Events
Pre-1600
*
585 BC – A
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...
occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist
Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...
, while
Alyattes
Alyattes (Lydian language: ; grc, Ἀλυάττης ; reigned c. 635-585 BC), sometimes described as Alyattes I, was the fourth king of the Mermnad dynasty in Lydia, the son of Sadyattes, grandson of Ardys, and great-grandson of Gyges. He ...
is battling
Cyaxares
Cyaxares (Median: ; Old Persian: ; Akkadian: ; Old Phrygian: ; grc, Κυαξαρης, Kuaxarēs; Latin: ; reigned 625–585 BCE) was the third king of the Medes.
Cyaxares collaborated with the Babylonians to destroy the Assyrian Empire, and ...
in the
Battle of the Eclipse
The Battle of the EclipseKevin Leloux: ''The Battle of the Eclipse (May 28, 585 BC): A Discussion of the Lydo-Median Treaty and the Halys Border.'' In: ''Polemos.'' Volume 19, no. 2, 2016, , pp. 31–54, in particular 37–39, 49online (or Battle ...
, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
*
621
__NOTOC__
Year 621 ( DCXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 621 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
–
Battle of Hulao
The Battle of Hulao () or Battle of Sishui (汜水之戰, Wade–Giles: Ssŭ Shui), on 28 May 621 was the main and final battle of the Luoyang–Hulao campaign between the rival Tang, Zheng, and Xia regimes during the transition from Sui to Tan ...
:
Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...
, the son of the Chinese emperor
Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of
Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande (; 573 – 3 August 621) was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese Sui dynasty. Generally considered the kindest and most able of the agrarian rebel leaders ...
near the
Hulao Pass
Hulao Pass () is a choke point northwest of Xingyang, Henan province, China in the foothills of Mount Song. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to the s ...
(
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
). This victory decides the outcome of the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
that followed the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
's collapse in favour of the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
.
*
1533
__NOTOC__
Year 1533 ( MDXXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 25 – King Henry VIII of England formally but secretly marries ...
– The
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
,
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry' ...
, declares the marriage of King
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
to
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...
valid.
*
1588
__NOTOC__
Events
January–June
* February – The Sinhalese abandon the siege of Colombo, capital of Portuguese Ceylon.
* February 9 – The sudden death of Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, in the midst of pr ...
– The
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, Portugal, heading for the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. (It will take until May 30 for all ships to leave port.)
1601–1900
*
1644 –
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
:
Bolton Massacre
The Storming of Bolton, sometimes referred to as the "Bolton massacre", was an event in the First English Civil War which happened on 28 May 1644. The strongly Parliamentarian town was stormed and captured by Royalist forces under Prince R ...
by
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
troops under the command of
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, KG (31 January 160715 October 1651) was an English nobleman, politician, and supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. Before inheriting the title in 1642 he was known as Lord Strange. He was ...
.
*
1754 –
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
: In the first engagement of the war,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
under the 22-year-old
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
defeat a French reconnaissance party in the
Battle of Jumonville Glen
The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War, fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. A company of provincial ...
in what is now
Fayette County in southwestern
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
*
1802 – In
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
, 400 rebellious slaves, led by
Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's troops.
*
1830
It is known in European history as a rather tumultuous year with the Revolutions of 1830 in France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Italy.
Events January–March
* January 11 – LaGrange College (later the University of North Alabama) b ...
–
U.S. President
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 States ...
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
signs the
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
which denies
Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocates them.
*
1871 – The
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
falls after two months.
*
1892
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States.
* February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado.
* February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...
– In
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
John Muir
John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, a ...
organizes the
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...
.
1901–present
*
1905
As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...
–
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
: The
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima (Japanese:対馬沖海戦, Tsushimaoki''-Kaisen'', russian: Цусимское сражение, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of Sea of Japan (Japanese: 日 ...
ends with the destruction of the Russian
Baltic Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
by
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Tōgō Heihachirō
Marshal-Admiral Marquis , served as a '' gensui'' or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He claimed descent from Samurai Shijo Kingo, and he was an integral part of preserving ...
and the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
.
*
1907 – The first
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
race is held.
*
1918
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide.
Events
Below, the events ...
– The
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
and the
First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...
declare their independence.
*
1926
Events January
* January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece.
