Events

Pre-1600

* 639 –

Ashina Jiesheshuai Ashina Jiesheshuai ( zh, t=阿史那結社率, s=阿史那结社率, p=Ashǐnà Jiēshèshuai, w=Ashihna Chieh-she-shuai;:zh:s:新唐書/卷002, ''New Book of Tang'' Vol. 2''Zizhi Tongjian'', :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷195, vol. 195.:zh:s:舊唐書/� ...

and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace. * 715 –

Pope Gregory II Pope Gregory II (; 669 – 11 February 731) was the Pope, bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death on 11 February 731.934 – The

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

reconquers Melitene under the leadership of

John Kourkouas John Kourkouas (, ), also transliterated as Kurkuas or Curcuas, was one of the most important generals of the Byzantine Empire. His success in battles against the Muslim states in the East reversed the course of the centuries-long Arab–Byzant ...

. *

1051 Year 1051 ( MLI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Continental Europe * Spring – William of Normandy consolidates his power in Normandy. He fights over the control of Maine (after t ...

–

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. ...

marries the

Rus' Rus or RUS may refer to: People * East Slavic historical peoples (). See Names of Rus', Russia and Ruthenia ** Rus' people, the people of Rus' ** Rus, a legendary eponymous ancestor, see Lech, Czech and Rus * Rus (surname), a surname found in Ro ...

princess,

Anne of Kiev Anne of Kiev or Anna Yaroslavna ( 1030 – 1075) was a princess of Kievan Rus who became Queen of France in 1051 upon marrying King Henry I of France, Henry I. She ruled the kingdom as regent during the minority of their son Philip I of France, ...

. *

1445 Year 1445 ( MCDXLV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In northern India, Ala-ud-Din Alam Shah becomes the new Sultan of Delhi upon the death of his father, Muhammad ...

–

John II of Castile John II of Castile (; 6 March 1405 – 20 July 1454) was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454. He succeeded his older sister, Maria of Castile, Queen of Aragon, as Prince of Asturias in 1405. Regency John was the son of King Henry ...

defeats the Infantes of Aragon at the

First Battle of Olmedo The First Battle of Olmedo, between Kingdom of Castile, Castilian forces and those of Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre and Crown of Aragon, Aragon, took place on 19 May 1445 outside Olmedo, Spain, Olmedo in Castile (historical region), Castile (now in ...

. *

1499 Year 1499 ( MCDXCIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 8 – Louis XII of France marries Anne of Brittany, in accordance with a law set by his predecessor, Charles V ...

–

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

married by proxy A proxy wedding or proxy marriage is a wedding in which one or both of the individuals being united are not physically present, usually being represented instead by other persons (proxies). If both partners are absent, this is known as a double pro ...

Arthur, Prince of Wales Arthur, Prince of Wales (19/20 September 1486 – 2 April 1502), was the eldest son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and an older brother to the future King Henry VIII. He was Duke of Cornwall from birth, and he was crea ...

. Catherine is 13 and Arthur is 12. *

1535 Year 1535 ( MDXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 18 – Lima, now the capital of Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, as '' Ciudad de los Reyes''. * January 21 & ...

– French explorer

Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier (; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French maritime explorer from Brittany. Jacques Cartier was the first Europeans, European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, wh ...

sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and

Chief Donnacona Chief Donnacona (died 1539 in France) was the chief of the St. Lawrence Iroquois village of Stadacona, located at the present site of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. French explorer Jacques Cartier, concluding his second voyage to what is now Canad ...

's two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage). *

1536 Year 1536 ( MDXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March *January 6 – The Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas, is ...

–

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

, the second wife of

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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest. *

1542 __NOTOC__ Year 1542 ( MDXLII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 6 – In the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, the Spanish colonists create the new town of Mérida. * Jan ...

– The Prome Kingdom falls to the

Taungoo Dynasty ''taungnguumainn saat'' , conventional_long_name = Toungoo dynasty , common_name = Taungoo dynasty , status = Empire/ Kingdom , event_start = Independence from Ava Kingdom , year_start = 15 ...

in present-day

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

1601–1900

1643 Events January–March * January 21 – Abel Tasman sights the island of Tonga. * February 6 **(17 Dhu al-Qadah 1052 AH) In India, the first ceremony at the nearly-complete Taj Mahal in Agra, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan ob ...

–

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

: French forces under the

duc d'Enghien Duke of Enghien (, pronounced with a silent ''i'') was a noble title pertaining to the House of Condé. It was only associated with the town of Enghien for a short time. Dukes of Enghien – first creation (1566–1569) The title was first confe ...

decisively defeat Spanish forces at the

Battle of Rocroi The Battle of Rocroi, fought on 19 May 1643, was a major engagement of the Thirty Years' War between a French army, led by the 21-year-old Duke of Enghien (later known as the Great Condé) and Spanish forces under General Francisco de Melo ...

, marking the symbolic end of Spain as a dominant land power. *

1649 Events January–March * January 4 – In England, the Rump Parliament passes an ordinance to set up a High Court of Justice, to try Charles I for high treason. * January 17 – The Second Ormonde Peace concludes an allian ...

– An Act of Parliament declaring England a

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

is passed by the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

. England would be a

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

for the next eleven years. *

1655 Events January–March * January 5 – Emperor Go-Sai ascends to the throne of Japan. * January 7 – Pope Innocent X, leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Papal States, dies after more than 10 years of rule. * Febr ...

– The

Invasion of Jamaica The Invasion of Jamaica took place in May 1655, during the 1654 to 1660 Anglo-Spanish War, when an English expeditionary force captured Spanish Jamaica. It was part of an ambitious plan by Oliver Cromwell to acquire new colonies in the Americ ...

begins during the Anglo-Spanish War. *

1743 Events January–March * January 1 – The Verendrye brothers, probably Louis-Joseph and François de La Vérendrye, become the first white people to see the Rocky Mountains from the eastern side (the Spanish conquistadors ...

