Events

Pre-1600

1513 Year 1513 (Roman numerals, MDXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * March 9 – Pope Leo X (layman Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici) succe ...

– Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...

comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

and the mouth of the St. Johns River.

1601–1900

1755 Events January–March * January 23 (O. S. January 12, Tatiana Day, nowadays celebrated on January 25) – Moscow University is established. * February 13 – The kingdom of Mataram on Java is divided in two, creating the ...

– Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the west coast of India. *

1792 Events January–March * January 9 – The Treaty of Jassy ends the Russian Empire's war with the Ottoman Empire over Crimea. * February 18 – Thomas Holcroft produces the comedy '' The Road to Ruin'' in London. * February ...

– The Coinage Act is passed by Congress, establishing the United States Mint. *

1800 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 18), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 12 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 16), ...

– Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna. *

1801 Events January–March * January 1 ** The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland is completed under the Act of Union 1800, bringing about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the abolition of the Parliament of I ...

– French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy squadron defeats a hastily assembled, smaller, mostly-volunteer Dano-Norwegian Navy at high cost, forcing

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

out of the Second League of Armed Neutrality. *

1863 Events January–March * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states an official war goal. It proclaims t ...

–

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

: The largest in a series of Southern bread riots occurs in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. *

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

– American Civil War: Defeat at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate government to abandon

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. *

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

– Canadian

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...

warriors

attack Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Offensive (military) * Charge (warfare) * Attack (fencing) * Strike (attack) * Attack (computing) * Attack aircraft Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic an ...

the village of Frog Lake, killing nine.

1901–present

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

– Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Mariinsky Palace, Saint Petersburg. * 1902 – "Electric Theatre", the first full-time

movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

in the United States, opens in Los Angeles. *

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

– The

Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory government ...

conducts the country's first

national census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

. *

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

– The ill-fated begins sea trials. *

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

– American entry into World War I: President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany. *

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

– The

Autonomous Government of Khorasan The Autonomous Government of Khorasan was a short-lived military state set up in Iran. It was formally established on the April 2, 1921, and collapsed a few months later, on October 6, 1921. Their capital was Mashhad. State information *Es ...

, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established. *

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

– After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia. *

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

– A 19-month-old infant is swept up in the ocean tides at Hermosa Beach, California. Local photographer

John L. Gaunt John L. Gaunt (June 4, 1924 in Syracuse, New York – October 26, 2007 in Desert Hot Springs, California) was an American photographer. He won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. Born as the only child to a stockbroker, Gaunt moved and ...

photographs the incident; 1955 Pulitzer winner " Tragedy by the Sea". *

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 ...

– '' As the World Turns'' and '' The Edge of Night'' premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format. *

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 Soviet Union launches Zond 1. *

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 ...

– Actor

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

during the

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 ...

in the early 1950s. *

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

– Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service. *

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. ...

– Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian

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 flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops. *

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

– Prince

Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...

resigns as leader of

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

and is placed under

house arrest In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...

. *

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 ...

– A Soviet bio-warfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

– United States President Jimmy Carter signs the

Crude Oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

Windfall Profits Tax A windfall tax is a higher tax rate on profits that ensue from a sudden windfall gain to a particular company or industry. There have been windfall taxes in various countries across the world, including Mongolia, Australia, and on wind power in Tu ...

Act. *

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

–

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. *

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 ...

– Alabama governor

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

, a former segregationist, best known for the " Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987. *

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 ...

– Soviet leader

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

arrives in Havana,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, to meet with

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 ...

in an attempt to mend strained relations. *

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 ...

– Rita Johnston becomes the first female

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

of a

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

when she succeeds

William Vander Zalm William Nicholas Vander Zalm (born Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie van der Zalm; May 29, 1934) is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991. Early life Wilhelmus Ni ...

(who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia. *

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 ...

– In

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Mafia boss

John Gotti John Joseph Gotti Jr.Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25–26 (, ; October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American gangster and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambino boss ...

is convicted of murder and

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and of ...

and is later sentenced to life in prison. * 1992 – Forty-two civilians are massacred in the town of Bijeljina in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

. *

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 ...

– Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, into which armed

Palestinians Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

had retreated. *

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 ...

– Islamist terrorists involved in the

11 March 2004 Madrid attacks The 2004 Madrid train bombings (also known in Spain as 11M) were a series of coordinated, nearly simultaneous bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, on the morning of 11 March 2004—three days before Spain's g ...

attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted. *

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

– Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed. *

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 ...

– A mass shooting at Oikos University in California leaves seven people dead and three injured. *

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 ...

– A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood army base in Texas, with four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others injured. *

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

– Gunmen

Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others. * 2015 – Four men steal items worth up to £200 million from an underground safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden area in what has been called the "largest burglary in English legal history." *

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

–

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

: The total number of confirmed cases reach one million. *

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

– At least 49 people are killed in a

train derailment In rail transport, a derailment occurs when a rail vehicle such as a train comes off its rails. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system and they are a potentially ...

in Taiwan after a truck accidentally rolls onto the track. * 2021 – A Capitol Police officer is killed and another injured when an attacker rams his car into a barricade outside the United States Capitol.

Births

Pre-1600

747 747 may refer to: * 747 (number), a number * AD 747, a year of the Julian calendar * 747 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 747, a large commercial jet airliner Music and film * 747s (band), an indie band * ''747'' (album), by country musi ...

–

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Em ...

, Frankish king (d. 814) *

1473 Year 1473 ( MCDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 12, 1473 – The first complete Inside edition of Avicenna's ''The Canon ...

– John Corvinus, Hungarian noble (d. 1504) *

1545 Year 1545 ( MDXLV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * February 22 – A firman of the Ottoman Empire is issued for the dethronement of Radu ...

– Elisabeth of Valois (d. 1568) * 1565 – Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (d. 1599) *

1586 Events * January 18 – The 7.9 Tenshō earthquake strikes the Chubu region of Japan, triggering a tsunami and causing at least 8,000 deaths. * June 16 – The deposed and imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, recognizes Philip II of ...

–

Pietro Della Valle Pietro Della Valle ( la, Petrus a Valle; 2 April 1586 – 21 April 1652), also written Pietro della Valle, was an Italian composer, musicologist, and author who travelled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the ...

, Italian traveler (d. 1652)

1601–1900

1602 Events January–June * January 3 – Battle of Kinsale: The English defeat Irish rebels and their Spanish allies. (The battle happens on this date according to the Gregorian calendar used by the Irish and Spanish but on Thursday, 24 Dec ...

– Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, Franciscan abbess (d. 1665) *

1618 Events January–June * February 26 – Osman II deposes his uncle Mustafa I as Ottoman sultan (until 1622). * March 8 – Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion (after some initial calculations, he so ...

–

Francesco Maria Grimaldi Francesco Maria Grimaldi, SJ (2 April 1618 – 28 December 1663) was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna. He was born in Bologna to Paride Grimaldi and Anna Cattani. Work Between 1 ...

, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663) *

1647 Events January–March * January 2 – Chinese bandit leader Zhang Xianzhong, who has ruled the Sichuan province since 1644, is killed at Xichong by a Qing archer after having been betrayed one of his officers, Liu Jinzhong. ...

– Maria Sibylla Merian, German-Dutch botanist and illustrator (d. 1717) *

1653 Events January–March * January 3 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage. * January– The Swiss Peasant War begins after magistrates meeting at Lucerne ...

–

Prince George of Denmark Prince George of Denmark ( da, Jørgen; 2 April 165328 October 1708) was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708. The marriage of Georg ...

(d. 1708) *

1696 Events January–March * January 21 – The Great Recoinage of 1696, Recoinage Act, passed by the Parliament of England to pull counterfeit silver coins out of circulation, becomes law.James E. Thorold Rogers, ''The First Nine Y ...

–

Francesca Cuzzoni Francesca Cuzzoni (2 April 1696 – 19 June 1778) was an Italian operatic soprano of the Baroque era. Early career Cuzzoni was born in Parma. Her father, Angelo, was a professional violinist, and her singing teacher was Francesco Lanzi. She ma ...