* January 8
**Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...
– The
28 May 1926 coup d'état
The 28 May 1926 coup d'état, sometimes called 28 May Revolution or, during the period of the authoritarian Estado Novo ( en, New State), the National Revolution ( pt, Revolução Nacional), was a military coup of a nationalist origin, that put ...
:
Ditadura Nacional
The ''Ditadura Nacional'' (, National Dictatorship) was the name given to the regime that governed Portugal from 1926, after the re-election of General Óscar Carmona to the post of President, until 1933. The preceding period of military dicta ...
is established in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
to suppress the unrest of the
First Republic.
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
– In the Netherlands, construction of the
Afsluitdijk
The ''Afsluitdijk'' (; fry, Ofslútdyk; nds-nl, Ofsluutdiek; en, "Closure Dyke") is a major dam and causeway in the Netherlands. It was constructed between 1927 and 1932 and runs from Den Oever in North Holland province to the village of ...
is completed and the
Zuiderzee
The Zuiderzee or Zuider Zee (; old spelling ''Zuyderzee'' or ''Zuyder Zee'') was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km (60 miles) inland and at most 50 km (30 miles) wide, with an o ...
bay is
converted to the freshwater
IJsselmeer
The IJsselmeer (; fy, Iselmar, nds-nl, Iesselmeer), also known as Lake IJssel in English, is a closed off inland bay in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland. It covers an area of with an a ...
.
*
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
– Near
Callander, Ontario
The Municipality of Callander (formerly the Township of North Himsworth) is a township in central Ontario, Canada, located at the southeast end of Lake Nipissing in the Almaguin Highlands region of the District of Parry Sound. The municipality ...
, Canada, the
Dionne quintuplets
The Dionne quintuplets (; born May 28, 1934) are the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. The identical girls were born just outside Callander, Ontario, near the village of Corbeil. All five survived to adulthood.
The Dionn ...
are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne; they will be the first
quintuplet
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...
s to survive
infancy
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
.
*
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
–
Alan Turing
Alan Mathison Turing (; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical com ...
submits
''On Computable Numbers'' for publication.
*
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...
–
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
, the German automobile manufacturer, is founded.
*
1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
*January ...
–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
: Belgium surrenders to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
to end the
Battle of Belgium
The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (french: Campagne des 18 jours, nl, Achttiendaagse Veldtocht), formed part of the greater Battle of France, an Military o ...
.
* 1940 – World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces
recapture Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...
in Norway. This is the first Allied infantry victory of the War.
*
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
–
Daniel François Malan
Daniël François Malan (; 22 May 1874 – 7 February 1959) was a South African politician who served as the fourth prime minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. The National Party implemented the system of apartheid, which enforce ...
is elected as
Prime Minister of South Africa
The prime minister of South Africa ( af, Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika) was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984.
History of the office
The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of Sout ...
. He later goes on to implement
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
.
*
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
–
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...
:
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
's
26th of July Movement
The 26th of July Movement ( es, Movimiento 26 de Julio; M-26-7) was a Cuban vanguard revolutionary organization and later a political party led by Fidel Castro. The movement's name commemorates its 26 July 1953 attack on the army barracks on San ...
, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero.
*
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
–
Peter Benenson
Peter Benenson (born Peter James Henry Solomon; 31 July 1921 – 25 February 2005) was a British barrister, human rights activist and the founder of the human rights group Amnesty International (AI). He refused all honours for most of his life, ...
's article ''
The Forgotten Prisoners
"The Forgotten Prisoners" is an article by Peter Benenson published in ''The Observer'' on 28 May 1961.Peter Benenson.The Forgotten Prisoners (abridged), ''The Observer'', 28 May 1961. Retrieved 28 May 2011. Citing the Universal Declaration o ...
'' is published in several internationally read
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
s. This will later be thought of as the founding of the
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
organization
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
.
*
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
– The
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, with
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...
elected as its first leader.
*
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
–
Garuda Indonesia Flight 892
Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 was a scheduled international passenger flight of Garuda Indonesian Airways (now Garuda Indonesia) from Jakarta to Amsterdam with stopovers in Singapore, Bangkok, Bombay (now Mumbai), Karachi, Cairo, and Rome. ...
crashes near
Nala Sopara
Nala Sopara or Nallasopara (Pronunciation: aːla sopaɾa formerly known as Sopara or Supara, is a town within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The town lies in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, India and is governed by Vasai-Virar Municipal ...
in India, killing 30.