–

Jean-Pierre Christin Jean-Pierre Christin (31 May 1683 – 19 January 1755) was a French physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and musician. His proposal in 1743 to reverse the Celsius thermometer scale (from water boiling at 0 degrees and ice melting at 100 degree ...

developed the centigrade temperature scale. *

1749 Events January–March * January 3 ** Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont. ** The first issue of ''Berlingske'', Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, i ...

– King

George II of Great Britain George II (George Augustus; ; 30 October / 9 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover, Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Em ...

grants the

Ohio Company The Ohio Company, formally known as the Ohio Company of Virginia, was a land speculation company organized for the settlement by Virginians of the Ohio Country (approximately the present U.S. state of Ohio) and to trade with the Native Ameri ...

a charter of land around the forks of the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

. *

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

–

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

: A

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

garrison surrenders in the

Battle of The Cedars The Battle of the Cedars () was a series of military confrontations in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War that occurred during the Continental Army's invasion of Quebec, which began in September 1775. These skirmishes, which in ...

. *

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to all ...

–

New England's Dark Day New England's Dark Day occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the daytime sky was observed over the New England states and parts of eastern Canada. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke f ...

, an unusual darkening of the day sky, was observed over the

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

states and parts of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. *

1802 Events January–March * January 5 – Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, begins removal of the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens, claiming they are at risk of destruction during the Ott ...

–

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

founds the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. *

1828 Events January–March * January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France. * January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organiz ...

– U.S. President

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

signs the

Tariff of 1828 A tariff or import tax is a duty imposed by a national government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer. Exceptionally, an export tax may be levied on exports of goods or raw materials an ...

into law, sparking outrage in the South and leading to the Nullification crisis. *

1845 Events January–March * January 1 – The Philippines began reckoning Asian dates by hopping the International Date Line through skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. That time zone shift was a reform made by Governor–General Narciso ...

– Captain Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Northern Canada, Canadia ...

and his ill-fated Arctic expedition depart from

Greenhithe Greenhithe may refer to: *Greenhithe, Kent Greenhithe is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is located east of Dartford and west of Gravesend. Area In the past, Gree ...

, England. *

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

–

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

: Mexico ratifies the

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

thus ending the war and ceding

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million. *

1883 Events January * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * January 16 – ...

–

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

's first ''Buffalo Bill's Wild West'' opens in Omaha, Nebraska. *

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 ...

–

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

annexes Tonga Island. * 1900 –

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

: British troops relieve Mafeking.

1901–present

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

–

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

, the world's first

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

service, is established as the Dominion Parks Branch under the Department of the Interior. *

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 ...

– The Norwegian football club

Rosenborg BK Rosenborg Ballklub, commonly referred to simply as Rosenborg () or RBK, is a Norwegian professional association football, football club from Trondheim that plays in Eliteserien (football), Eliteserien. The club has won a record 26 league titles ...

is founded. *

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

–

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

lands at

Samsun Samsun is a List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. The urban area recorded a population of 738,692 in 2022. The city is the capital of Samsun Province which has a population of ...

on the

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

coast, initiating what is later termed the

Turkish War of Independence , strength1 = May 1919: 35,000November 1920: 86,000Turkish General Staff, ''Türk İstiklal Harbinde Batı Cephesi'', Edition II, Part 2, Ankara 1999, p. 225August 1922: 271,000Celâl Erikan, Rıdvan Akın: ''Kurtuluş Savaşı tarih ...

. *

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

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

passes the

Emergency Quota Act __NOTOC__ The Emergency Quota Act, also known as the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921, the Immigration Restriction Act of 1921, the Per Centum Law, and the Johnson Quota Act (ch. 8, of May 19, 1921), was formulated mainly in response to the lar ...

establishing national quotas on immigration. *

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 ...

– The

Young Pioneer Organization of the Soviet Union The Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization, abbreviated as the Young Pioneers, was a youth organization of the Soviet Union for children and adolescents ages 9–14 that existed between 1922 and 1991. History After the October Revol ...

is established. *

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

– Finnish cavalry general C. G. E. Mannerheim is appointed the

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons 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 ...

–

Zveno Zveno (), ''Politicheski krag "Zveno"'', officially Political Circle "Zveno" was a Bulgarian political organization, founded in 1930 by Bulgarian politicians, intellectuals and Bulgarian Army officers. It was associated with a newspaper of that ...

and the

Bulgarian Army The Bulgarian Army (), also called Bulgarian Armed Forces, is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in ...

engineer a

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

and install

Kimon Georgiev Kimon Georgiev Stoyanov (; August 11, 1882 – September 28, 1969) was a Bulgarian general who was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1934 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1946. He was considered a "master in the art of coup d'etats. ...

as the new

Prime Minister of Bulgaria The Prime Minister of Bulgaria () is the head of government of Bulgaria. They are oftentimes the leader of a political coalition in the Bulgarian parliament, known as the National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unica ...

. *

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

–

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

: In the aftermath of the

Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle ...

Task Force 16 Task Force 16 (TF 16) was one of the most storied task forces in the United States Navy, a major participant in a number of the most important battles of the Pacific War. In July 1941, drew the assignment of ferrying army aircraft to Iceland be ...

heads to

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

for repairs. *

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 � ...

– Winston Churchill's second wartime address to the U.S. Congress *

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

–

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

demonstrators in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

are fired upon by French troops injuring twelve, leading to the Levant Crisis. *

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 ...

– A barge containing munitions destined for

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

explodes in the harbor at

South Amboy, New Jersey South Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,411, an increase of 780 (+9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 8,631, which in ...

, devastating the city. * 1950 –

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

announces that the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

is closed to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

i ships and commerce. *

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

– The

North Vietnamese Army The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...

establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain

supply line Military supply-chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services for military materiel applications. Military supply chain management includes sub-suppliers, suppliers, internal inf ...

s to

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

; the resulting route is the

Ho Chi Minh trail The Ho Chi Minh Trail (), also called Annamite Range Trail () was a Military logistics, logistical network of roads and trails that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the kingdoms of Kingdom of Laos, Laos and Cambodia (1953–1970), ...

