their majority in parliament. The two other main parties, the
Socialist and
Liberal Party, subsequently form a rare "
purple" government, with
Achille Van Acker as Prime Minister.
*
April 12 –
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...
record "
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...
" in their first session for American Decca in New York City; it is released on May 20 as a B-side, but only in
1955
Events January
* January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama.
* January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut.
* January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
becomes a #1 hit, helping to initiate the
rock and roll craze.
*
April 14
**
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan PC (; 15 November 1897 – 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, noted for tenure as Minister of Health in Clement Attlee's government in which he spearheaded the creation of the British National Health ...
resigns from the
British Labour Party
The Labour Party is a List of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of Social democracy, social democrats, Democratic socialism, democratic socialists and trade u ...
's
Shadow Cabinet in protest over his party's failure to oppose the rearmament of West Germany.
** A Soviet spy ring in Australia is unveiled.
*
April 16 – Vice President
Richard Nixon announces that the United States may be "putting our own boys in Indochina regardless of Allied support".
*
April 22
** The
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 United ...
United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who a refugee is, and sets out the rights of individual ...
comes into force, defining the status of
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. s and setting out the basis for granting
right of asylum.
**
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
begins hearings investigating the
United States Army for being "soft" on
Communism.
*
April 26
** An
international conference
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
on Korea and Indo-China opens in Geneva.
**
Akira Kurosawa's ''
Seven Samurai
is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...
'' is released in Japan.
*
April 28 – U.S. Secretary of State
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles (, ; February 25, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. He served as United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959 and was briefly ...
accuses Communist China of sending combat troops to Indo-China to train
Viet Minh guerrillas.
May
*
May 1 – The
Unification Church is founded in South Korea.
*
May 4 – General
Alfredo Stroessner deposes
Federico Chávez in a
coup d'état in
Paraguay; from August 15 he will hold the office of
President until
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
.
*
May 6 –
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister (23 March 1929 – 3 March 2018) was an English neurologist and middle-distance athlete who ran the first sub-4-minute mile.
At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and ...
runs the first
sub-four minute mile
A four-minute mile is the completion of a mile run (1609 m) in four minutes or less. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister, at age 25, in 3:59.4. As of April 2021, the "four-minute barrier" has been broken by 1,663 athletes, and is n ...
, in
Oxford, England.
*
May 7 –
Vietnam War (run-up): The
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (french: Bataille de Diên Biên Phu ; vi, Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ, ) was a climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War that took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954. It was fought between the Fr ...
ends in a French defeat (the battle began on
March 13).
*
May 8
Events Pre-1600
* 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
* 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...
– The
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is formed in
Manila,
Philippines.
*
May 11
Events 1601–1900
*1812 – Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is Assassination of Spencer Perceval, assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons.
*1813 – William Lawson (explorer), William Lawson, Grego ...
– U.S. Secretary of State
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles (, ; February 25, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. He served as United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959 and was briefly ...
declares that Indochina is important but not essential to the security of Southeast Asia, thus ending any prospect of American intervention on the side of France.
*
May 14
** The
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
airplane is released, after about 2 years of development.
** The
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted in
The Hague, Netherlands.
*
May 15 – The
Latin Union (''Unión Latina'') is created by the Convention of
Madrid. Its member countries use the five
Romance languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. It will suspend operations in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
.
*
May 17
** ''
Brown v. Board of Education'' (347 US 483 1954): The
U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously that segregated schools are unconstitutional.
** The
Royal Commission on the
Petrov Affair in Australia begins its inquiry.
**
Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes (; 1899 – 17 September 1961) was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960. He was one of the founders of the Democrat Party (DP) in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He ...
of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
forms the new (21st) government of
Turkey.
*
May 20 –
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
is re-elected as the
president of the Republic of China
The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had aut ...
, by the
National Assembly.
*
May 22 – The common
Nordic Labour Market act is signed.
*
May 26 – A fire on board the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier
USS ''Bennington'', off
Narragansett Bay,
Massachusetts, kills 103 sailors.
*
May 29
**
1954 Australian federal election
The 1954 Australian federal election were held in Australia on 29 May 1954. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, but no Senate election took place. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition led by Prime Minister Ro ...
:
Robert Menzies
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
'
Liberal/
Country Coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
Government is re-elected with a decreased majority, defeating the
Labor Party led by
H.V. Evatt
Herbert Vere Evatt, (30 April 1894 – 2 November 1965) was an Australian politician and judge. He served as a judge of the High Court of Australia from 1930 to 1940, Attorney-General of Australia, Attorney-General and Minister for Foreign Aff ...
. The election has come shortly after the
Petrov Affair, arguably helping the Government survive what was initially predicted to be a defeat.
** Creation and first meeting of the
Bilderberg Group.
**
Diane Leather
Diane S Leather Charles (7 January 19335 September 2018) was an English athlete who was the first woman to run a sub-5-minute mile.
Early life
Leather was born in Streetly, Staffordshire. She was one of six children, and the only daughter, ...
becomes the first woman to run a sub-five minute mile, in
Birmingham, England.
June
*
June 6
Events Pre-1600
* 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed b ...
– The grand opening of the
sculpture of Yuriy Dolgorukiy takes place in
Moscow (this statue is one of the main monuments of Moscow).
*
June 7 – English cryptanalyst, mathematician and computer scientist
Alan Turing, age 41, commits suicide by cyanide poisoning.
*
June 9 –
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.
The term origin ...
:
Joseph N. Welch
Joseph Nye Welch (October 22, 1890 – October 6, 1960) was an American lawyer and actor who served as the chief counsel for the United States Army while it was under investigation for Communist activities by Senator Joseph McCarthy's Senate Pe ...
, special counsel for the
United States Army, lashes out at
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
, during hearings on whether
Communism has infiltrated the Army, saying, "Have you, at long last, no decency?"
*
June 14 – The words "under God" are added to the United States
Pledge of Allegiance.
*
June 15 – The
UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is formed in
Basel, Switzerland.
*
June 17 – A
CIA-engineered military coup occurs in
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
.
*
June 18 –
Pierre Mendès France becomes prime minister of France.
*
June 22
**
Sarah Mae Flemming
Sarah Mae Flemming Brown (June 28, 1933 – June 16, 1993) was an African-American woman who was expelled from a bus in Columbia, South Carolina, seventeen months before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955. Flemmin ...
is expelled from a bus in South Carolina, for sitting in a white-only section.
**
Parker–Hulme murder case:
Pauline Parker Pauline may refer to:
Religion
*An adjective referring to St Paul the Apostle or a follower of his doctrines
*An adjective referring to St Paul of Thebes, also called St Paul the First Hermit
*An adjective referring to the Paulines, various relig ...
, 16 and her friend
Juliet Hulme, 15, bludgeon Parker's mother to death using a brick, at
Victoria Park in New Zealand.
*
June 27
**
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
n President
Jacobo Árbenz steps down in a
CIA-sponsored
military coup, triggering a bloody civil war that continues for more than 35 years.
** The world's first
atomic power station opens at
Obninsk, near Moscow.
July
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
** The
Common Nordic Labor Market Act comes into effect.
** The United States officially begins using the international unit of the nautical mile, equal to 6,076.11549 ft. or 1,852 meters.
*
July 4
**
Food rationing in Great Britain ends, with the lifting of restrictions on sale and purchase of meat, 14 years after it began early in
World War II, and nearly a decade after the war's end.
**
"Miracle of Bern":
West Germany beats
Hungary 3–2 to win the
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerla ...
.
*
July 10 –
Peter Thomson becomes the first Australian to win the
British Open Golf Championship.
*
July 15
** The
Boeing 367-80 (or Dash 80), prototype of the
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
series, makes its maiden flight.