*
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
–
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
's power-sharing
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The agreement was signed at Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973. Unionist ...
collapses following a
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
by
loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
.
*
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
– Fifteen
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
n countries sign the
Treaty of Lagos
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was created by the Treaty of Lagos on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. ECOWAS was established to promote cooperation and integration in order to create an economic and monetary uni ...
, creating the
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political union, political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an ...
.
*
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
– In
Southgate, Kentucky
Southgate is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,803 at the 2010 census.
History
The city of Southgate is named for the family of Richard Southgate. Born in New York City, Richard Southgate ...
, the
Beverly Hills Supper Club is engulfed in fire, killing 165 people inside.
*
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
–
Konstantinos Karamanlis
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Γ. Καραμανλής, ; 8 March 1907 – 23 April 1998), commonly Anglicisation, anglicised to Constantine Karamanlis or just Caramanlis, was a four-time prime minister and List of he ...
signs the full treaty of the accession of Greece with the
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...
.
*
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
– An 18-year-old West German pilot,
Mathias Rust
Mathias Rust (born 1 June 1968) is a German aviator known for his flight that ended with a landing near Red Square in Moscow on 28 May 1987. A teenage amateur pilot, he flew from Helsinki, Finland, to Moscow, being tracked several times by Sov ...
, evades
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 ...
air defences and lands a private plane in
Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
in Moscow, Russia.
*
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
– The capital city of
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
falls to the
, ending both the
Derg
The Derg (also spelled Dergue; , ), officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, then including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when the military leadership formally " c ...
regime in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
and the
Ethiopian Civil War
The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991.
The Derg overthre ...
.
*
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
– The 7.0
Neftegorsk earthquake shakes the former Russian settlement of
Neftegorsk with a maximum
Mercalli intensity
The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of IX (''Violent''). Total damage was
$64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt.
*
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 ...
– U.S. President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's former business partners in the
Whitewater land deal,
Jim McDougal
James B. McDougal (August 25, 1940 – March 8, 1998) was a native of White County, Arkansas, and his wife, Susan McDougal (the former Susan Carol Henley), were financial partners with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton in the real estate venture ...
and
Susan McDougal, and the
Governor of Arkansas
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
,
Jim Guy Tucker
James Guy Tucker Jr. (born June 13, 1943) is an American politician and attorney from Arkansas. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 43rd governor of Arkansas, the 15th lieutenant governor, state attorney general, and U.S. repres ...
, are convicted of fraud.
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
–
Nuclear testing
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine nuclear weapons' effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability. Testing nuclear weapons offers practical information about how the weapons function, how detonations are affected by ...
: Pakistan responds to a series of nuclear tests by India with five of its own codenamed ''
Chagai-I
Chagai-I is the code name of five simultaneous underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15 hrs PKT on 28 May 1998. The tests were performed at Ras Koh Hills in the Chagai District of Balochistan Province.
Chagai-I was Pakistan' ...
'', prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose
economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by one or more countries against a targeted self-governing state, group, or individual. Economic sanctions are not necessarily imposed because of economic circumstances—they may ...
. Pakistan celebrates
Youm-e-Takbir
Youm-e-Takbir ( ur, ; lit. ''The day of greatness'') is celebrated as a national day in Pakistan on May 28 in commemoration of Chagai-I and Chagai-II series of nuclear tests. The nuclear tests made Pakistan the seventh nation to possess nuclea ...
annually.
*
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
– In
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work,
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
's masterpiece ''
The Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
'' is put back on display.
*
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
– The last steel girder is removed from the original
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site, often referred to as "Ground zero#World Trade Center, Ground Zero" or "the Pile" immediately after the September 11 attacks, is a 14.6-acre (5.9 ha) area in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The site is bounde ...
. Cleanup duties officially end with closing ceremonies at
Ground Zero
In relation to nuclear explosions and other large bombs, ground zero (also called surface zero) is the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ''ground zero'' is the point on the ground ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York City.