. *

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

–

Venera program The Venera (, 'Venus') program was a series of space probes developed by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1984 to gather information about the planet Venus. Thirteen probes successfully entered the Venusian atmosphere, including the two ...

: ''

Venera 1 ''Venera 1'' ( meaning ''Venus 1''), also known as Venera-1VA No.2 and occasionally in the West as ''Sputnik 8'', was the first spacecraft to perform an interplanetary flight and the first to fly past Venus, as part of the Soviet Union's Venera ...

'' becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

(the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data). * 1961 – At

Silchar Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is locate ...

Railway Station,

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the

Bengali Language Movement The Bengali language movement was a political movement in East Bengal (modern-day Bangladesh) in 1952, advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as a co-lingua franca of the then-Dominion of Pakistan to allow its use in government ...

. *

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

– A birthday salute to U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

takes place at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, New York City. The highlight is

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

's rendition of " Happy Birthday". *

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

– The ''New York Post Sunday Magazine'' publishes

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

Letter from Birmingham Jail The "Letter from Birmingham Jail", also known as the "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" and "The Negro Is Your Brother", is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King Jr. It says that people have a moral responsibility to b ...

. *

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

–

Mars probe program The Mars program was a series of uncrewed spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union between 1960 and 1973. The spacecraft were intended to exploration of Mars, explore Mars, and included planetary flyby, flyby probes, Lander (spacecraft), landers an ...

: ''

Mars 2 The Mars 2 was an uncrewed space probe of the Mars program, a series of uncrewed Mars landers and orbiters launched by the Soviet Union beginning 19 May 1971. The Mars 2 and Mars 3 missions consisted of identical spacecraft, each with an orb ...

'' is launched by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. *

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 en ...

– The

Firearm Owners Protection Act The Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 is a United States federal law that revised many provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Federal firearms law reform Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and ...

is signed into law by U.S. President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. *

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

–

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

ns vote for independence in a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

. *

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

– SAM Colombia Flight 501 crashes on approach to

José María Córdova International Airport José María Córdova International Airport is an international airport located in the city of Rionegro, south-east of Medellín, and is the List of the busiest airports in Colombia, second largest airport in Colombia after El Dorado Internatio ...

Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...

, Colombia, killing 132. *

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

–

Space Shuttle program The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its ...

: ''

Space Shuttle Endeavour Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter, orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Space Shuttle, Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, ...

'' is launched on mission

STS-77 STS-77 was the 77th Space Shuttle mission and the 11th mission of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour''. The mission began from launch pad 39B from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 19 May 1996 lasting 10 days and 40 minutes and completing 161 revolut ...

. *

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

– The Sierra Gorda biosphere, the most ecologically diverse region in Mexico, is established as a result of

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

efforts. *

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

– Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' is launched on mission

STS-101 STS-101 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle '' Atlantis''. The mission was a 10-day mission conducted between 19 May 2000 and 29 May 2000. The mission was designated 2A.2a and was a resuppl ...

to resupply the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

. *

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

–

President of Romania The president of Romania () is the head of state of Romania. The president is directly elected by a two-round system, and, following a modification to the Romanian Constitution in 2003, serves for five years. An individual may serve two ter ...

Traian Băsescu Traian Băsescu (; born 4 November 1951) is a Romanian politician who served as the president of Romania from 2004 to 2014. Prior to his presidency, Băsescu served as Romanian minister of transport on multiple occasions between 1991 and 2000, ...

survives an impeachment referendum and returns to office from suspension. *

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

– The

Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF; ; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are managed by the Minist ...

concludes its crackdown on

protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

by forcing the surrender of

United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD; , alternatively translated as National Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship), whose supporters are commonly called Red Shirts, is a political pressure group opposed to the People' ...

leaders. *

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

– Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of

Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...

, killing one person and injuring five others. * 2012 – A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

n city of

Deir ez-Zor Deir ez-Zor () is the largest city in eastern Syria and the seventh largest in the country. Located on the banks of the Euphrates to the northeast of the capital Damascus, Deir ez-Zor is the capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. In the 2018 ...

, killing nine people. *

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

– The Refugio oil spill deposited 142,800 U.S. gallons (3,400 barrels) of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

onto an area in

considered one of the most biologically diverse coastlines of the west coast. *

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

– EgyptAir Flight 804 crashes into the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

while traveling from

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

, killing all on board. *

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

– The

wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The groom is a member of the British royal family; the bride is American and previously worked as an a ...

is held at

St George's Chapel St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar (a church und ...

, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion. *

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

– A helicopter crash in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

leaves 8 people dead, including the country's president

Ebrahim Raisi Ebrahim Raisolsadati (14 December 1960 – 19 May 2024), better known as Ebrahim Raisi, was an Iranian politician who served as the eighth president of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter crash in 202 ...

& foreign minister

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (; 23 April 1964 – 19 May 2024) was an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran), foreign minister of Iran from 2021 until 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, his death in a helicopter ...

Births

Pre-1600

1400 Year 1400 ( MCD) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The year 1400 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar, it was a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January–March * January 4 ...

– John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton, English soldier and politician (died 1462) * 1462 – Baccio D'Agnolo, Italian

woodcarver Wood carving (or woodcarving) is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculpture, ...

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

(died 1543) *

1476 Year 1476 ( MCDLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 1 – Battle of Toro ( War of the Castilian Succession): Although militarily inconclusive, this ensures the Catho ...

(or

1474 Year 1474 ( MCDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February – The Treaty of Utrecht puts an end to the Anglo-Hanseatic War. * March 19 – The Senate of the Republic of Venice ...

) –

Helena of Moscow Helena Ivanovna of Moscow (; ; ; 19 May 1476 – 20 January 1513) was Grand Duchess of Lithuania and List of Polish consorts, Queen of Poland as the consort of Alexander Jagiellon. She was a daughter of Ivan III, Grand Prince of Moscow, and she ...

, Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania and Queen consort of Poland (died 1513) *

1593 Events January–March * January 25 – Siamese King Naresuan, in combat on elephant back, kills Burmese Crown Prince Mingyi Swa on Monday, Moon 2 Waning day 2, Year of the Dragon, Chulasakarat 954, reckoned as corresponding to Jan ...

–

Claude Vignon Claude Vignon (19 May 1593 – 10 May 1670) was a French people, French painter, printmaker and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres.Paola Pacht Bassani. "Vignon, Claude." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press ...

, French painter (died 1670)

1601–1900

1616 Events January–March * January 1 – King James I of England attends the masque '' The Golden Age Restored'', a satire by Ben Jonson on fallen court favorite the Earl of Somerset. The king asks for a repeat performance on January 6. ...

–

Johann Jakob Froberger Johann Jakob Froberger ( baptized 19 May 1616 – 7 May 1667) was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. Among the most famous composers of the era, he was influential in developing the musical form of the suite of dance ...

, German organist and composer (died 1667) *

1639 Events January–March * January 19 – Hämeenlinna () is granted privileges, after it separates from the Vanaja parish, as its own city in Tavastia. *c. January – The first printing press in British North America is ...

– Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland, English soldier and noble (died 1665) *

1700 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 19), where 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 11 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 17) ...

–

José de Escandón, 1st Count of Sierra Gorda José de Escandón y Helguera, conde de Sierra (May 19, 1700, Soto de la Marina, Cantabria, Spain – September 10, 1770, Querétaro, New Spain) was a Spanish Indian-fighter in New Spain and the founder and first governor of the colony of ...

, Spanish sergeant and politician (died 1770) *

1724 Events January–March * January 15 – King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne in favour of his 16-year-old son Louis I. * January 18 – The Dutch East India Company cargo ship '' Fortuyn'', on its maiden voyage, dep ...

–

Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol Vice admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (19 May 1724 – 23 December 1779) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He commanded the sixth-rate HMS Phoenix at the Battle of Mi ...

, English admiral and politician,

Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British Dublin Castle administration, administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretar ...

(died 1779) *

1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The ...

–

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...

, German-born Queen to

George III of the United Kingdom George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great ...

(died 1818) *

1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Seven Years' War: Kingdom of Great Britain, Britain declares war against Enlightenment in Spain, Spain and Kingdom of Naples, Naples, following their Treaty of Paris (1761), recent alliance ...

–

Johann Gottlieb Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (; ; 19 May 1762 – 29 January 1814) was a German philosopher who became a founding figure of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Ka ...

, German philosopher and academic (died 1814) *

1773 Events January–March * January 1 – The hymn that becomes known as '' Amazing Grace'', at this time titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17", is first used to accompany a sermon led by curate John Newton in the town of Olney, Buck ...

– Arthur Aikin, English chemist and mineralogist (died 1854) *

1795 Events January–June * January – Central England records its coldest ever month, in the CET records dating back to 1659. * January 14 – The University of North Carolina opens to students at Chapel Hill, becoming the ...

–

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...

, American businessman and philanthropist (died 1873) *

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

–

Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour (; 19 May 1827 – 26 October 1896) was a French statesman. Biography Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour was born in Avranches in the Manche ''département'' of northwestern France. After passing through the École Normal ...

, French academic and politician,

French Minister of Foreign Affairs The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (, MEAE) is the ministry of the Government of France that handles France's foreign relations. Since 1855, its headquarters have been located at 37 Quai d'Orsay, close to the National Assembly. The ter ...

(died 1896) *

1832 Events January–March * January 6 – Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison founds the New-England Anti-Slavery Society. * January 13 – The Christmas Rebellion of slaves is brought to an end in Jamaica, after the island's white pla ...

– James Watney, Jr., English politician, brewer and cricketer (died 1886) *

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, '' Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Ja ...

–

John Jacob Abel John Jacob Abel (19 May 1857 – 26 May 1938) was an American biochemist and pharmacologist. He established the pharmacology department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1893, and then became America's first full-time professor o ...

, American biochemist and pharmacologist (died 1938) *

1861 This year saw significant progress in the Unification of Italy, the outbreak of the American Civil War, and the emancipation reform abolishing serfdom in the Russian Empire. Events January * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico Ci ...

–

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

, Australian soprano and actress (died 1931) *

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Bapaume – Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

– Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (died 1963) *

1874 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War: Battle of Caspe &n ...

– Gilbert Jessop, English cricketer and soldier (died 1955) *

1878 Events January * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War: Battle of Shipka Pass IV – Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Russo-Turkish War: ...

–

Alfred Laliberté Alfred Laliberté (19 May 1877 – 13 January 1953) was a French-Canadian sculptor and painter based in Montreal. His output includes more than 900 sculptures in bronze, marble, wood, and plaster. Many of his sculptures depict national figure ...

, Canadian sculptor and painter (died 1953) *

1879 Events January * January 1 ** The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. ** Brahms' Violin Concerto is premiered in Leipzig with Joseph Joachim ...

–

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964) was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor w ...

, American-English politician (died 1964) *

1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...

–

Albert Richardson Albert Richardson may refer to: * Albert Richardson (architect) (1880–1964), English architect * Albert Richardson (priest) (1868–1905), English missionary to Africa and India * Albert Richardson (Wisconsin politician) (1864–1937), American po ...

, English architect and educator, designed the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...

(died 1964) *

1881 Events January * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The Chilean army ...

–

(official birthday), Turkish field marshal and statesman, 1st

President of Turkey The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye (), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national government and is the commander-in-chief of the ...

(died 1938) *

1884 Events January * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London to promote gradualist social progress. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera '' Princess Ida'', a satire on feminism, premières at the Savoy The ...

– David Munson, American runner (died 1953) *

1886 Events January * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British rule in Burma, British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5–January 9, 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson ...

–

Francis Biddle Francis Beverley Biddle (May 9, 1886 – October 4, 1968) was an American lawyer and judge who was the United States Attorney General during World War II. He also served as the primary American judge during Nuremberg trials following World War I ...