, Italian operatic soprano (d. 1778) * 1719 –

Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim (2 April 1719 – 18 February 1803) was a German poet, commonly associated with the Enlightenment movement. Life Gleim was born at the small town of Ermsleben in the Principality of Halberstadt, then part of Prussia. ...

, German poet (d. 1803) *

1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Ge ...

– Giacomo Casanova, Italian explorer and author (d. 1798) *

1788 Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...

– Francisco Balagtas, Filipino poet and author (d. 1862) * 1788 –

Wilhelmine Reichard Johanne Wilhelmine Siegmundine Reichard (née Schmidt) (2 April 1788, Braunschweig, Germany – 23 February 1848, Döhlen, Germany) was the first German female balloonist. Biography Reichard was the daughter of a cup-bearer of the Duchy of Brun ...

, German balloonist (d. 1848) *

1789 Events January–March * January – Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes the pamphlet ''What Is the Third Estate?'' ('), influential on the French Revolution. * January 7 – The 1788-89 United States presidential election a ...

–

Lucio Norberto Mansilla Lucio Norberto Mansilla (April 2, 1789 – April 10, 1871) was an Argentine soldier and politician. He was the first governor of the Entre Ríos Province and fought in the battle of Vuelta de Obligado. Early life Lucio Mansilla was born in ...

, Argentinian general and politician (d. 1871) *

– Francisco de Paula Santander, Colombian general and politician, 4th

President of the Republic of the New Granada The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...

(d. 1840) *

1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of Wa ...

– August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and academic (d. 1874) *

1805 After thirteen years the First French Empire abolished the French Republican Calendar in favour of the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 11 – The Michigan Territory is created. * February 7 – King Anouvong become ...

–

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

, Danish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1875) *

1814 Events January * January 1 – War of the Sixth Coalition – The Royal Prussian Army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher crosses the Rhine. * January 3 ** War of the Sixth Coalition – Siege of Cattaro: French garrison s ...

– Henry L. Benning, American general and judge (d. 1875) * 1814 – Erastus Brigham Bigelow, American inventor (d. 1879) *

1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...

– William Holman Hunt, English soldier and painter (d. 1910) *

1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...

–

Jacob Nash Victor Jacob Nash Victor (April 2, 1835 in Sandusky County, Ohio – October 3, 1907 in San Bernardino, California), son of Henry Clay Victor and Gertrude Nash, was a civil engineer who worked as General Manager of the California Southern Railroad, a ...

, American engineer (d. 1907) *

1838 Events January–March * January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London. * January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration o ...

– Léon Gambetta, French lawyer and politician, 45th

Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers. The prime minister ...

(d. 1882) *

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janua ...

– Émile Zola, French novelist, playwright, journalist (d. 1902) *

1841 Events January–March * January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom, and Qishan of the Qing dynasty, agree to the Convention of Chuenpi. * January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the i ...

– Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the

Ader Avion III The ''Avion III'' (sometimes referred to as the ''Aquilon'' or the ''Éole III'') was a steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to eva ...

(d. 1926) *

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

– Dominic Savio, Italian Catholic saint, adolescent student of

Saint John Bosco John Melchior Bosco ( it, Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco; pms, Gioann Melchior Bòsch; 16 August 181531 January 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator, writer and saint of the 19th century. While working ...

(d. 1857) *

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

–

Iván Persa Iván Persa ( sl, Ivan Perša) (April 2, 1861 – September 26, 1935) was a Hungarian Slovenes, Hungarian Slovene Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest and writer. Born in the Municipality of Beltinci in the village of Ižakovci, his paren ...

, Slovenian priest and author (d. 1935) *

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

– Nicholas Murray Butler, American philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947) *

1869 Events January–March * January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan. * January 5 – Scotland's oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded. * January 20 – E ...

– Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (d. 1928) *

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

– Walter Chrysler, American businessman, founded

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

(d. 1940) * 1875 – William Donne, English cricketer and captain (d. 1942) *

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

–

J. C. Squire Sir John Collings Squire (2 April 1884 – 20 December 1958) was a British writer, most notable as editor of the ''London Mercury'', a major literary magazine in the interwar period. He antagonised several eminent authors, but attracted a coterie ...