**
Juan Fangio,
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
driver for German
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
team
Mercedes-Benz, makes a new fastest lap of the
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Towcester, Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 ...
, with an average speed of 100.35 mph, the previous record being 100.16 mph.
*
July 19 – Release of
Elvis Presley's first single, "
That's All Right", by
Sun Records (recorded
July 5 in
Memphis, Tennessee).
*
July 21 –
First Indochina War: The
Geneva Conference Geneva Conference may refer to:
* Geneva Naval Conference (1927), on naval arms limitation
* World Economic Conference (423 May 1927), on international trade
* World Population Conference (29 August3 September 1927), on demography
* Geneva Confer ...
sends French forces to the south, and Vietnamese forces to the north, of a ceasefire line, and calls for elections to decide the government for all of
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
by July 1956. Failure to abide by the terms of the agreement leads to the establishment of the de facto regimes of
North Vietnam and
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, and the
Vietnam War.
*
July 29 – ''
The Fellowship of the Ring'', the first of three volumes in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, ''
The Lord of the Rings'', is published in London.
*
July 31
Events Pre-1600
*30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
* 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...
–
1954 Italian expedition to K2
On 31 July 1954, Italian climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli became the first people to reach the summit of K2, the second highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest, which had been summited for the first time the previous ye ...
: Italian mountaineers
Lino Lacedelli and
Achille Compagnoni become the first to reach the summit of the second highest mountain in the world, in the
Karakoram
The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the ...
range.
August
*
August 1 – The
First Indochina War ends with the
Vietnam People's Army in
North Vietnam, the
Vietnamese National Army in
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, the
Kingdom of Cambodia in
Cambodia, and the
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was a landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula. It was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, emerging victorious against the French Army.
*
August 6
Events Pre-1600
*1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
* 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
– Emilie Dionne, one of the
Dionne quintuplets, dies of
asphyxiation following an
epileptic seizure. She is the first of the five to perish; three live into the 21st century.
*
August 16
Events Pre-1600
* 1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs.
* 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdan ...
– The first issue of ''
Sports Illustrated'' magazine is published in the United States.
*
August 23 – A
United States Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules makes its first flight at
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, manufactured by
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
.
*
August 24 – Brazilian president
Getúlio Vargas commits suicide, after being accused of involvement in a conspiracy to murder his chief political opponent,
Carlos Lacerda
Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda (30 April 1914 – 21 May 1977) was a Brazilian journalist and politician.
Biography
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro state. He was the ...
.
September
*
September 6 – The
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) treaty is signed in
Manila,
Philippines.
*
September 8 – SEATO is established in
Bangkok,
Thailand.
*
September 9 – The 6.7
Chlef earthquake shakes northern
Algeria, with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). The shock destroys
Orléansville
Chlef ( ar, الشلف, Berber: Clef) is the capital of Chlef Province, Algeria. Located in the north of Algeria, west of the capital, Algiers, it was founded in 1843, as Orléansville, on the ruins of Roman ''Castellum Tingitanum''. In 1962, it ...
, leaving 1,243–1,409 dead, and 5,000 injured.
*
September 11 – The
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
Pageant is broadcast on television for the first time.
*
September 14
** The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
carries out the
Totskoye nuclear exercise.
** English composer
Benjamin Britten's
chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. Early 20th-century operas of this type include Paul Hindemith's ''Cardillac'' (1926). Earlier small-scale operas such as Pergoles ...
version of ''
The Turn of the Screw'' receives its world premiere, at the
Teatro La Fenice in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, Italy.
*
September 15 –
Black Wednesday in air travel: severe delays to flights, due to bad weather, occur along the
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...
.
*
September 17
Events Pre-1600
* 1111 – Highest Galician nobility led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba and the bishop Diego Gelmírez crown Alfonso VII as "King of Galicia".
* 1176 – The Battle of Myriokephalon is the last attempt by the Byzantine Empi ...
–
William Golding's allegorical dystopian novel ''
Lord of the Flies'' is published in London.
*
September 18 – Finnish president
J. K. Paasikivi
Juho Kusti Paasikivi (; 27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was the seventh president of Finland (1946–1956). Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coalition Party, he also served as Prime Minister ...
is the first Western head of state to be awarded the highest honor of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the
Order of Lenin.
*
September 20 – The first ''
Moomins''
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
is published in the London newspaper ''
The Evening News''.
*
September 25 –
Footscray Football Club wins their first
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
Grand Final.
*
September 26 – Japanese ferry ''
Tōya Maru'' sinks during a
typhoon in the
Tsugaru Strait. More than 1,100 people are killed, 7 other ships are
wrecked, and at least nine others seriously damaged.
*
September 27 – ''
The Tonight Show'' first airs on live television on
NBC in the United States being the first late night talk show.
*
September 30 – The , the first nuclear-powered
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
in the world, is commissioned into the
U.S. Navy.
October
*
October 11
** Pre-
Vietnam War: The
Viet Minh takes control of
North Vietnam.
**
Hurricane Hazel crosses over
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
, killing 1,000.
*
October 15
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
* 1211 ...
–
Hurricane Hazel makes U.S. landfall; it is the only recorded
Category 4 hurricane
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
Philosophy and general uses
*Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally
*Category of being
* ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
*Category (Kant)
*Categories (Peirce)
*C ...
to strike as far north as
North Carolina
*
October 18
**
Texas Instruments announces the development of the first commercial
transistor radio. The
Regency TR-1
The Regency TR-1 was the first commercially manufactured transistor radio, introduced in 1954. Despite mediocre performance, about 150,000 units were sold, due to the novelty of its small size and portability. Previously, transistors had only bee ...
goes on sale the following month.
** The
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
''
Hi and Lois'', by
Mort Walker and
Dik Browne, is launched in the United States.
*
October 23
** West Germany joins
NATO.
**
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
sets up the
Western European Union to implement the
Treaty of Brussels (1948), providing for mutual self-defence and other collaboration between Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
*
October 25 –
Landslide
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
s caused by heavy rains hit
Salerno
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
, Italy, killing about 300.
*
October 26 –
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
member Mahmoud Abdul Latif tries to kill
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
.
*
October 31 –
Algerian War of Independence: The
Algerian National Liberation Front begins a revolt against French rule.
November
*
November 1 – The
FLN attacks representative and public buildings of the French colonial power.
*
November 2
** The dock workers' strike in the
UK comes to an end.
** The radio program ''
Hancock's Half Hour'', a pioneer in
situation comedy
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
, is first broadcast on
BBC Radio (a television version will follow in
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...
).
*
November 3 – The first
''Godzilla'' film premieres in Tokyo.
*
November 5 – Japan and
Burma sign a peace treaty in
Rangoon
Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
, to end their long-extinct state of war.
*
November 10 – U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
dedicates the
USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial), at the Arlington National Cemetery.
*
November 12 – The main immigration port-of-entry in
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...
at
Ellis Island closes permanently.
*
November 13 –
Great Britain defeats
France, to capture the first ever
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament contested by the top national men's representative teams. The tournament is administered by the International Rugby League and was first held in France in 1954, which was ...
in Paris in front of around 30,000 spectators
*
November 14 –
Egyptian president
Muhammad Naguib is deposed, and
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
replaces him.
*
November 22 – ''
Berman v. Parker
''Berman v. Parker'', 348 U.S. 26 (1954), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that interpreted the Takings Clause ("nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation") of the Fifth Amendment to the ...
'' (348 U.S. 26): The
U.S. Supreme Court upholds the federal
slum clearance and urban renewal programs.
*
November 23 – The
Dow Jones Industrial Average rises 3.27 points, or 0.86 percent, closing at an all-time high of 382.74. More significantly, this is the first time the Dow has surpassed its peak level, reached just before the
Wall Street Crash of 1929.