, American lawyer and judge, 58th

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...

(died 1968) *

1887 Events January * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the United States Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

–

Ion Jalea Ion Jalea (; 19 May 1887 – 7 November 1983) was a Romanian sculptor, monumentalist, teacher, and member of the Romanian Academy. He fought in the First World War and lost his left hand in battle. Despite this challenge, he continued to sculpt ...

, Romanian soldier and sculptor (died 1983) *

1889 Events January * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the Dakotas ...

–

Tản Đà Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu (阮克孝), pen name Tản Đà (chữ Hán: 傘沱, 19 May 1889 – 7 June 1939) was a Vietnamese poet. His pen name is a combination of Tản from Tản Viên Mountain and Đà from Đà River He used both traditional Si ...

, Vietnamese poet and author (died 1939) * 1889 – Henry B. Richardson, American archer (died 1963) *

1890 Events January * January 1 – The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony in the Horn of Africa. * January 2 – Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House. * January 11 – 1890 British Ultimatum: The Uni ...

– Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German-American illustrator (died 1962) * 1890 –

Ho Chi Minh (born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), colloquially known as Uncle Ho () among other aliases and sobriquets, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who served as the founder and first President of Vietnam, president of the ...

, Vietnamese politician, 1st

President of Vietnam The president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam () is the head of state of Vietnam, elected by the National Assembly of Vietnam from its delegates. Since Vietnam is a one-party state, candidates for the post are nominated by the Central Commit ...

(died 1969) *

1891 Events January * January 1 ** 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 African territories. * January 4 – The Earl of Zetland issues a ...

–

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

, German captain and pilot (died 1916) *

1893 Events January * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * January 6 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress; th ...

– H. Bonciu, Romanian author, poet, and journalist (died 1950) *

1897 Events January * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a punitive expedit ...

–

Frank Luke Frank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace credited with 19 aerial victories, ranking him second among United States Army Air Service (USAAS) pilots during World War I, after Eddie Rickenbacker. Luke was ...

, American lieutenant and pilot,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient (died 1918) *

1898 Events January * 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, Brooklyn, Queen ...

–

Julius Evola Giulio Cesare Andrea "Julius" Evola (; 19 May 1898 – 11 June 1974) was an Italian far-right philosopher and writer. Evola regarded his values as Traditionalist conservatism, traditionalist, Aristocracy, aristocratic, War, martial and Empire, im ...

, Italian philosopher and painter (died 1974) *

1899 Events January * January 1 ** Spanish rule formally ends in Cuba with the cession of Spanish sovereignty to the U.S., concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.''The American Monthly Review of Reviews'' (February 1899), p ...

– Lothar Rădăceanu, Romanian journalist, linguist, and politician (died 1955)

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 ...

– Lubka Kolessa, Ukrainian-Canadian pianist and educator (died 1997) *

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...

– Ruth Ella Moore, American scientist (died 1994) *

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

–

Sven Thofelt Sven Alfred Thofelt (19 May 1904 – 1 February 1993) was a Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer who competed at the 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics. Early life Thofelt was born on 19 May 1904 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of ...

, Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer (died 1993) *

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, ...

–

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906 – February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who was a college athlete in football and in intercollegiate and international track-and-field co ...

, American shot putter and actor (died 2007) *

1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...

–

Manik Bandopadhyay Manik Bandyopadhyay lias Banerjee(; 19 May 1908 – 3 December 1956) is an Indian author regarded as one of the major figures of 20th century Bengali literature. During a lifespan of 48 years and 28 years of literary career, battling with epil ...

, Indian author, poet, and playwright (died 1956) * 1908 –

Merriam Modell Merriam Modell (19 May 1908 – 1 July 1994) (born Miriam Levant in Manhattan, New York) was an American writer of short stories, suspense and pulp fiction, who wrote primarily under the pen name Evelyn Piper. Many had a common theme: the do ...

, American author (died 1994) * 1908 – Percy Williams, Canadian sprinter (died 1982) *

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escapes death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Janu ...

–

Nicholas Winton Sir Nicholas George Winton (; 19 May 1909 – 1 July 2015) was a British stockbroker and humanitarian who helped to rescue refugee children, mostly Jews, Jewish, whose families had fled persecution by Nazi Germany. Born to History of the Jews ...

, English banker and humanitarian (died 2015) *

1910 Events January * January 6 – Abé people in the French West Africa colony of Côte d'Ivoire rise against the colonial administration; the rebellion is brutally suppressed by the military. * January 8 – By the Treaty of Punakha, t ...

–

Alan Melville Alan Melville (19 May 1910 – 18 April 1983) was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Test matches from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal. Early life and cricket career ...

, South African cricketer (died 1983) *

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

–

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (19 May 1913 – 1 June 1996) was an Indian politician who served as the president of India, serving from 1977 to 1982. Beginning a long political career with the Indian National Congress Party in the independence movem ...

, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

(died 1996) *

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

–

Max Perutz Max Ferdinand Perutz (19 May 1914 – 6 February 2002) was an Austrian-born British molecular biologist, who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with John Kendrew, for their studies of the structures of haemoglobin and myoglobin. He went ...

, Austrian-English biologist and academic,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

laureate (died 2002) * 1914 – Alex Shibicky, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2005) * 1914 –

John Vachon John Felix Vachon (May 19, 1914 – April 20, 1975) was an American photographer. Vachon is remembered most for his photography working for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) as part of the New Deal and for contributions to '' Look'' magazin ...

, American photographer and journalist (died 1975) *

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...

–

Renée Asherson Dorothy Renée Ascherson (19 May 1915 – 30 October 2014), known professionally as Renée Asherson, was a British actress. Much of her theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic, the Liverpool ...

, English actress (died 2014) *

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

–

Abraham Pais Abraham Pais (; May 19, 1918 – July 28, 2000) was a Dutch- American physicist and science historian. Pais earned his Ph.D. from University of Utrecht just prior to a Nazi ban on Jewish participation in Dutch universities during World War II ...