*
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
–
Peter Hollingworth
Peter John Hollingworth (born 10 April 1935) is an Australian retired Anglican bishop. Engaged in social work for several decades, he served as the archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane in Queensland for 11 years from 1989 and was the ...
resigns as
Governor-General of Australia
The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.[Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane
The Archbishop of Brisbane is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Australia, and ''ex officio'' metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (al ...](_blank)
.
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
– The
Iraqi Governing Council
The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) was the provisional government of Iraq from 13 July 2003 to 1 June 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The IGC consisted of various Iraqi pol ...
chooses
Ayad Allawi
Ayad Allawi ( ar, إيَاد عَلَّاوِي ; born 31 May 1944) is an Iraqi politician. He served as the vice president of Iraq from 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2018. Previously he was interim prime minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and the p ...
, a longtime anti-
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
exile, as prime minister of
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
's interim government.
*
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; ...
– The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty.
*2010 – In West Bengal, India, the Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers.
*2011 – Malta Maltese divorce referendum, 2011, votes on the introduction of divorce; the proposal was approved by 53% of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later in the year.
*2016 – Harambe, a gorilla, is shot to death after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking various Internet meme, internet memes.
*2017 – Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato wins his first 2017 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so. Double world champion Fernando Alonso retires from an engine issue in his first entry of the event.
Births
Pre-1600
*1140 – Xin Qiji, Chinese poet, general, and politician (d. 1207)
*1371 – John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (d. 1419)
*
1588
__NOTOC__
Events
January–June
* February – The Sinhalese abandon the siege of Colombo, capital of Portuguese Ceylon.
* February 9 – The sudden death of Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, in the midst of pr ...
– Pierre Séguier, French politician, Lord Chancellor of France (d. 1672)
*1589 – Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, French writer (d. 1674)
1601–1900
*1663 – António Manoel de Vilhena, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (d. 1736)
*1676 – Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1754)
*1692 – Geminiano Giacomelli, Italian composer (d. 1740)
*1738 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician (d. 1814)
*1759 – William Pitt the Younger, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1806)
*1763 – Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (d. 1811)
*1764 – Edward Livingston, American jurist and politician, 11th United States Secretary of State (d. 1836)
*1779 – Thomas Moore, Irish poet and composer (d. 1852)
*1807 – Louis Agassiz, Swiss-American paleontologist and geologist (d. 1873)
*1818 – P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (d. 1893)
*1836 – Friedrich Baumfelder, German pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1916)
* 1836 – Alexander Mitscherlich (chemist), Alexander Mitscherlich, German chemist and academic (d. 1918)
*1837 – George Ashlin, Irish architect, co-designed St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh, St Colman's Cathedral (d. 1921)
* 1837 – Tony Pastor, American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner (d. 1908)
*1841 – Sakaigawa Namiemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 14th Makuuchi#Yokozuna, Yokozuna (d. 1887)
*1853 – Carl Larsson, Swedish painter and author (d. 1919)
*1858 – Carl Richard Nyberg, Swedish inventor and businessman, developed the blow torch (d. 1939)
*1872 – Marian Smoluchowski, Polish physicist and mountaineer (d. 1917)
*1878 – Paul Pelliot, French sinologist and explorer (d. 1945)
*1879 – Milutin Milanković, Serbian mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist (d. 1958)
*1883 – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian poet and politician (d. 1966)
* 1883 – Clough Williams-Ellis, English-Welsh architect, designed the Portmeirion, Portmeirion Village (d. 1978)
*1884 – Edvard Beneš, Czech academic and politician, 2nd and 4th List of Presidents of Czechoslovakia, President of Czechoslovakia (d. 1948)
*1886 – Santo Trafficante, Sr., Italian-American mobster (d. 1954)
*1888 – Kaarel Eenpalu, Estonian journalist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1942)
* 1888 – Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot, English author and educator (d. 1947)
* 1888 – Jim Thorpe, American decathlete, football player, and coach (d. 1953)
*1889 – Richard Réti, Slovak-Czech chess player and author (d. 1929)
*
1892
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States.
* February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado.
* February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...