, English poet, author, and historian (d. 1958) *

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

– Neville Cardus, English cricket and music writer (d. 1975) *

1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new Africa ...

– Jack Buchanan, Scottish entertainer (d. 1957) * 1891 – Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, and poet (d. 1976) * 1891 –

Tristão de Bragança Cunha Tristão de Bragança Cunha (2 April 1891 – 26 September 1958), alternatively spelled as Tristao de Braganza Cunha, popularly known as T B Cunha was a prominent Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa (then part of Portuguese ...

, Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa (d. 1958) *

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

–

Johnny Golden Johnny Golden (April 2, 1896 – January 27, 1936) was an American professional golfer. Early life Golden was born in Tuxedo, New York. Professional career Golden turned professional in 1915 and was an assistant pro and later head pro at the ...

, American golfer (d. 1936) *

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

– Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Indian poet, actor and politician (d. 1990) * 1898 – Chiungtze C. Tsen, Chinese mathematician (d. 1940) *

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

– Roberto Arlt, Argentinian journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1942) * 1900 –

Anis Fuleihan Anis Fuleihan (April 2, 1900 - October 11, 1970) was a Cypriot-born American composer, conductor and pianist. A native of Kyrenia, Fuleihan belonged to a Christian Lebanese family; he attended the English School in that town before coming to the ...

, Cypriot-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1970) * 1900 –

Alfred Strange Alfred Henry Strange (2 April 1900 – 3 October 1978) was an English footballer who played most of his career as a half back with Sheffield Wednesday. He won 20 caps for England, including three as captain. He began his career at Portsmouth, ...

, English footballer (d. 1978)

1901–present

– Jan Tschichold, German-Swiss graphic designer and typographer (d. 1974) * 1902 – Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe (d. 1994) *

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

– Lionel Chevrier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th

Canadian Minister of Justice The minister of justice and attorney general of Canada () is a dual-role portfolio in the Canadian Cabinet. The officeholder in the role of Minister of Justice () serves as the minister of the Crown responsible for the Department of Justice a ...

(d. 1987) *

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

–

Alphonse-Marie Parent Alphonse-Marie Parent, (April 2, 1906 – October 7, 1970) was a Canadian priest, educator and academic administrator. He is best known for having given his name to the Parent Report on the reform of Quebec's education system. Born in Saint- ...

, Canadian priest and educator (d. 1970) *

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco. ...

–

Harald Andersson Harald "Slaktarn" Andersson (2 April 1907 – 18 May 1985) was a Swedish discus thrower. In 1934 he won a European titleLuke Appling, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991) *

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

– Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003) *

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

– Paul Triquet, Canadian general, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1980) * 1910 – Chico Xavier, Brazilian spiritual medium (d. 2002) *

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

–

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...

, English actor (d. 2000) *

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

– Delfo Cabrera, Argentinian runner and soldier (d. 1981) *

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

– Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and civil servant (d. 2004) * 1920 – Jack Stokes, English animator and director (d. 2013) * 1920 –

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982) *

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

– John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (d. 2015) *

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

–

Gloria Henry Gloria Henry (born Gloria Eileen McEniry; April 2, 1923 – April 3, 2021) was an American actress, best known for her role as Alice Mitchell, Dennis' mother, from 1959 to 1963 on the Columbia Broadcasting Company, CBS family sitcom ''Dennis t ...

, American actress (d. 2021) * 1923 – Johnny Paton, Scottish footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2015) * 1923 – G. Spencer-Brown, English mathematician, psychologist, and author (d. 2016) *

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

–

Bobby Ávila Roberto Francisco Ávila González (April 2, 1924 – October 26, 2004), known as "Beto" in Mexico and as "Bobby" in the United States, was a Mexican professional baseball second baseman. A native of Veracruz, Mexico, Ávila began his career pl ...

, Mexican baseball player (d. 2004) *

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

– George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish author and screenwriter (d. 2008) * 1925 – Hans Rosenthal, German radio and television host (d. 1987) *

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 ...

– Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (d. 2014) * 1926 –

Rudra Rajasingham Rudra Srichandra Rajasingham (2 April 1926 – 24 March 2006) was a Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat. He was the Inspector General of Police and Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia. Early life and family Rajasingham was born on 2 April ...

, Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat (d. 2006) *

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

– Carmen Basilio, American boxer and soldier (d. 2012) * 1927 – Howard Callaway, American soldier and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Army (d. 2014) * 1927 – Rita Gam, American actress (d. 2016) * 1927 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015) * 1927 – Kenneth Tynan, English author and critic (d. 1980) *

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

– Joseph Bernardin, American cardinal (d. 1996) * 1928 –

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...

, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (d. 1991) * 1928 – Roy Masters, English-American radio host (d. 2021) * 1928 – David Robinson, Northern Irish horticulturist and academic (d. 2004) *

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

– Ed Dorn, American poet and educator (d. 1999) *

– Roddy Maude-Roxby, English actor *

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

– Keith Hitchins, American historian (d. 2020) * 1931 – Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian javelin thrower (d. 1986) *

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 ...

– Edward Egan, American cardinal (d. 2015) *

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

–

György Konrád György (George) Konrád (2 April 1933 – 13 September 2019) was a Hungarian novelist, pundit, essayist and sociologist known as an advocate of individual freedom. Life George Konrad was born in Berettyóújfalu, near Debrecen, into a ...

, Hungarian sociologist and author *

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 ...

– Paul Cohen, American mathematician and theorist (d. 2007) * 1934 – Brian Glover, English wrestler and actor (d. 1997) * 1934 – Carl Kasell, American journalist and game show host (d. 2018) * 1934 –

Richard Portman Richard Portman (April 2, 1934 – January 28, 2017) was an American sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for ten more in the same category. He worked on more than 160 films between 1963 and 2004. Portman ...

, American sound engineer (d. 2017) * 1934 – Dovid Shmidel, Austrian-born Israeli rabbi *

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 ...

– Shaul Ladany, Serbian-Israeli race walker and engineer *

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 ...

– Dick Radatz, American baseball player (d. 2005) *

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

– John Larsson, Swedish 17th General of The Salvation Army * 1938 – Booker Little, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1961) * 1938 – Al Weis, American baseball player *

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

–

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

, American singer-songwriter (d. 1984) * 1939 – Anthony Lake, American academic and diplomat, 18th United States National Security Advisor * 1939 – Lise Thibault, Canadian journalist and politician, 27th

Lieutenant Governor of Quebec The lieutenant governor of Quebec (; French (masculine): ''Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec'', or (feminine): ''Lieutenante-gouverneure du Québec'') is the viceregal representative in Quebec of the , who operates distinctly within the province ...

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 ...

– Donald Jackson, Canadian figure skater and coach * 1940 – Mike Hailwood, English motorcycle racer (d. 1981) * 1940 – Penelope Keith, English actress *

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

– Dr. Demento, American radio host * 1941 – Sonny Throckmorton, American country singer-songwriter *

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

–

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2016) * 1942 – Roshan Seth, Indian-English actor *

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

– Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce, South African-English admiral and politician,

Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was Keeper of the Coast, but may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the Cinqu ...

(d. 2022) * 1943 – Caterina Bueno, Italian singer (d. 2007) * 1943 –

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. Early life Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He w ...

, American jazz guitarist (d. 2017) * 1943 – Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Italian actor (d. 2021) *

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

– Bill Malinchak, American football player *

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

– Jürgen Drews, German singer-songwriter * 1945 – Guy Fréquelin, French race car driver * 1945 – Linda Hunt, American actress * 1945 – Reggie Smith, American baseball player and coach * 1945 – Don Sutton, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2021) * 1945 – Anne Waldman, American poet *

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

–

Richard Collinge Richard Owen Collinge (born 2 April 1946) is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played 35 Tests and 15 ODIs. He was New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1971. Domestic career He played domestic cricket for three different sides. ...

, New Zealand cricketer * 1946 – David Heyes, English politician * 1946 –

Sue Townsend Susan Lillian Townsend, FRSL (née Johnstone, 2 April 194610 April 2014), was an English writer and humorist whose work encompasses novels, plays and works of journalism. She was best known for creating the character Adrian Mole. After writing ...