*
November 30 – In
Sylacauga, Alabama, a four-kilogram piece of the
Hodges Meteorite crashes through the roof of a house and badly bruises a napping woman, in the first documented case of an object from
outer space hitting a person.
December
*
December 1 – The first
Hyatt Hotel, The Hyatt House Los Angeles, opens on the grounds of
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
. It is the first hotel in the world built on an airport property.
*
December 2
**
Red Scare
A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which ar ...
: The
United States Senate votes 67–22 to condemn
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
, for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
** The Taiwan-United States Mutual Defense Treaty is signed.
*
December 4 – The first
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
opens in
Miami, Florida.
*
December 15 – The
Netherlands Antilles
nl, In vrijheid verenigd"Unified by freedom"
, national_anthem =
, common_languages = Dutch English Papiamento
, demonym = Netherlands Antillean
, capital = Willemstad
, year_start = 1954
, year_end = 2010
, date_start = 15 December
, ...
is created out of the Dutch Caribbean nations. It is dissolved between
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
and
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.
*
December 23 –
J. Hartwell Harrison
John Hartwell Harrison (February 16, 1909January 20, 1984) was an American urology, urologic surgeon, professor, and author. He performed the first human organ removal for Organ transplantation, transplant to another. This was a pivotal undertak ...
and
Joseph Murray perform the world's first successful
kidney transplantation
Kidney transplant or renal transplant is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). Kidney transplant is typically classified as deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or living-donor transplantati ...
, in
Boston, Massachusetts.
*
December 24 –
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
gains full independence from France.
Date titles
*
New Zealand engineer
Sir William Hamilton develops the first
pump-jet engine (the "Hamilton Jet") capable of propelling a
jetboat.
* The first electric
drip brew coffeemaker is patented in Germany and named the
Wigomat after its inventor Gottlob Widmann.
* The
Boy Scouts of America desegregates on the basis of race.
* Gerbils (''
Meriones unguiculatus
The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird (''Meriones unguiculatus'') is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Their body size is typically , with a tail, and body weight , with adult males larger than females. The animal is us ...
'') are brought to the United States by Dr. Victor Schwentker.
* The case of
Lothar Malskat
Lothar Malskat (May 3, 1913 – February 10, 1988) was a German painter and art restorer who repainted medieval frescoes of the Marienkirche in Lübeck, critically damaged during WWII.
Life and career
Malskat was a painter from Königsber ...
, who had admitted that he had painted the supposedly antique
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
es in
Marienkirche himself, goes to trial.
* The
TV dinner is introduced, by American entrepreneur
Gerry Thomas
Gerry Thomas (February 17, 1922 – July 18, 2005) was a Canadian who moved to the US to become a salesman. He is sometimes credited with inventing the TV Dinner in 1952. Thomas, who worked for the Swanson food company in America in the 1950s ...
.
* In
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, the
Viet Minh is reorganised into the
Viet Cong.
* After the death of
Joseph Stalin, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
starts releasing political prisoners and deportees from its
Gulag prison camps.
Births
January
*
January 1
January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...
**
Thomas Aisu, Ugandan physician, educator (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
**
Djimrangar Dadnadji
Joseph Djimrangar Dadnadji ( ar, جوزيف جمرانقار دادناجي; 1 January 1954 – 31 December 2019) was a Chadian politician who was Prime Minister of Chad in 2013.
Life and career
Dadnadji joined the civil service in 1975. He was ...
, 16th prime minister of Chad (d.
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
)
*
January 2
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
* 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empi ...
–
Henry Bonilla, American politician
*
January 3
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.
* 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...
**
Ned Lamont, American politician
**
Ross the Boss, American heavy metal/punk guitarist
*
January 4
Events Pre-1600
*46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
* 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army.
1601–1900
*1649 – Engli ...
**
Tina Knowles, African-American fashion designer; mother of R&B singers
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
Solange Knowles
**
Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott, English professional poker player
*
January 5 –
Alex English
Alexander English (born January 5, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and businessman.
A South Carolina native, English played college basketball at the University of South Carolina. He was drafted in the second ...
, American basketball player
*
January 6
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eve ...
–
Anthony Minghella, British film, theatre director (d.
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
)
*
January 7
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting.
* 1325 – Alfonso IV ...
**
Jodi Long, American actress
**
José María Vitier
José María Vitier (born January 7, 1954) is a Cuban music composer and pianist. He has made music for movies and television, as well as compositions for piano, symphonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, among other formats.
His style often combines ...
,
Cuban music composer, pianist
*
January 8
Events Pre-1600
* 307 – Emperor Huai of Jin, Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Emperor Hui of Jin, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying.
* 871 – Æthelred I, King of Wessex, Æthel ...
–
Julieta Castellanos, Honduran sociologist
*
January 11 –
Kailash Satyarthi, Indian activist,
Nobel Peace Prize laureate
*
January 11 -
Balachandra Menon, Indian Malayalam film director and actor
*
January 12
Events Pre-1600
* 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
*1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned s ...
–
Howard Stern, American radio host
*
January 13
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
* 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing ...
–
Trevor Rabin, South African–American musician
*
January 14
Events Pre-1600
*1236 – King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence.
*1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
1601–1900
*1639 – The "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Fundamenta ...
–
Masanobu Fuchi, Japanese professional wrestler
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
–
Jose Dalisay, Jr.
Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. (born January 15, 1954) is a Filipino writer. He has won numerous awards and prizes for fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and screenwriting, including 16 Palanca Awards.
Early life and education
Dalisay was born in Romblon ...
, Filipino writer
*
January 16
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
* 378 – General Siyaj K'ak' conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spear ...
–
Morten P. Meldal
Morten Peter Meldal (born 16 January 1954) is a Danish chemist and Nobel laureate. He is a professor of chemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is best known for developing the CuAAC-click reaction, concurrently w ...
, Danish chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate
*
January 19
**
Ted DiBiase, American professional wrestler
**
Katey Sagal, American actress and singer
**
Katharina Thalbach, German actress
**
Yumi Matsutōya
, nicknamed , is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. Generally the writer of both the lyrics and the music in her songs, she is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice and live performances, and is one of the most prominent figures ...
, Japanese singer-songwriter
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...
–
Thomas de Maizière
Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière (; born 21 January 1954) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Federal Minister of the Interior from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2018, as well as Federal Minister of Defence f ...
, German politician
*
January 22
Events Pre-1600
* 613 – Eight-month-old Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (''Caesar'') by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
* 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vi ...
–
Peter Pilz, Austrian politician
*
January 23
**
Franco De Vita, Venezuelan singer, songwriter
**
Edward Ka-Spel, British/Dutch singer and songwriter (
The Legendary Pink Dots)
*
January 28
**
Peter Lampe
Peter Lampe (born 28 January 1954) is a German Protestant theologian and chaired Professor of New Testament Studies/History of Early Christianity at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.
Life
After studies in theology, philosophy and archaeo ...
, German theologian, historian
**
Bruno Metsu
Bruno Jean Cornil Metsu (28 January 1954 – 15 October 2013) was a French footballer and football manager. During his senior playing career from 1973 to 1987, he played for seven different clubs in his native France. From 1988 until his death, ...
, French football coach (d.
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
)
**
Kaneto Shiozawa, Japanese voice actor (d.
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
)
**
Willy Telavi, 11th prime minister of Tuvalu
*
January 29
**
Yukinobu Hoshino, Japanese cartoonist
**
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
, African-American actress, talk show hostess, producer and publisher
*
January 31 –
Mark Slavin, Israeli wrestler (d.
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, me ...