, Dutch-American physicist, historian, and academic (died 2000) *

–

Georgie Auld Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. Early years Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Auld ...

, Canadian-American saxophonist, clarinet player, and bandleader (died 1990) * 1919 – Mitja Ribičič, Italian-Slovenian soldier and politician, 25th

Prime Minister of Yugoslavia The prime minister of Yugoslavia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Премијер Југославије, Premijer Jugoslavije) was the head of government of the Yugoslav state, from the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 until the ...

(died 2013) *

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

– Tina Strobos, Dutch psychiatrist known for rescuing Jews during World War II (died 2012) *

– Leslie Broderick, English lieutenant and pilot (died 2013) * 1921 – Harry W. Brown, American colonel and pilot (died 1991) * 1921 –

Daniel Gélin Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin (19 May 1921 – 29 November 2002) was a French film and television actor. Early life Gélin was born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, the son of Yvonne (née Le Méner) and Alfred Ernest Joseph Gélin. When he was ten, ...

, French actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2002) * 1921 – Yuri Kochiyama, American activist (died 2014) * 1921 – Karel van het Reve, Dutch historian and author (died 1999) *

– Arthur Gorrie, Australian hobby shop proprietor (died 1992) *

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–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...

–

Sandy Wilson Alexander Galbraith "Sandy" Wilson (19 May 1924 – 27 August 2014) was an English composer and lyricist, best known for his musical '' The Boy Friend'' (1953). Biography Wilson was born in Sale, Cheshire, England, and was educated at Harrow ...

, English composer and songwriter (died 2014) *

1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...

–

Pol Pot Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until Cambodian–Vietnamese War, his overthrow in 1979. During ...

, Cambodian general and politician, 29th

Prime Minister of Cambodia The prime minister of Cambodia (, UNGEGN: , ; literally 'chief minister') is the head of government of Cambodia. The prime minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Cambodia, Cabinet and leads the executive branch of the Royal Government ...

(died 1998) * 1925 –

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

, American minister and activist (died 1965) *

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

–

Edward Parkes Sir Edward Walter Parkes DL FREng (19 May 1926 – 25 September 2019) was Vice-Chancellor of City University London from 1974 to 1978 and of the University of Leeds from 1983 to 1991. Life Parkes was born in 1926. Parkes attended King Edward' ...

, English engineer and academic (died 2019) * 1926 –

Peter Zadek Peter Zadek (; 19 May 1926 – 30 July 2009) was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. Biography Peter Zadek was born on 19 May ...

, German director and screenwriter (died 2009) *

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

–

Serge Lang Serge Lang (; May 19, 1927 – September 12, 2005) was a French-American mathematician and activist who taught at Yale University for most of his career. He is known for his work in number theory and for his mathematics textbooks, including the i ...

, French-American mathematician, author and academic (died 2005) *

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

–

Colin Chapman Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman (19 May 1928 – 16 December 1982) was an English design engineer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of the sports car company Lotus Cars. Chapman founded Lotus in 1952 and initia ...

, English engineer and businessman, founded

Lotus Cars Lotus Group (also known as Lotus Cars) is a British multinational automotive manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles. Lotus Group is composed of three primary entities. Lotus Cars, a high-performance sports car company, is ba ...

(died 1982) * 1928 – Thomas Kennedy, English air marshal (died 2013) * 1928 –

Gil McDougald Gilbert James McDougald (May 19, 1928 – November 28, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who played for the New York Yankees from 1951 through 1960. McDougald was the 1951 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. He w ...

, American baseball player and coach (died 2010) * 1928 –

Dolph Schayes Adolph Schayes ( ; May 19, 1928 – December 10, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA select ...

, American basketball player and coach (died 2015) *

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 ...

– Helmut Braunlich, German-American violinist and composer (died 2013) * 1929 – Richard Larter, Australian painter (died 2014) * 1929 –

John Stroger John H. Stroger Jr. (May 19, 1929January 18, 2008) was an American politician who served from 1994 until 2006 as the first African-American president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (the primary executive officer of Cook County, Illi ...

, American politician (died 2008) *

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 on J ...

–

Eugene Genovese Eugene Dominic Genovese (May 19, 1930 – September 26, 2012) was an American historian of the American South and American slavery. He was noted for bringing a Marxist perspective to the study of power, class and relations between planters and ...

, American historian and author (died 2012) * 1930 –

Lorraine Hansberry Lorraine Vivian Hansberry (May 19, 1930 – January 12, 1965) was an American playwright and writer. She was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Her best-known work, the play ''A Raisin ...

, American playwright and director (died 1965) *

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 ...

– Bob Anderson, English race car driver (died 1967) * 1931 –

Trevor Peacock Trevor Edward Peacock (19 May 1931 – 8 March 2021) was an English actor and songwriter. He made his name as a theatre actor, including for his roles in Shakespeare. He later became known for playing Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series ''The V ...

, English actor, screenwriter and songwriter (died 2021) *

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 ...

–

Alma Cogan Alma Angela Cohen Cogan (19 May 1932 – 26 October 1966) was an English singer of traditional pop in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era. Ch ...

, English singer (died 1966) * 1932 – Paul Erdman, American economist and author (died 2007) * 1932 –

Bill Fitch William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bos ...

, American basketball player and coach (died 2022) * 1932 –

Elena Poniatowska Hélène Elizabeth Louise Amélie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor (born May 19, 1932), known professionally as Elena Poniatowska (), is a French-born Mexican journalist and author, specializing in works on social and political issues focused on ...

, Mexican intellectual and journalist *

–

Edward de Bono Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono (19 May 1933 – 9 June 2021) was a Maltese physician and commentator. He originated the term lateral thinking, and wrote many books on thinking, including ''Six Thinking Hats''. Life and career Edward ...

, Maltese physician, author, and academic (died 2021) *

–

Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Indian author. His first novel, ''The Room on the Roof'', published in 1956, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels which includes 69 books ...