– Minna Gombell, American actress (d. 1973)
*1900 – Tommy Ladnier, American trumpet player (d. 1939)
1901–present
*1903 – S. L. Kirloskar, Indian businessman, founded Kirloskar Group (d. 1994)
*1906 – Henry Thambiah, Sri Lankan lawyer, judge, and diplomat, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada (d. 1997)
*1908 – Léo Cadieux, Canadian journalist and politician, 17th Minister of National Defence (Canada), Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 2005)
* 1908 – Ian Fleming, English journalist and author, created ''James Bond'' (d. 1964)
*1909 – Red Horner, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2005)
*1910 – Georg Gaßmann, German politician, List of mayors of Marburg, Mayor of Marburg (d. 1987)
* 1910 – Rachel Kempson, English actress (d. 2003)
* 1910 – T-Bone Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
*1911 – Bob Crisp, South African cricketer (d. 1994)
* 1911 – Thora Hird, English actress (d. 2003)
* 1911 – Fritz Hochwälder, Austrian playwright (d. 1986)
*1912 – Herman Johannes, Indonesian scientist, academic, and politician (d. 1992)
* 1912 – Ruby Payne-Scott, Australian physicist and astronomer (d. 1981)
* 1912 – Patrick White, Australian novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1990)
*1914 – W. G. G. Duncan Smith, English captain and pilot (d. 1996)
*1915 – Joseph Greenberg, American linguist and academic (d. 2001)
*1916 – Walker Percy, American novelist and essayist (d. 1990)
*1917 – Barry Commoner, American biologist, academic, and politician (d. 2012)
*
1918
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide.
Events
Below, the events ...
– Johnny Wayne, Canadian comedian (d. 1990)
*1921 – D. V. Paluskar, Indian Hindustani classical musician (d. 1955)
* 1921 – Heinz G. Konsalik, German journalist and author (d. 1999)
* 1921 – Tom Uren, Australian soldier, boxer, and politician (d. 2015)
*1922 – Lou Duva, American boxer, trainer, and manager (d. 2017)
* 1922 – Roger Fisher (academic), Roger Fisher, American author and academic (d. 2012)
* 1922 – Tuomas Gerdt, Finnish soldier (d. 2020)
*1923 – György Ligeti, Hungarian-Austrian composer and educator (d. 2006)
* 1923 – N. T. Rama Rao, Indian actor, director, producer, and politician, 10th List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (d. 1996)
*1924 – Edward du Cann, English naval officer and politician (d. 2017)
* 1924 – Paul Hébert, Canadian actor (d. 2017)
*1925 – Bülent Ecevit, Turkish journalist, scholar, and politician, 16th Prime Minister of Turkey (d. 2006)
* 1925 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German opera singer and conductor (d. 2012)
*1928 – Sally Forrest, American actress and dancer (d. 2015)
*1929 – Patrick McNair-Wilson, English politician
*1930 – Edward Seaga, American-Jamaican academic and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Jamaica (d. 2019)
*1931 – Carroll Baker, American actress
* 1931 – Gordon Willis, American cinematographer (d. 2014)
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
– Tim Renton, Baron Renton of Mount Harry, English politician, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (d. 2020)
*1933 – John Karlen, American actor (d. 2020)
* 1933 – Zelda Rubinstein, American actress and activist (d. 2010)
*
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
– Claude Forget, Canadian academic and politician
* 1936 – Ole K. Sara, Norwegian politician (d. 2013)
* 1936 – Betty Shabazz, American educator and activist (d. 1997)
*1938 – Jerry West, American basketball player, coach, and executive
*1939 – Maeve Binchy, Irish novelist (d. 2012)
*
1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
*January ...