)
February
*
February 1
Events Pre-1600
* 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
* 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...
–
Bill Mumy, American actor, musician (''
Lost In Space'')
*
February 2
Events Pre-1600
* 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law".
* 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...
–
Christie Brinkley, American model
*
February 4
Events Pre–1600
* 211 – Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrellin ...
–
Andrei Karlov, Russian diplomat (d.
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
)
*
February 7 –
Dieter Bohlen, German music producer and singer-songwriter (''
Modern Talking,
Blue System'')
*
February 9 –
Gina Rinehart, Australian mining tycoon
*
February 11
Events Pre-1600
*660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
* 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...
–
Noriyuki Asakura, Japanese composer
*
February 12
**
Joseph Jordania
Joseph Jordania (Georgian იოსებ ჟორდანია, born February 12, 1954 and also known under the misspelling of Joseph Zhordania) is an Australian–Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist and professor. He is ...
, Georgian-Australian musicologist, academic
**
Evangelos Basiakos, Greek politician, long term MP, and minister
**
Tzimis Panousis
Tzimis Panousis (; 12 February 1954 – 13 January 2018) was a Greek musician, stand-up comedian and occasional film and theater actor born in Athens, where he spent most of his life. He is often seen as the modern-day Aristophanes. His fan ...
, Greek comedian, singer, and author
*
February 13
Events Pre-1600
* 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the ''Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome.
*1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th.
*1462 – The ...
–
Donnie Moore
Donnie Ray Moore (February 13, 1954 – July 18, 1989) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Chicago Cubs (1975, 1977–79), St. Louis Cardinals (1980), Milwaukee Brewers (1981), Atlanta Braves (1982–8 ...
, American baseball player (d.
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
)
*
February 15
Events Pre-1600
* 438 – Roman emperor Theodosius II publishes the law codex Codex Theodosianus
* 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
* 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberi ...
–
Matt Groening, American cartoonist (''
The Simpsons'')
*
February 16
**
Iain Banks, Scottish author (d.
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
)
**
Margaux Hemingway
Margaux Louise Hemingway (born Margot Louise Hemingway; February 16, 1954 – July 1, 1996) was an American fashion model and actress. She gained success as a supermodel in the mid-1970s, appearing on the covers of magazines including ''Cosmopo ...
, American fashion model and actress (d.
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
)
*
February 17
Events Pre-1600
* 1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau.
* 1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of ...
**
Rene Russo, American actress, fashion model
**
Yuji Takada, Japanese free-style wrestler
**
Brian Houston, Australian-New Zealand pastor, author and founder of
Hillsong Church
Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a global Evangelical charismatic movement, charismatic Christian megachurch based in Australia.
The original church was established in 1983 as Hills Christian Life Centre, in Baulkham Hills, New ...
*
February 18
**
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
, American actor
**
Jalaluddin Hassan
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Jalaluddin bin Hassan (born 18 February 1954) is a Malaysian actor and television host. He is famously known for being the host of the Malaysian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? game show in Malay on NTV7 (2000 ...
, Malaysian actor
*
February 19
Events Pre-1600
* 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
* 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...
**
Messaouda Boubaker
Messaouda Boubaker ()(born 19 February 1954) is a Tunisian novelist and short story writer who writes in Arabic.
After the Tunisian Revolution, Boubaker joined the country's civil society organizations as a political activist. In response to a yo ...
, Tunisian writer
**
Michael Gira, American musician
**
Sócrates, Brazilian footballer (d.
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
)
*
February 20
Events Pre-1600
*1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated.
*1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland ...
**
Anthony Head, English actor, musician
**
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was found a ...
, American heiress and kidnap victim
*
February 23
Events Pre-1600
* 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.
* 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...
–
Viktor Yushchenko,
President of Ukraine
*
February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
* 13 ...
–
Sid Meier, Canadian programmer, game designer, notable for the ''
Civilization'' series
*
February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
–
Gerardo Pelusso
Gerardo Cono Pelusso Boyrie (born February 25, 1954) is a Uruguayan football manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the ar ...
, Uruguayan football manager
*
February 26
Events Pre-1600
*747 BC – According to Ptolemy, the epoch (origin) of the Nabonassar Era began at noon on this date. Historians use this to establish the modern BC chronology for dating historic events.
* 364 – Valentinian I is p ...
–
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...
,
12th President of Turkey
March
*
March 1
**
Peter Spellos, American actor, voice actor
**
Catherine Bach, American actress (''
The Dukes of Hazzard'')
**
Ron Howard, American actor, director, producer (''
The Andy Griffith Show,'' ''Happy Days'')
* March 2
** Ed Johnstone, Canadian ice hockey player
** Gara Takashima, Japanese voice actress
* March 4
** François Fillon, Prime Minister of France
** Catherine O'Hara, Canadian actress (''Second City Television, SCTV'')
** Irina Ratushinskaya, Russian writer
** Willie Thorne, English snooker player (d. 2020)
* March 5 – João Lourenço, President of Angola
* March 6 – Harald Schumacher, German football goalkeeper
* March 8
** Marie-Theres Nadig, Swiss alpine skier
** David Wilkie (swimmer), David Wilkie, Scottish former world record holder, Olympic gold medallist swimmer (1976)
*
March 9
** Bobby Sands, Irish republican hunger striker (d. 1981)
** Kevin Wade, American screenwriter, television producer
* March 11 – Nicolae Manea, Romanian football player, manager (d.
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
)
*
March 13 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, The Baroness Amos, British politician
* March 15
** Massimo Bubola, Italian singer, songwriter
** Craig Wasson, American actor
* March 16
** S.A. Griffin, American actor, poet
** Nancy Wilson (rock musician), Nancy Wilson, American rock musician
** Jimmy Nail, English singer, songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer
* March 17 – Lesley-Anne Down, British actress
* March 18 – James F. Reilly, American astronaut
*
March 19 – Indu Shahani, Indian educator, Sheriff of Mumbai
* March 20 – Louis Sachar, American author
*
March 23
** Geno Auriemma, American basketball coach
** Hideyuki Hori, Japanese voice actor
* March 24
** Mike Braun, American businessman and politician
** Robert Carradine, American actor
** Donna Pescow, American actress, director (''Angie (TV series), Angie'')
** Rafael Orozco Maestre, Colombian singer (d.
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
)
* March 26
** Wendy Fulton, American actress
** Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese voice actor
** Clive Palmer, Australian mining tycoon
*
March 29 – Karen Ann Quinlan, American right-to-die cause célèbre (d. 1985)
April
*
April 1
** Dieter Müller, German soccer player
** Jeff Porcaro, American drummer, songwriter (''Toto (band), Toto'') (d.
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
)
* April 2 – Susumu Hirasawa, Japanese musician
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 – ...
** Mary-Margaret Humes, American actress
** Tom Ruegger, American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and lyricist
* April 5
** David Edward Maust, American serial killer (d. 2006)
** Guy Bertrand (broadcaster), Guy Bertrand, Canadian linguist, radio/television personality
* April 6
** Judi Bowker, English actress
** Michael Simms (publisher), Michael Simms, American poet, publisher; founded ''Autumn House Press''
*
April 7
** Jackie Chan, Hong Kong-born actor, martial artist
** Tony Dorsett, American football player
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
– Gary Carter, American baseball player (d.