, Indian author and poet * 1934 –

Jim Lehrer James Charles Lehrer ( ; May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. He was the executive editor and a news anchor for the ''PBS News Hour'' on PBS and was known for his role as a debate ...

, American journalist and author (died 2020) *

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

– David Hartman, American journalist and television personality *

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 Feb ...

– Pat Roach, English wrestler (died 2004) *

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

–

Moisés da Costa Amaral Moisés da Costa Amaral (19 May 1938 – 22 February 1989) was an East Timorese politician in the Timorese Democratic Union. Born in 1938 in Fahinihan, East Timor. Moisés da Costa Amaral was an East Timorese leader. Since 1975 until his death, ...

, East Timorese politician (died 1989) * 1938 –

Herbie Flowers Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers (19 May 1938 – 5 September 2024) was an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba. He was a member of groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and was also a prolific session musician. ...

, English musician (died 2024) * 1938 –

Igor Ter-Ovanesyan Igor Aramovich Ter-Ovanesyan (, ; born 19 May 1938) is a Soviet and Ukrainian former long jumper and coach, of Armenian descent. Competing for the Soviet Union, he was a five-time European and two-time Olympic medalist in this event. In 1985, h ...

, Ukrainian long jumper and coach *

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

–

Livio Berruti Livio Berruti (born 19 May 1939) is an Italian former athletics (sport), athlete who was the winner of the 200-meter dash in the 1960 Summer Olympics. He won five medals, at individual level, and three medals with the Italy national relays team ...

, Italian sprinter * 1939 –

James Fox James William Fox (born William Fox; 19 May 1939) is an English actor known for his work in film and television. Fox's career began in the 1960s through roles in films such as '' The Servant'' and ''Performance''. He is also known for his role ...

, English actor * 1939 –

Nancy Kwan Nancy Kwan Ka-shen (; born May 19, 1939) is a Chinese-American actress whose career benefited from Hollywood's casting of more Asian roles in the 1960s, especially in comedies. She was considered an Eastern sex symbol in the 1960s. Biography ...

, Hong Kong-American actress and makeup artist * 1939 – Jānis Lūsis, Latvian javelin thrower and coach (died 2020) * 1939 – Dick Scobee, American pilot, and astronaut (died 1986) *

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

–

Jan Janssen Johannes Adrianus "Jan" Janssen (born 19 May 1940) is a Dutch former professional cyclist. He was UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, the first Dutch rider ...

, Dutch cyclist * 1940 –

Mickey Newbury Milton Sims "Mickey" Newbury Jr. (May 19, 1940 – September 29, 2002) was an American singer-songwriter and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Early life and career Newbury was born in Houston, Texas, on May 19, 1940, to Mam ...

, American country/pop singer-songwriter (died 2002) *

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

– Nora Ephron, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012) * 1941 – Igor Judge, Baron Judge, Maltese-English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (died 2023) *

– Gary Kildall, American computer scientist, founded Digital Research, Digital Research Inc. (died 1994) * 1942 – Robert Kilroy-Silk, English television host and politician *

– Eddie May, English footballer and manager (died 2012) * 1943 – Shirrel Rhoades, American author, publisher, and academic *1944 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (died 2019) *

– Pete Townshend, English singer-songwriter and guitarist *1946 – Claude Lelièvre, Belgian activist * 1946 – Michele Placido, Italian actor and director * 1946 – André the Giant, French-American wrestler and actor (died 1993) *1947 – Paul Brady, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer * 1947 – Christopher Chope, English lawyer and politician * 1947 – David Helfgott, Australian pianist *1948 – Grace Jones, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress *1949 – Dusty Hill, American singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2021) * 1949 – Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath, English politician * 1949 – Archie Manning, American football player *

– Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (died 1998) *1951 – Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (died 2001) * 1951 – Dick Slater, American wrestler (died 2018) *1952 – Charlie Spedding, English runner * 1952 – Bert van Marwijk, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager *1953 – Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, Scottish lawyer and judge * 1953 – Shavarsh Karapetyan, Armenian finswimmer * 1953 – Florin Marin, Romanian footballer and manager * 1953 – Victoria Wood, English actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (died 2016) *1954 – Rick Cerone, American baseball player and sportscaster * 1954 – Lena Einhorn, Swedish director, writer and physician * 1954 – Hōchū Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor * 1954 – Phil Rudd, Australian-New Zealand drummer *1955 – James Gosling, Canadian-American computer scientist, created Java (programming language), Java *1956 – Oliver Letwin, English philosopher and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster * 1956 – Martyn Ware, English keyboard player, songwriter, and producer *1957 – Bill Laimbeer, American basketball player and coach * 1957 – James Reyne, Nigerian-Australian singer-songwriter *

– Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician (died 2021) * 1961 – Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1961 – Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player *

– Richard Taylor (mathematician), English mathematician, involved in completing the proof of Fermat's last theorem and the Sato-Tate conjecture. *

– Filippo Galli, Italian footballer and manager *1964 – Peter Jackson (rugby league), Peter Jackson, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster (died 1997) * 1964 – John Lee (placekicker), John Lee, South Korean-American football player * 1964 – Miloslav Mečíř, Slovak tennis player *1965 – Maile Flanagan, American actress, producer, and screenwriter *1966 – Marc Bureau (ice hockey), Marc Bureau, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster * 1966 – Jodi Picoult, American author and educator * 1966 – Polly Walker, English actress *1967 – Alexia (Italian singer), Alexia, Italian singer * 1967 – Geraldine Somerville, Irish-born English actress *1968 – Kyle Eastwood, American actor and bass player *1970 – Stuart Cable, Welsh drummer (died 2010) * 1970 – K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer * 1970 – Regina Narva, Estonian chess player * 1970 – Nia Zulkarnaen, Indonesian actress, singer and producer *