, English author and playwright (d. 2014) * 1946 – Kurt Winter, Canadian guitarist and songwriter (d. 1997) *

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

– Paquita la del Barrio, Mexican singer-songwriter * 1947 – Tua Forsström, Finnish writer * 1947 –

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1947 – Camille Paglia, American author and critic *

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 ...

–

Roald Als Roald Als (born April 2, 1948) is a Danish cartoonist best known for his editorial cartoons in the Danish newspapers ''Weekendavisen'' and ''Politiken.'' Biography Roald Als was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark on April 2, 1948. His first publish ...

, Danish author and illustrator * 1948 – Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer (d. 2012) * 1948 – Daniel Okrent, American journalist and author * 1948 – Joan D. Vinge, American author *

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

– Paul Gambaccini, American-English radio and television host * 1949 – Bernd Müller, German footballer * 1949 – Pamela Reed, American actress * 1949 – David Robinson, American drummer *

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

– Lynn Westmoreland, American politician *

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 ...

– Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer *1952 – Lennart Fagerlund, Swedish cyclist * 1952 – Will Hoy, English race car driver (d. 2002) * 1952 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2001) *1953 – Jim Allister, Northern Irish lawyer and politician * 1953 – Rosemary Bryant Mariner, 20th and 21st-century U.S. Navy aviator (d. 2019) * 1953 – Malika Oufkir, Moroccan Berber writer * 1953 – Debralee Scott, American actress (d. 2005) * 1953 – James Vance (comics), James Vance, American author and playwright (d. 2017) *

– Gregory Abbott, American singer-songwriter and producer * 1954 – Donald Petrie, American actor and director *1955 – Michael Stone (loyalist), Michael Stone, Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary *1957 – Caroline Dean, English biologist and academic * 1957 – Hank Steinbrenner, American businessman (d. 2020) *1958 – Stefano Bettarello, Italian rugby player * 1958 – Larry Drew, American basketball player and coach *1959 – Gelindo Bordin, Italian runner * 1959 – David Frankel, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1959 – Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver * 1959 – Yves Lavandier, French director and producer * 1959 – Badou Ezzaki, Moroccan footballer and manager *1960 – Linford Christie, Jamaican-English sprinter * 1960 – Brad Jones (racing driver), Brad Jones, Australian race car driver * 1960 – Pascale Nadeau, Canadian journalist *1961 – Buddy Jewell, American singer-songwriter * 1961 – Christopher Meloni, American actor * 1961 – Keren Woodward, English singer-songwriter *1962 – Pierre Carles, French director and producer * 1962 – Billy Dean, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1962 – Clark Gregg, American actor *1963 – Karl Beattie, English director and producer * 1963 – Mike Gascoyne, English engineer *

– Pete Incaviglia, American baseball player and coach * 1964 – Jonathon Sharkey, American wrestler *1965 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (d. 2012) *1966 – Bill Romanowski, American football player and actor * 1966 – Teddy Sheringham, English international footballer and coach *1967 – Greg Camp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist * 1967 – Phil Demmel, American guitarist and songwriter *1969 – Ajay Devgn, Indian actor, director, and producer *1971 – Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto, Brazilian footballer * 1971 – Jason Lewry, English cricketer * 1971 – Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player and sportscaster *

– Eyal Berkovic, Israeli footballer * 1972 – Remo D'Souza, Indian choreographer and dancer * 1972 – Calvin Davis, American sprinter and hurdler * 1972 – Zane Lamprey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter *

– Dmitry Lipartov, Russian footballer * 1973 – Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican-American actress * 1973 – Aleksejs Semjonovs, Latvian footballer *1974 – Tayfun Korkut, Turkish football manager and former player *

– Nate Huffman, American basketball player (d.