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
)
* April 9
** Steve Holt (Canadian musician), Steve Holt, Canadian musician
** Dennis Quaid, American actor
* April 10
** Anacani, Mexican-born American singer (''The Lawrence Welk Show'')
** Angelika Hellmann, East German artistic gymnast
*
April 14
** Katsuhiro Otomo, Japanese manga artist (''Akira (Akira), Akira'')
** Bruce Sterling, American science fiction writer
*
April 16 – Ellen Barkin, American actress
* April 17
** Norio Imamura, Japanese voice actor
** Roddy Piper, Canadian wrestler (d. 2015)
*
April 22 – Jōji Nakata, Japanese voice actor
* April 23
** Peter Nyombi, Ugandan lawyer, politician (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Michael Moore, American filmmaker, political activist (''Bowling for Columbine'')
** Lea Black, American philanthropist, author, television personality, political activist and entrepreneur
* April 25
** Randy Cross, American football player, broadcaster
* April 27
** Herman Edwards, American football head coach
** Frank Bainimarama, Fijian politician
*
April 28 – Michael Daugherty, American composer
* April 29
** Jake Burton Carpenter, American founder of Burton Snowboards (d.
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
)
** Kazuko Kurosawa, Japanese costume designer
** Jerry Seinfeld, American actor, comedian and producer (''Seinfeld'')
* April 30 – Jane Campion, New Zealand screenwriter, producer, and director
May
*
May 1
** Ray Parker Jr., African-American musician and composer ("Ghostbusters (song), Ghostbusters")
** Maatia Toafa, 2-time prime minister of Tuvalu
* May 2 – Elliot Goldenthal, American composer
* May 5 – David Azulai, Israeli politician (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
*
May 6 – Angela Hernández Nuñez, Dominican writer
*
May 7
** Philippe Geluck, Belgian cartoonist
** Amy Heckerling, American film director
** Diana Raab, American author
*
May 8
Events Pre-1600
* 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
* 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...
– Pam Arciero, Hawaiian-born puppeteer (''Sesame Street'')
* May 10 – Amos Guttman, Israeli film director (d. 1993)
* May 13 – Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan, Australian-born Irish singer, composer and Eurovision Song Contest winner (1980, 1987) dubbed as "Mister Eurovision"
*
May 14
** María Dolores Katarain ("Yoyes"), Spanish Basque separatist leader (d.
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
)
** Peter J. Ratcliffe, English cellular biologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate
* May 19
** Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor
** Phil Rudd, Australian rock drummer (AC/DC)
*
May 20 – David Paterson, American politician, 55th Governor of New York
*
May 22 – Shuji Nakamura, Japanese electronics engineer
* May 23 – Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American middleweight boxer and film actor (d. 2021)
* May 25
** Tantely Andrianarivo, 11th prime minister of Madagascar
** Sudirman (singer), Sudirman, Malaysian singer and songwriter (d.
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
)
* May 27
** Pauline Hanson, Australian politician
** Lawrence M. Krauss, American theoretical physicist, science writer
** Coney Reyes, Philippine film and television actress
* May 28 – John Tory, Canadian politician
*
May 29 – Pankaj Kapur, Indian actor
June
* June 2
** Mattos Nascimento, Brazilian musician, singer, composer and trombonist
** Dennis Haysbert, African-American actor
** Chiyoko Kawashima, Japanese voice actress
* June 4 – Kazuhiro Yamaji, Japanese actor, voice actor
* June 5
** Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Indonesian entrepreneur, politician
** Nancy Stafford, American actress, Christian author
*
June 6
Events Pre-1600
* 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed b ...
– Harvey Fierstein, American actor
*
June 9
** John Hagelin, American physicist, U.S. presidential candidate
** Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada
* June 10 – Kurt Walker (ice hockey), Kurt Walker, American ice hockey player (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
* June 13 – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian-born Director-General of the World Trade Organization
*
June 14 – Will Patton, American actor
*
June 15
** Jim Belushi, American actor, comedian, singer and musician
** Bob McDonnell, American politician
* June 16 – Sergey Kuryokhin, Russian pianist, composer, improvisor, performance artist and actor (d.
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
)
* June 19
** Ted Coombs, American artist
** Kathleen Turner, American actress (''Romancing the Stone'')
* June 20
** Michael Anthony (musician), Michael Anthony, American rock bassist (Van Halen)
** Karlheinz Brandenburg, German electrical engineer, mathematician
** Ilan Ramon, Israeli Air Force fighter pilot, Israel's first astronaut (d. 2003)
* June 21
** Chip Ingram, American Christian pastor, author and orator
** Mark Kimmitt, U.S general
** Anne Kirkbride, British actress (''Coronation Street'') (d. 2015)
** Robert Pastorelli, American actor (d. 2004)
** Jim Tooey, American actor
*
June 22
** Chris Lemmon, American actor, author
** Freddie Prinze, American actor, comedian (''Chico and the Man'') (d. 1977)
* June 23
** Francisco Javier Cuadra, Chilean lawyer, academic and politician
** Carme Pinós, Spanish architect
** James Plaskitt, British politician
* June 24 – Chang San-cheng, Taiwanese politician
* June 25
** Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Brazilian actor
** Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
** Igor Lisovsky, Soviet pair skater
** Abderrazak Kilani, Tunisian politician, lawyer
* June 26 – Steve Barton, American actor (d. 2001)
*
June 27
** Ron Kirk, Mayor of Dallas, Texas
** Anita Zagaria, Italian actress
* June 28
** Daniel Dantas (actor), Daniel Dantas, Brazilian actor
** Ava Barber, American country singer (''The Lawrence Welk Show'')
** Alice Krige, South African actress and producer
* June 29
** Jai Jagadish, Indian film actor, director and producer
** Rick Honeycutt, American baseball player, coach
* June 30
** Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia
** Stephen Ouimette, Canadian actor, director
** Mohammad A. Quayum, Bangladeshi academic, writer, editor, critic and translator
** Wayne Swan, Australian politician
** Pierre Charles (Dominican politician), Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica (d. 2004)
July
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
** Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, Somali politician
** Pedro Guastavino, Argentine politician
** Lawrence Gonzi, Maltese politician and lawyer
** Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Iraqi-Iranian military commander (d. 2020)
** Hossein Nuri, Iranian artist
* July 2
** Ludmila Aslanian, Armenian chess player
** Peter Randall-Page, British artist
** Wendy Schaal, American actress
* July 3 – Pennie Lane Trumbull, American socialite, philanthropist, businesswoman, and entrepreneur
*
July 4 – Anne Lambton, British actress
*
July 5
** Don Stark, American actor
** John Wright (cricketer, born 1954), John Wright, New Zealand cricket captain
* July 6 – Willie Randolph, American baseball player, coach, manager
* July 7
** Robert M. Price, American theologian and writer, Cthulhu Mythos scholar and editor
** Simon Anderson, Australian competitive surfer, surfboard shaper, and writer
** Ursula Stephens, Australian politician
* July 8
** David Aaronovitch, English journalist, television presenter and author
** Matthew Marsh (actor), Matthew Marsh, English actor
* July 9 – Kevin O'Leary, Canadian businessman, television personality, and political candidate
*
July 10
** Andre Dawson, American baseball player
** Michele Serra, Italian writer, journalist and satirist
** Neil Tennant, British singer-songwriter, musician and journalist (Pet Shop Boys)
** Yō Yoshimura, Japanese voice actor (d. 1991)
** José González Ganoza, Peruvian footballer (d. 1987)
* July 11 – Alejandro Camacho, Mexican actor and producer
* July 12
** Lisa Pelikan, American actress
** Paulo Saldiva, Brazilian professor, physician, pathologist and medical researcher
* July 13 – Sezen Aksu, Turkey, Turkish singer
*
July 15
** Neil Brewer, British musician and songwriter
** Tarak Dhiab, Tunisian footballer
** John Ferguson (rugby league), John Ferguson, Australian rugby league player
** Mario Kempes, Argentine footballer
** Jeff Jarvis, American journalist, professor, public speaker and television critic
* July 16
** Nicholas Frankau, English actor
** Jeanette Mott Oxford, American politician
* July 17
** Angela Merkel, 8th Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany), Chancellor of Germany
** Richard Bekins, American actor
** Edward Natapei, Vanuatu politician and Prime Minister of Vanuatu (d. 2015)
** J. Michael Straczynski, American author
* July 18 – Franziska Troegner, German actress
*
July 19 – Verica Kalanović, Serbian politician
* July 20
** Lo Ta-yu, Taiwanese singer and songwriter
** Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Vietnamese politician; 10th President of Vietnam, 7th Prime Minister of Vietnam
** Wilson Casey, American syndicated columnist and entertainer
*
July 21 – Otto Jespersen (comedian), Otto Jespersen, Norwegian comedian, actor and television personality
* July 22 – Pierre Lebeau, Canadian actor
* July 24
** Michael H. O'Brien, American politician (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Jorge Jesus, Portuguese football player and coach
* July 25 – Walter Payton, African-American football player (d. 1999)
* July 26
** Vitas Gerulaitis, American tennis player (d. 1994)
** Leonardo Daniel, Mexican actor and director
* July 27
** Philippe Alliot, French race car driver
** Lynne Frederick, British actress (d. 1994)
* July 28 – Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela (d.