– David William Brewer, English politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London
* 1940 – Shlomo Riskin, American rabbi and academic, founded the Lincoln Square Synagogue
*1941 – Beth Howland, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
*1942 – Stanley B. Prusiner, American neurologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate
*1943 – Terry Crisp, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
*1944 – Faith Brown, English actress and singer
* 1944 – Rudy Giuliani, American lawyer and politician, 107th mayor of New York City
* 1944 – Gladys Knight, American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1944 – Sondra Locke, American actress and director (d. 2018)
* 1944 – Rita MacNeil, Canadian singer and actress (d. 2013)
* 1944 – Gary Stewart (singer), Gary Stewart, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
* 1944 – Billy Vera, American singer-songwriter and actor
*1945 – Patch Adams, American physician and author, founded the Gesundheit! Institute
* 1945 – John N. Bambacus, American military veteran (USMC) and politician
* 1945 – John Fogerty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
* 1945 – Jean Perrault, Canadian politician, List of mayors of Sherbrooke, Mayor of Sherbrooke, Quebec
* 1945 – Helena Shovelton, English physician
*1946 – Bruce Alexander (actor), Bruce Alexander, English actor
* 1946 – Skip Jutze, American baseball player
* 1946 – Janet Paraskeva, Welsh politician
* 1946 – K. Satchidanandan, Indian poet and critic
* 1946 – William Shawcross, English journalist and author
*1947 – Zahi Hawass, Egyptian archaeologist and academic
* 1947 – Lynn Johnston, Canadian author and illustrator
* 1947 – Leland Sklar, American singer-songwriter and bass player
*
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
– Michael Field (politician), Michael Field, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Tasmania
* 1948 – Pierre Rapsat, Belgian singer and songwriter (d. 2002)
*1949 – Martin Kelner, English journalist, author, comedian, singer, actor and radio presenter
* 1949 – Wendy O. Williams, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress (d. 1998)
*1952 – Roger Briggs, American pianist, composer, conductor, and educator
*1953 – Pierre Gauthier, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
*1954 – João Carlos de Oliveira, Brazilian jumper (d. 1999)
* 1954 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1988)
* 1954 – Charles Saumarez Smith, English historian and academic
* 1954 – Péter Szilágyi (politician, 1954), Péter Szilágyi, Hungarian conductor and politician (d. 2013)
* 1954 – John Tory, Canadian lawyer and politician, 65th Mayor of Toronto
*1955 – Laura Amy Schlitz, American author and librarian
*1955 – Mark Howe, American ice hockey player and coach
*1956 – Jerry Douglas, American guitarist and producer
* 1956 – Jeff Dujon, Jamaican cricketer
* 1956 – Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (d. 1980)
* 1956 – Peter Wilkinson (Royal Navy officer), Peter Wilkinson, English admiral
*1957 – Colin Barnes, English footballer
* 1957 – Kirk Gibson, American baseball player and manager
* 1957 – Ben Howland, American basketball player and coach
*1959 – Risto Mannisenmäki, Finnish racing driver
*1960 – Mark Sanford, American military veteran (USAF) and politician, 115th Governor of South Carolina
* 1960 – Mary Portas, English journalist and author
*1963 – Houman Younessi, Australian-American biologist and academic (d. 2016)
*
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
– Jeff Fenech, Australian boxer and trainer
* 1964 – Armen Gilliam, American basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
* 1964 – Zsa Zsa Padilla, Filipino singer and actress
* 1964 – Phil Vassar, American singer-songwriter
*1965 – Chris Ballew, American singer-songwriter and bass player
* 1965 – Mary Coughlan (politician), Mary Coughlan, Irish politician
*1966 – Roger Kumble, American director, screenwriter, and playwright
* 1966 – Miljenko Jergović, Bosnian novelist and journalist
* 1966 – Gavin Robertson, Australian cricketer
*1967 – Glen Rice, American basketball player
*
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
– Kylie Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
*1969 – Mike DiFelice, American baseball player and manager
* 1969 – Rob Ford, Canadian politician, 64th Mayor of Toronto (d. 2016)
*1970 – Glenn Quinn, American actor (d. 2002)
*1971 – Isabelle Carré, French actress and singer
* 1971 – Ekaterina Gordeeva, Russian figure skater and sportscaster
* 1971 – Marco Rubio, American lawyer and politician
*1972 – Doriva, Brazilian footballer and manager
* 1972 – Michael Boogerd, Dutch cyclist and manager