) * 1975 – Randy Livingston, American basketball player * 1975 – Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, German rower * 1975 – Pattie Mallette, Canadian author and film producer * 1975 – Pedro Pascal, Chilean and American actor *

– Andreas Anastasopoulos, Greek shot putter * 1976 – Rory Sabbatini, South African golfer *1977 – Per Elofsson, Swedish skier * 1977 – Michael Fassbender, German-Irish actor and producer * 1977 – Hanno Pevkur, Estonian lawyer and politician, Ministry of Justice (Estonia), Estonian Minister of Justice *

– Avi Benedi, Israeli singer and songwriter * 1980 – Adam Fleming (journalist), Adam Fleming, Scottish journalist * 1980 – Gavin Heffernan, Canadian director and screenwriter * 1980 – Ricky Hendrick, American race car driver (d. 2004) * 1980 – Wairangi Koopu, New Zealand rugby league player * 1980 – Carlos Salcido, Mexican international footballer *1981 – Michael Clarke (cricketer), Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer * 1981 – Kapil Sharma (comedian), Kapil Sharma, Indian stand-up comedian, television presenter and actor *

– Marco Amelia, Italian footballer * 1982 – David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player * 1983 – Maksym Mazuryk, Ukrainian pole vaulter *1984 – Engin Atsür, Turkish basketball player * 1984 – Nóra Barta, Hungarian diver * 1984 – Jérémy Morel, French footballer *1985 – Thom Evans, Zimbabwean-Scottish rugby player * 1985 – Stéphane Lambiel, Swiss figure skater *

– Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer * 1986 – Andris Biedriņš, Latvian basketball player *1987 – Pablo César Aguilar, Pablo Aguilar, Paraguayan footballer *1988 – Jesse Plemons, American actor *1990 – Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Russian gymnast * 1990 – Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer *1993 – Keshorn Walcott, Trinidadian javelin thrower *1997 – Dillon Bassett, American race car driver * 1997 – Abdelhak Nouri, Dutch footballer *

– Diana Shnaider, Russian tennis player *2007 – Brenda Fruhvirtová, Czech tennis player

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 670 – Hasan ibn Ali the second Shia Imam (b. 624)''Hasan b. 'Ali b. Abi Taleb''
, Encyclopedia Iranica. * 870 – Æbbe the Younger, Frankish abbess * 872 – Muflih al-Turki, Turkish general * 968 – Yuan Dezhao, Chinese chancellor (b. 891) * 991 – Bardas Skleros, Byzantine general *1118 – Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Baldwin I, king of Jerusalem *1244 – Henrik Harpestræng, Danish botanical and medical author *1272 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English husband of Sanchia of Provence (b. 1209) *1335 – Henry of Bohemia (b. 1265) *1412 – Ruy González de Clavijo, Spanish explorer and author *1416 – Ferdinand I of Aragon, Ferdinand I, king of Aragon (b. 1379) *1502 – Arthur, Prince of Wales, Arthur, prince of Wales (b. 1486) *1507 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded the Minim (religious order), Order of the Minims (b. 1416) *1511 – Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe, German nobleman (b. 1428)

1601–1900

*1640 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (b. 1595) *1657 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608) * 1657 – Jean-Jacques Olier, French priest, founded the Society of Saint-Sulpice (b. 1608) *1672 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino missionary and saint (b. 1654) * 1672 – Diego Luis de San Vitores, Spanish Jesuit missionary (b. 1627) *1720 – Joseph Dudley, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1647) *1742 – James Douglas (physician), James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675) *1747 – Johann Jacob Dillenius, German-English botanist and mycologist (b. 1684) *1754 – Thomas Carte, English historian and author (b. 1686) *1787 – Thomas Gage, English general and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1719) *1791 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (b. 1749) *

– Thomas Dadford, Jr., English engineer (b. 1761) *1803 – Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish judge and politician (b. 1721) *1817 – Johann Heinrich Jung, German author and academic (b. 1740) *

– Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and educator (b. 1776) *1845 – Philip Charles Durham, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1763) *

– A. P. Hill, American general (b. 1825) *1872 – Samuel Morse, American painter and academic, invented the Morse code (b. 1791) *

– Albert Pike, American lawyer and general (b. 1809) * 1891 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek playwright and politician, 249th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1823) *1894 – Achille Vianelli, Italian painter and academic (b. 1803) *

– Theodore Robinson, American painter and academic (b. 1852)