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
)
*
July 29 – Mark Gersmehl, American Christian musician
August
*
August 1
** Gurinder Singh, Baba Gurinder Singh, Fifth and Present Satguru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas
** Philip Trenary, American businessman (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Michael Badnarik, American software engineer and presidential candidate
** James Gleick, American non fiction author of several award-winning books.
** Junpei Morita, Japanese actor and voice actor
* August 2 – David Tang, Hong Kong-British entrepreneur and philanthropist (d. 2017)
* August 4
** Dorottya Udvaros, Hungarian actress
** François Valéry, French singer-songwriter and composer
** Uwe Wittwer, Swiss artist
* August 7 – Susanna Javicoli, Italian actress (d. 2005)
* August 9 – Pete Thomas (drummer), Pete Thomas, British drummer for the Elvis Costello band
* August 11 – Joe Jackson (musician), Joe Jackson, British singer-songwriter (''Steppin' Out'')
* August 12
** François Hollande, President of France 2012–17
** Sam J. Jones, American actor
** Pat Metheny, American jazz guitarist
* August 13
** Nico Assumpção, Brazilian bass guitar player (d. 2001)
** Tõnu Kilgas, Estonian singer and actor
* August 14
** Mark Fidrych, American baseball player (d. 2009)
** Stanley A. McChrystal, U.S. Army general
*
August 16
Events Pre-1600
* 1 BC – Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs.
* 942 – Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdan ...
** James Cameron, Canadian-born film director
** George Galloway, British politician
* August 17
** Anatoly Kudryavitsky, Russian-Irish writer
** Andrés Pastrana Arango, President of Colombia
* August 20
** Tawn Mastrey, American disc jockey and music video producer (d. 2007)
** Al Roker, American television personality and host
** Richarda Schmeisser, East German artistic gymnast
* August 21
** Steve Smith (musician), Steve Smith, American drummer
** Ivan Stang, American author and publisher
* August 22 – Jay Patterson, American actor
*
August 23
** Ian Bartholomew, English actor
** Charles Busch, American director, writer and actor
** Halimah Yacob, 8th president of Singapore
*
August 24
** Joe Ochman, American actor and voice actor
** Philippe Cataldo, French singer
* August 25
** Bruno Manser, Swiss environmental activist (d. 2005)
** Elvis Costello, English singer-songwriter
* August 29 – István Cserháti, Hungarian keyboardist (d. 2005)
* August 30 – Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
* August 31
** Robert Kocharyan, President of Armenia
** Caroline Cossey, British model
September
* September 1 – Dave Lumley, Canadian ice hockey player
* September 2
** Andrej Babiš, Czech entrepreneur and politician, 12th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
** Vance DeGeneres, American actor
** Zeta Emilianidou, Cypriot lawyer and politician (d. 2022)
** Gai Waterhouse, Australian racehorse trainer
** Humberto Zurita, Mexican actor, director and producer
* September 5 – Danny Masterton, Scottish footballer (d. 2020)
*
September 6 – Carly Fiorina, American businesswoman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, HP (1999-2005) and Senator Ted Cruz's running mate in the 2016 United States presidential election, 2016 presidential election
* September 7
** Corbin Bernsen, American actor
** Michael Emerson, American actor
** Francisco Guterres, 4th president of East Timor
*
September 9 – Mohsen Rezaee, Iranian politician
* September 10 – Mark W. Everson, American businessman; 46th Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (2003–07)
* September 13 – Steve Kilbey, Australian musician
*
September 14 – Buzz Schneider, American professional ice hockey player
*
September 15 – Nava Semel, Israeli author and playwright (d. 2017)
* September 16 – Ashrita Furman, American record breaker
*
September 17
Events Pre-1600
* 1111 – Highest Galician nobility led by Pedro Fróilaz de Traba and the bishop Diego Gelmírez crown Alfonso VII as "King of Galicia".
* 1176 – The Battle of Myriokephalon is the last attempt by the Byzantine Empi ...
** Wayne Krenchicki, American baseball player (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Joël-François Durand, French composer
*
September 18 – Dennis Johnson, American basketball player (d. 2007)
* September 21
** Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2022)
** Thomas S. Ray, American ecologist
** Cass Sunstein, American legal scholar
** Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, English drummer (Motörhead and Waysted)
* September 23 – Cherie Blair, lawyer, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair
* September 24 – Lilian Mercedes Letona, Salvadoran guerrilla (d. 1983)
*
September 26 – Kevin Kennedy (baseball), Kevin Kennedy, American baseball manager and television host
* September 28 – Steve Largent, American football player and congressman
* September 29 – Cindy Morgan, American actress
*
September 30
** Barry Williams (actor), Barry Williams, American actor
** Patrice Rushen, African-American singer
October
* October 1 – Martin Strel, Slovenian swimmer
* October 2 – Wong Tien Fatt, Malaysian politician (d.
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
)
* October 3
** Eddie DeGarmo, American Christian keyboardist and producer
** Dennis Eckersley, American baseball player
** Al Sharpton, African-American civil rights activist, minister and radio talk show host
** Dawayne Bailey, American musician
** Stevie Ray Vaughan, American musician (d. 1990)
* October 5
** Gurudas Kamat, Indian politician (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Wayne Watson, American Christian musician
* October 6 – Howard Hoffman, American voice actor
* October 7 – Robert A. Schuller, American televangelist and the son of Robert Schuller
* October 9
** Scott Bakula, American actor (''Quantum Leap'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'')
** John O'Hurley, American actor and game show host
* October 10
** Mohamed Mounir, Egyptian singer and actor
** David Lee Roth, American rock singer
* October 12
** Evalie A. Bradley, Anguillian politician and member of the House of Assembly of Anguilla.
** Linval Thompson, Jamaican singer and producer
* October 13 – Mordechai Vanunu, a former Israeli nuclear technician who revealed secrets of its nuclear weapons program
* October 14 – Mohamad Sabu, Malaysian politician
*
October 15
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
* 1211 ...