*1973 – Marco Paulo Faria Lemos, Portuguese footballer and manager
*
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
– Hans-Jörg Butt, German footballer
* 1974 – Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer
* 1975 – Maura Johnston, American journalist, critic, and academic
*1976 – Steven Bell, Australian rugby league player
* 1976 – Zaza Enden, Georgian-Turkish wrestler, basketball player, and coach
* 1976 – Roberto Goretti, Italian footballer
* 1976 – Glenn Morrison, Australian rugby league player and coach
*
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
– Elisabeth Hasselbeck, American talk show host and author
*1978 – Jake Johnson, American actor
*
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
– Abdulaziz al-Omari, Saudi Arabian terrorist, hijacker of American Airlines Flight 11 (d. 2001)
* 1979 – Ronald Curry, American football player and coach
*1980 – Miguel Pérez (footballer, born 1980), Miguel Pérez, Spanish footballer
* 1980 – Lucy Shuker, English tennis player
*1981 – Daniel Cabrera, Dominican-American baseball player
* 1981 – Eric Ghiaciuc, American football player
* 1981 – Adam Green (musician), Adam Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
*1982 – Alexa Davalos, French-American actress
* 1982 – Jhonny Peralta, Dominican-American baseball player
*1983 – Steve Cronin, American soccer player
* 1983 – Humberto Sánchez, Dominican-American baseball player
* 1983 – Roman Atwood, American YouTube star
*1985 – Colbie Caillat, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1985 – Pablo Andrés González, Argentinian footballer
* 1985 – Kostas Mendrinos, Greek footballer
* 1985 – Carey Mulligan, English actress and singer
*1986 – Berrick Barnes, Australian rugby player
* 1986 – Bryant Dunston, American-Armenian basketball player
* 1986 – Seth Rollins, American wrestler
* 1986 – Ingmar Vos, Dutch decathlete
*
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
– T.J. Yates, American football player
*1988 – NaVorro Bowman, American football player
* 1988 – Percy Harvin, American football player
* 1988 – Craig Kimbrel, American baseball player
*1990 – Kyle Walker, English footballer
*
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
– Sharrif Floyd, American football player
* 1991 – Alexandre Lacazette, French footballer
* 1991 – Danielle Lao, American tennis player
* 1991 – Kail Piho, Estonian skier
*1993 – Daniel Alvaro, Australian rugby league player
* 1993 – Bárbara Luz, Portuguese tennis player
*1994 – John Stones, English footballer
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
– Dahyun, Kim Dahyun, South Korean rapper and singer
*
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
– Jodie Burrage, British tennis player
*2000 – Phil Foden, English footballer
* 2000 – Risi Pouri-Lane, New Zealand rugby sevens player
Deaths
Pre-1600
* 576 – Germain of Paris, French bishop and saint (b. 496)
* 741 – Ucha'an K'in B'alam, Mayan king
* 926 – Kong Qian, official of Later Tang
* 926 – Li Jiji, prince of Later Tang
*1023 – Wulfstan (died 1023), Wulfstan, English archbishop
*1279 – William Wishart, Scottish bishop
*1327 – Robert Baldock, Lord Privy Seal and Lord Chancellor of England
*1357 – Afonso IV of Portugal (b. 1291)
*1427 – Henry IV, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (b. 1397)
*1556 – Saitō Dōsan, Japanese samurai (b. 1494)
1601–1900
*1626 – Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk (b. 1561)
*1651 – Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent, English politician (b. 1594)
*1672 – John Trevor (1626–1672), John Trevor, Welsh politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1626)
*1747 – Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French author (b. 1715)
*1750 – Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (b. 1720)
*1787 – Leopold Mozart, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1719)
*1805 – Luigi Boccherini, Italian cellist and composer (b. 1743)
*1808 – Richard Hurd (bishop), Richard Hurd, English bishop (b. 1720)
*1811 – Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for War (b. 1742)
*1831 – William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, Scottish-English admiral (b. 1756)
*1843 – Noah Webster, American lexicographer (b. 1758)
*1849 – Anne Brontë, English novelist and poet (b. 1820)
*1864 – Simion Bărnuțiu, Romanian historian and politician (b. 1808)
*1878 – John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1792)
1901–present
*1904 – Kicking Bear, Native American tribal leader (b. 1846)
*1916 – Ivan Franko, Ukrainian economist, journalist, and poet (b. 1856)
*1927 – Boris Kustodiev, Russian painter and stage designer (b. 1878)
*
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...
– Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish ophthalmologist and psychologist (b. 1870)
*1946 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1858)
*1947 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (b. 1907)
*1952 – Philippe Desranleau, Canadian archbishop (b. 1882)
*1953 – Tatsuo Hori, Japanese author and poet (b. 1904)
*
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
– Terry Dillon, American football player (b. 1941)
*
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
– Fyodor Okhlopkov, Russian sergeant and sniper (b. 1908)
*1971 – Audie Murphy, American soldier and actor, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1925)
*1972 – Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (b. 1894)
*
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
– Ezzard Charles, American boxer (b. 1921)
*1976 – Zainul Abedin, Bangladeshi painter and sculptor (b. 1914)
*1980 – Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician and academic (b. 1895)
*1981 – Mary Lou Williams, American pianist and composer (b. 1910)
* 1981 – Stefan Wyszyński, Polish cardinal (b. 1901)
*1982 – H. Jones, English colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1940)
*1983 – Erastus Corning 2nd, American soldier and politician, 72nd List of mayors of Albany, New York, Mayor of Albany (b. 1909)
*1984 – Eric Morecambe, English actor and comedian (b. 1926)
*1986 – Edip Cansever, Turkish poet and author (b. 1928)
*1988 – Sy Oliver, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1910)
*1990 – Julius Eastman, American composer (b. 1940)
*1994 – Julius Boros, American golfer (b. 1920)
* 1994 – Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr., American author and academic (b. 1916)
*
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
– Phil Hartman, Canadian-American actor and comedian (b. 1948)
*
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
– Michael Barkai, Israeli commander (b. 1935)
* 1999 – B. Vittalacharya, Indian director and producer (b. 1920)
*2000 – George Irving Bell, American physicist, biologist, and mountaineer (b. 1926)
*2001 – Joe Moakley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
* 2001 – Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (b. 1946)
*
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
– Mildred Benson, American journalist and author (b. 1905)
*
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
– Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (b. 1933)
* 2003 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian-Belgian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
* 2003 – Martha Scott, American actress (b. 1912)
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
– Michael Buonauro, American author and illustrator (b. 1979)
* 2004 – John Tolos, Greek-Canadian wrestler (b. 1930)
*2006 – Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian ski jumper and author (b. 1920)
*2007 – Jörg Immendorff, German painter, sculptor, and academic (b. 1945)
* 2007 – Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), Japanese Minister of Agriculture (b. 1945)
*
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; ...
– Beryl Cook, English painter and illustrator (b. 1926)
*2010 – Gary Coleman, American actor (b. 1968)
*2011 – Gino Valenzano, Italian racing driver (b. 1920)
*2012 – Bob Edwards (UK journalist), Bob Edwards, English journalist (b. 1925)
* 2012 – Yuri Susloparov, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (b. 1958)
*2013 – Viktor Kulikov, Russian commander (b. 1921)
* 2013 – Eddie Romero, Filipino director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1924)
* 2013 – Gerd Schmückle, German general (b. 1917)
*2014 – Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet (b. 1928)
* 2014 – Stan Crowther (footballer), Stan Crowther, English footballer (b. 1935)
* 2014 – Oscar Dystel, American publisher (b. 1912)
* 2014 – Malcolm Glazer, American businessman (b. 1928)
* 2014 – Bob Houbregs, Canadian-American basketball player and manager (b. 1932)
* 2014 – Isaac Kungwane, South African footballer (b. 1971)
*2015 – Steven Gerber, American pianist and composer (b. 1948)
* 2015 – Johnny Keating, Scottish trombonist, composer, and producer (b. 1927)
* 2015 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor and screenwriter (b. 1940)
*2018 – Neale Cooper, Scottish footballer (b. 1963)
* 2018 – Jens Christian Skou, Danish medical doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)
* 2018 – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (b. 1941)
*2021 – Mark Eaton, American basketball player (b. 1957)
*2022 – Patricia Brake, English actress (b. 1942)
Holidays and observances
*Armed Forces Day (Croatia)
*Christian Calendar of saints, feast day:
**Bernard of Menthon
**Germain of Paris
**John Calvin (Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church)
**Lanfranc
**Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, Margaret Pole
**William of Gellone
**May 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*Downfall of the Derg (holiday), Downfall of the Derg (
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
)
*Flag Day (Philippines)
*Menstrual Hygiene Day
*Republic Day (Nepal)
*Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, TDFR Republic Day, celebrates the declaration of independence of the
First Republic of Armenia
The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...
and the
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic in 1918. (Azerbaijan and Armenia)
*
Youm-e-Takbir
Youm-e-Takbir ( ur, ; lit. ''The day of greatness'') is celebrated as a national day in Pakistan on May 28 in commemoration of Chagai-I and Chagai-II series of nuclear tests. The nuclear tests made Pakistan the seventh nation to possess nuclea ...
(Pakistan)
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on May 28
{{months
Days of the year
May