1901–present

– Paul Heyse, German author, poet, and translator, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830) *

– Bryn Lewis, Welsh international rugby player (b.1891) *

– Topal Osman, Turkish colonel (b. 1883) *

– Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868) *

– Zewditu I of Ethiopia (b. 1876) *

– Ranjitsinhji, Indian cricketer (b. 1872) *

– Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (b. 1860) *

– Édouard Estaunié, French novelist (b. 1862) *

– Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (b. 1907) *1953 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (b. 1885) *

– Hoyt Vandenberg, US Air Force general (b. 1899) *1966 – C. S. Forester, English novelist (b. 1899) *

– Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884) * 1972 – Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Japanese martial artist and educator (b. 1887) *1974 – Georges Pompidou, French banker and politician, 19th President of France (b. 1911) *1977 – Walter Wolf (politician), Walter Wolf, German academic and politician (b. 1907) *1987 – Buddy Rich, American drummer, songwriter, and bandleader (b. 1917) *

– Manolis Angelopoulos, Greek singer (b. 1939) *

– Juanito (footballer, born 1954), Juanito, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1954) * 1992 – Jan van Aartsen, Dutch politician (b. 1909) *1994 – Betty Furness, American actress, consumer advocate, game show panelist, television journalist and television personality (b. 1916) * 1994 – Marc Fitch, British historian and philanthropist (b. 1908) *1995 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908) *1997 – Tomoyuki Tanaka, Japanese director and producer (b. 1910) *1998 – Rob Pilatus, American-German singer-songwriter (b. 1965) *2001 – Charles Daudelin, Canadian sculptor and painter (b. 1920) *

– Levi Celerio, Filipino composer and songwriter (b. 1910) * 2002 – John R. Pierce, American engineer and author (b. 1910) *2003 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942) *

– John Argyris, Greek computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1913) *2005 – Lillian O'Donnell, American crime novelist (b. 1926) * 2005 – Pope John Paul II (b. 1920) *

– Lloyd Searwar, Guyanese anthologist and diplomat (b. 1925) *2007 – Henry L. Giclas, American astronomer and academic (b. 1910) *2008 – Yakup Satar, Turkish World War I veteran(b. 1898) *2009 – Albert Sanschagrin, Canadian bishop (b. 1911) * 2009 – Bud Shank, American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1926) *2010 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (b. 1970) *2011 – John C. Haas, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1918) *

– Jesús Aguilarte, Venezuelan captain and politician (b. 1959) * 2012 – Elizabeth Catlett, American-Mexican sculptor and illustrator (b. 1915) * 2012 – Mauricio Lasansky, American graphic designer and academic (b. 1914) *2013 – Fred (cartoonist), Fred, French author and illustrator (b. 1931) * 2013 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director, screenwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1930) * 2013 – Milo O'Shea, Irish-American actor (b. 1926) *

– Urs Widmer, Swiss author and playwright (b. 1938) *

– Manoel de Oliveira, Portuguese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908) * 2015 – Robert H. Schuller, American pastor and author (b. 1926) * 2015 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician, Governor of Limburg (b. 1954) *2016 – Gallieno Ferri, Italian comic book artist and illustrator (b. 1929) * 2016 – Robert Abajyan, Armenian sergeant (b. 1996) *2017 – Alma Delia Fuentes, Mexican actress (b. 1937) *

– Simon Bainbridge, British composer (b. 1952) *2022 – Estelle Harris, American actress and comedian (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances

* Christian feast day: **Abundius, Abundius of Como **Aphian, Amphianus of Lycia **Æbbe the Younger **Brónach, Bronach of Glen-Seichis (Martyrology of Tallaght, Irish martyrology) **Francis of Paola **Francisco Coll Guitart **Henry Budd (Calendar of saints (Anglican Church of Canada), Anglican Church of Canada) **Nicetius of Lyon **Pedro Calungsod **Theodosia of Tyre **Urban of Langres **April 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) *International Children's Book Day (International observance, International) *Thai Heritage Conservation Day (Thailand) *Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day (Belarus) *World Autism Awareness Day (International)

References

Bibliography

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on April 2
{{months Days of the year April