** Peter Bakowski, Australian poet
** Michael Garner, English actor
*
October 18 – Yūji Mitsuya, Japanese voice actor
* October 19
** Ken Stott, Scottish actor
** Ronnie Leitch, Sri Lankan singer and actor (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
* October 21 – Brian Tobin, sixth Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
* October 22 – Ellen Gerstell, American voice actress
*
October 23 – Ang Lee, Taiwanese film director
* October 24
** Doug Davidson, American actor
** Mike Rounds, South Dakota politician
** Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, 28th Prime Minister of Australia
*
October 25
** Laxmikant Berde, Indian actor (d. 2004)
** Mike Eruzione, American ice hockey player
*
October 26
** Farit Ismeth Emir, Malaysian news anchor (d. 2020)
** Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Mozambican politician
** Victor Ciorbea, 56th prime minister of Romania
* October 30
** Kathleen Cody (actor), Kathleen Cody, American actress
** Mario Testino, Peruvian photographer
November
*
November 2 – Angela Webber, Australian author, television writer, producer and comedian (d. 2007)
*
November 3
** Adam Ant, British rock singer and musician
** Brigitte Lin, Taiwanese actress
** Kathy Kinney, American actress and comedian
*
November 5
** Mike Gabriel, American animator and film producer
** Alejandro Sabella, Argentine footballer and manager (d. 2020)
* November 6 – Karin Fossum, Norwegian crime fiction writer
* November 7
** Robin Beck, American singer
** Kamal Haasan, Indian actor, dancer, film director, screenwriter, producer and politician
** Jon Taffer, American bar consultant, television host and author
* November 8
** Michael D. Brown, first Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response, a division of the United States' Department of Homeland Security
** Kazuo Ishiguro, Japanese-born British author, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate
* November 11 – Mary Gaitskill, American novelist
*
November 12 – Rhonda Shear, American television hostess, actress and comedian
*
November 13 – Chris Noth, American actor
*
November 14
** Yanni, Greek musician
** Robert Alberts, Dutch footballer and manager of Persib Bandung
** Willie Hernández, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
** Bernard Hinault, French road bicycle racer
** Condoleezza Rice, American politician, 66th United States Secretary of State
* November 15
** Stephen W. Burns, American actor (d. 1990)
** Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland
* November 16 – Bruce Edwards (caddy), Bruce Edwards, American golf caddy (d. 2004)
* November 19 – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt
* November 20
** Bin Shimada, Japanese voice actor
*
November 22 – Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of Italy
*
November 23
** Elizabeth Savalla, Brazilian actress
** Bruce Hornsby, American rock singer
* November 26
** Roz Chast, American cartoonist
** Dan Kwong, American performance artist and playwright
* November 27
** Patricia McPherson, American actress
** Kimmy Robertson, American actress
* November 28 – Marty Grabstein, American actor and voice actor
* November 29 – Coen brothers, Joel Coen, American film director, producer, screenwriter and editor
* November – Pierre M'Pelé, African public health personality and writer
December
*
December 1 – Bob Goen, American television personality and game show host
*
December 2
** Dan Butler, American actor and voice actor
** Stone Phillips, American television journalist
* December 3 – Grace Andreacchi, American author
*
December 4 – Tony Todd, American actor and producer
* December 6 – Beat Furrer, Swiss-born Austrian composer and conductor
* December 7 – Mark Hofmann, American forger and murderer
* December 8 – Sumi Shimamoto, Japanese voice actress
* December 9 – Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg politician
* December 10 – Jack Hues, English singer and musician (Wang Chung (band), Wang Chung)
* December 11
** Sylvester Clarke, West Indian cricketer (d. 1999)
** Jermaine Jackson, African-American singer and actor
** Prachanda, Nepalese Communist leader
* December 13 – John Anderson (musician), John Anderson, American country music singer-songwriter
* December 14
** Ib Andersen, Danish dancer
** Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (d. 1993)
*
December 15 – Mark Warner, American politician
* December 18
** Uli Jon Roth, German rock guitarist (''Scorpions'')
** Ray Liotta, American actor and producer (d. 2022)
* December 20
** Binali Yildirim, Prime Minister of Turkey
** Sandra Cisneros, American writer
* December 21 – Chris Evert, American tennis player
*
December 23 – Brian Teacher, American tennis player
*
December 24 – José María Figueres, Costa Rican politician, President (1994–1998)
* December 25
** Roman Baskin, Estonian actor and director of stage and screen (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Annie Lennox, British pop musician and lead singer of Eurythmics
* December 26
** Susan Butcher, American dog-sled racer (d. 2006)
** Ozzie Smith, HOF baseball shortstop
* December 27 – Teo Chee Hean, Singaporean politician and 5th Senior Minister of Singapore
* December 28
** Gayle King, African-American television personality, journalist, and author
** Lanny Poffo, American professional wrestler
** Denzel Washington, African-American actor
* December 29
** Wang Huanyu, Chinese astrophysicist (d.
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
** Albrecht Böttcher, German mathematician
** Roger Voudouris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
* December 31 – Alex Salmond, Scottish politician
Date not known
*Marek Smurzyński, Polish translator, Persian language speaker and translator (d. 2009)
Deaths
January
*
January 5
** Rabbit Maranville, American baseball player (Boston Braves (baseball), Boston Braves) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1891)
** Lillian Rich, English actress (b. 1900)
*
January 8
Events Pre-1600
* 307 – Emperor Huai of Jin, Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Emperor Hui of Jin, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying.
* 871 – Æthelred I, King of Wessex, Æthel ...
– Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian artist (b. 1898)
*
January 11
** John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon, British politician (b. 1873)
** Oscar Straus (composer), Oscar Straus, Austrian composer (b. 1870)
*
January 12
Events Pre-1600
* 475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.
*1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned s ...
** William H. P. Blandy, American admiral (b. 1890)
** Elmer H. Geran, American politician (b. 1875)
* January 18 – Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (b. 1879)
*
January 20
Events Pre-1600
* 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution.
* 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.
* 1156 &ndas ...
– Fred Root, English cricketer (b. 1890)
* January 30
** John Murray Anderson, Canadian theater director and producer (b. 1886)
** Dorothy Price, Irish physician (b. 1890)
*
January 31
** Edwin Howard Armstrong, American electrical engineer (b. 1890)
** Florence Bates, American actress (b. 1888)
February
* February 6 – Maxwell Bodenheim, American poet and novelist (murdered) (b. 1892)
* February 8 – Laurence Trimble, American actor (b. 1885)
*
February 9 – Mabel Paige, American actress (b. 1880)
*
February 11
Events Pre-1600
*660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
* 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...
– Thomas Pierrepoint, British executioner (b. 1870)
*
February 12 – Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (b. 1896)
*
February 19
Events Pre-1600
* 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
* 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...
– Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp, 24th Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1883)
* February 21 – William K. Howard, American film director (b. 1899)
March
* March 7
** Otto Diels, German chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
** Will H. Hays, Namesake for the Motion Picture Production Code, Hays Code (b. 1879)
*
March 9 – Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer (b. 1874)
*
March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
– Marianne Weber, German sociologist and suffragist (b. 1870)
*
March 13 – Cesar Klein, German painter (b. 1876)
* March 24 – Thành Thái, Emperor of Vietnam (b. 1879)
* March 26 – Louis Silvers, American film composer (b. 1889)
*
March 30
** Horatio Dresser, American writer (b. 1866)
** Fritz London, German physicist (b. 1900)
April
* April 2
** Hoyt Vandenberg, United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force general (b. 1899)
** Maud Barger-Wallach, American tennis player (b. 1870)
*
April 7 – Saburō Kurusu, Japanese diplomat (b. 1886)
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
** Winnifred Eaton (writer), Winnifred Eaton, Canadian author (b. 1875)
** Fritzi Scheff, Austrian-born American actress and singer (b. 1879)
* April 10 – Auguste and Louis Lumière, Auguste Lumière, French film pioneer (b. 1862)
*
April 12 – Luis Cabrera Lobato, Mexican lawyer, politician and writer (b. 1876)
* April 13 – Angus Lewis Macdonald, Nova Scotia Premier (b. 1890)
* April 17 – Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Romanian communist activist and sociologist (b. 1900)
* April 27
** Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski, Polish scientist and explorer who participated in the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, Belgian Antarctic expedition (b. 1872)
** Thorvald Ellegaard, Danish track cyclist (b. 1877)
*
April 28 – Léon Jouhaux, French labor leader, recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1879)
* April 29 – Joe May, Austrian-born director (b. 1880)
May
*
May 1 – Tom Tyler, American actor (b. 1903)
* May 3 – Józef Garbień, Polish footballer and physician (b. 1896)
* May 5 – Henri Laurens, French sculptor and illustrator (b. 1885)
*
May 6 – B. C. Forbes, Scottish-born publisher (b. 1880)
*
May 14 – Heinz Guderian, German
World War II general (b. 1888)
*
May 15 – William March, American writer and soldier (b. 1893)
* May 19 – Charles Ives, American composer (b. 1874)
*
May 22 – Chief Bender, Native-American baseball player (Philadelphia Athletics) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1884)
* May 25 – Robert Capa, Hungarian-born photojournalist (b. 1913)
*
May 26 – Omer Nishani, former Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly and head of State of Albania (b. 1887)
June
*
June 7 –
Alan Turing, British mathematician, cryptanalyst, and pioneer computer scientist (b. 1912)
*
June 9 – Alain LeRoy Locke, American writer, philosopher and educator (b. 1885)
* June 21 – Harvey A. Carr, American psychologists (b. 1873)
*
June 22 – Don Hollenbeck, American newscaster (b. 1905)
* June 24 – Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman, 5th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1874)
*
June 27 – Alfredo Versoza, Filipino Roman Catholic bishop and Servant of God (b. 1877)
* June 30 – Andrass Samuelsen, 1st prime minister of Faroe Islands (b. 1873)
July
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
** Thea von Harbou, German actress (b. 1888)
** Tomás Monje , 41st President of Bolivia (b. 1884)
* July 3 – Reginald Marsh (artist), Reginald Marsh, American painter (b. 1898)
*
July 4 – Maria Ripamonti, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic and a Nun, professed religious from the Handmaids of Charity, Ancelle della carità (b. 1909)
* July 6
** Gabriel Pascal, Hungarian-born film producer and director (b. 1894)
** Cornelia Sorabji, Indian-born lawyer (b. 1866)
* July 11 – Henry Valentine Knaggs, English physician and author (b. 1859)
* July 13
** Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter (b. 1907)
** Irving Pichel, American actor and director (b. 1891)
** Grantland Rice, American sportswriter (b. 1880)
* July 14
** Jacinto Benavente, Spanish dramatist, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866)
** Jackie Saunders, American silent screen actress (b. 1892)
* July 16 – Herms Niel, German composer (b. 1888)
* July 17 – Machine Gun Kelly, American gangster (b. 1895)
*
July 19 – Hannes Meyer, Swiss architect (b. 1889)
* July 28 – Sōjin Kamiyama or "Sojin", Japanese film star during the American silent film era (b. 1884)
*
July 31
Events Pre-1600
*30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
* 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...
– Princess Antonia of Luxembourg, Luxembourg aristocrat (b. 1899)
August
* August 3
** Bess Streeter Aldrich, American writer (b. 1881)
** Colette, French novelist (b. 1873)
* August 14 – Hugo Eckener, German president of the Zeppelin Dirigible Company (b. 1868)
* August 19 – Alcide De Gasperi, Italian statesman and Christian Democracy politician, 30th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1881)
* August 21 – Marin Ceaușu, Romanian general (b. 1891)
*
August 24 –
Getúlio Vargas, 14th and 17th President of Brazil (suicide) (b. 1882)
* August 31 – Elsa Barker, American writer (b. 1869)
September
* September 1 – Bert Acosta, American aviator (b. 1895)
* September 2 – Franz Leopold Neumann, German- political activist and Marxist theorist (b. 1900)
* September 3 – Eugene Pallette, American actor (b. 1889)
* September 5 – Eugen Schiffer, German politician (b. 1860)
*
September 6 – Edward C. Kalbfus, American admiral (b. 1877)
* September 7
** Bud Fisher, American cartoonist (b. 1885)
** Glenn Scobey Warner, American college football coach (b. 1871)
*
September 8 – André Derain, French artist, painter and sculptor (b. 1880)
*
September 20 – Washington Phillips, American gospel singer and instrumentalist (b. 1880)
* September 21 – Mikimoto Kōkichi, Japanese pearl farm pioneer (b. 1858)
* September 24 – Edward Pilgrim, British homeowner (suicide) (b. 1904)
*
September 25 – Eugeni d'Ors, Eugenio d'Ors, Spanish writer (b. 1881)
*
September 26 – Ellen Roosevelt, American tennis player (b. 1868)
*
September 27 – Maximilian von Weichs, German field marshal (b. 1881)
* September 28 – Bert Lytell, American actor (b. 1885)
* September 29 – Martin Wetzer, Finnish general (b. 1868)
October
* October 1 – René Le Senne, French philosopher and psychologist (b. 1882)
* October 9 – Robert H. Jackson, United States Supreme Court associate justice and chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials (b. 1892)
* October 12 – George Welch (pilot), George Welch, American aviator (b. 1918)
*
October 18 – Mieczysław Norwid-Neugebauer, Polish general and politician (b. 1884)
* October 19 – Hugh Duffy, American baseball player (Boston Braves (baseball), Boston Braves) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1866)
* October 22 – Jibanananda Das, Indian poet, writer, novelist and essayist in Bengali language, Bengali (b. 1899)
* October 30 – Wilbur Shaw, American racing driver (b. 1902)
November
*
November 3 – Henri Matisse, French painter (b. 1869)
*
November 10 – Édouard Le Roy, French philosopher and mathematician (b. 1870)
*
November 13 – Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, German field marshal (b. 1881)
* November 15 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor (b. 1878)
* November 16 – Albert Francis Blakeslee, American botanist (b. 1874)
* November 17
** Ludovic Dauș, Romanian novelist and playwright (b. 1873)
** Yitzhak Lamdan, Russian-born Israeli poet and columnist (b. 1899)
* November 20 – Clyde Cessna, American aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer, founder of the Cessna, Cessna Aircraft Corporation (b. 1879)
* November 21 – Jess McMahon, American professional boxing and wrestling promoter; founder of WWE#Capitol Wrestling Corporation (1952-1963), Capitol Wrestling Corporation (b. 1882)
*
November 22
** Moroni Olsen, American actor (b. 1889)
** Andrey Vyshinsky, Russian jurist and diplomat, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Soviet Union), Soviet Foreign Minister (b. 1883)
* November 28 – Enrico Fermi, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
* November 29 – Dink Johnson, American musician (b. 1892)
*
November 30 – Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor (b. 1886)
December
*
December 1 – Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose, American songwriter (b. 1898)
* December 8
** Claude Cahun, French photographer and writer (b. 1894)
** Gladys George, American actress (b. 1904)
* December 20 – James Hilton (novelist), James Hilton, English novelist (b. 1900)
*
December 23 – René Iché, French sculptor (b. 1897)
* December 25
** Ioan Arbore, Romanian general (b. 1892)
** Liberty Hyde Bailey, American botanist (b. 1858)
* December 30
** Archduke Eugen of Austria, Austrian field marshal (b. 1863)
** Günther Quandt, German industrialist who founded an industrial empire that today includes BMW and Altana (b. 1881)
Nobel Prizes
* Nobel Prize in Physics, Physics – Max Born, Walther Bothe
* Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemistry – Linus Pauling
* Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Medicine – John Franklin Enders, Thomas Huckle Weller, Frederick Chapman Robbins
* Nobel Prize in Literature, Literature – Ernest Hemingway
* Nobel Peace Prize, Peace – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1954
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