– Ross Katz, American director, producer, and screenwriter * 1971 – Andres Salumets, Estonian biologist, biochemist, and educator *1972 – Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer-songwriter * 1972 – Claudia Karvan, Australian actress, producer, and screenwriter *1973 – Dario Franchitti, Scottish race car driver *1974 – Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster * 1974 – Emma Shapplin, French soprano * 1974 – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor *1975 – Pretinha, Brazilian footballer * 1975 – London Fletcher, American football player * 1975 – Josh Paul, American baseball player and manager * 1975 – Jonas Renkse, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer *1976 – Ed Cota, American basketball player * 1976 – Kevin Garnett, American basketball player *1977 – Manuel Almunia, Spanish footballer * 1977 – Wouter Hamel, Dutch singer and guitarist * 1977 – Brandon Inge, American baseball player * 1977 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan singer-songwriter and actress *1978 – Marcus Bent, English footballer * 1978 – Dave Bus, Dutch footballer *1979 – Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer * 1979 – Diego Forlán, Uruguayan footballer * 1979 – Shooter Jennings, American country singer, songwriter *1980 – Tony Hackworth, English footballer *1981 – Luciano Figueroa, Argentinian footballer * 1981 – Yo Gotti, American rapper * 1981 – Michael Leighton, Canadian ice hockey player * 1981 – Sina Schielke, German sprinter * 1981 – Klaas-Erik Zwering, Dutch swimmer *1982 – Kevin Amankwaah, English footballer * 1982 – Pål Steffen Andresen, Norwegian footballer * 1982 – Klaas Vantornout, Belgian cyclist *1983 – Michael Che, American comedian * 1983 – Jessica Fox (actress), Jessica Fox, English actress *1984 – Marcedes Lewis, American football player *1985 – Malakai Black, Dutch professional wrestler *

– Mario Chalmers, American basketball player *1987 – Michael Angelakos, American singer-songwriter and producer * 1987 – David Edgar (footballer), David Edgar, Canadian soccer player * 1987 – Mariano Torres, Argentinian footballer *

– Jordan Pruitt, American singer-songwriter *1992 – Michele Camporese, Italian footballer * 1992 – Ola John, Dutch footballer * 1992 – Felise Kaufusi, New Zealand-Tongan rugby league player * 1992 – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Russian ice hockey player * 1992 – Marshmello, American electronic music producer and DJ * 1992 – Sam Smith (singer), Sam Smith, English singer-songwriter * 1992 – Heather Watson, British tennis player * 1992 – Lainey Wilson, American singer-songwriter *1994 – Carlos Guzmán, Mexican footballer *1995 – Taane Milne, New Zealand rugby league player *

– Michael Carcone, Canadian ice hockey player *2001 – Elizabeth Mandlik, American tennis player *2002 – Riccardo Calafiori, Italian footballer *2003 – JoJo Siwa, Jojo Siwa, American dancer, singer, actress, and YouTube personality

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 804 – Alcuin, English monk and scholar (born 735) * 956 – Robert (archbishop of Trier), Robert, archbishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier, Trier * 988 – Dunstan, English archbishop and saint (born 909) *1102 – Stephen, Count of Blois (born 1045) *1125 – Vladimir II Monomakh, Grand Duke of Kyiv *1164 – Saint Bashnouna,

ian saint and martyr *1218 – Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor *1296 – Pope Celestine V (born 1215) *1303 – Saint Ivo of Kermartin, French canon lawyer (born 1253) *1319 – Louis, Count of Évreux (born 1276) *1389 – Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Prince of Muscovy (born 1350) *1396 – John I of Aragon (born 1350) *1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara of Japan (born 1464) *1531 – Jan Łaski (1456–1531), Jan Łaski, Polish archbishop and diplomat (born 1456) *

–

, Queen of England (1533–1536); second wife of

1601–1900

*1601 – Costanzo Porta, Italian composer (born 1528) *1609 – García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete (born 1535) *1610 – Thomas Sanchez, Spanish priest and theologian (born 1550) *1623 – Mariam-uz-Zamani, Empress of the Mughal Empire (born 1542) *1637 – Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher (born 1588) *1715 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1661) *1777 – Button Gwinnett, British-born American politician and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence (born 1735) *1786 – John Stanley (composer), John Stanley, English organist and composer (born 1712) *

– Josiah Bartlett, American physician and politician, 4th Governor of New Hampshire (born 1729) * 1795 – James Boswell, Scottish biographer (born 1740) *1798 – William Byron, 5th Baron Byron, English lieutenant and politician (born 1722) *1821 – Camille Jordan (politician), Camille Jordan, French lawyer and politician (born 1771) *1825 – Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, French philosopher and theorist (born 1760) *1831 – Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, Estonian-German physician, botanist, and entomologist (born 1793) *1864 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, American novelist and short story writer (born 1804) *1865 – Sengge Rinchen, Mongolian general (born 1811) *1872 – John Baker (Australian politician), John Baker, English-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of South Australia (born 1813) *1876 – Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Dutch historian and politician (born 1801) *1885 – Peter W. Barlow, English engineer (born 1809) *1895 – José Martí, Cuban journalist, poet, and philosopher (born 1853) *

– William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1809)

1901–present

*1901 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, South African general and politician, 1st List of Presidents of the South African Republic, President of the South African Republic (born 1819) *

– Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer (born 1856) *

– Auguste Molinier, French librarian and historian (born 1851) * 1904 – Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (born 1839) *

– Gabriel Dumont (Métis leader), Gabriel Dumont, Canadian Métis people (Canada), Métis leader (born 1837) *1907 – Benjamin Baker (engineer), Benjamin Baker, English engineer, designed the Forth Bridge (born 1840) *1912 – Bolesław Prus, Polish journalist and author (born 1847) *

– John Simpson Kirkpatrick, English-Australian soldier (born 1892) *

– Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American soldier and pilot (born 1885) *

– T. E. Lawrence, British colonel and archaeologist (born 1888) *1936 – Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, British Islamic scholar (born 1875) *

– Ahmet Ağaoğlu, Azerbaijani-Turkish journalist and publicist (born 1869) *

– Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter and illustrator (born 1865) *

– Philipp Bouhler, German soldier and politician (born 1889) *1946 – Booth Tarkington, American novelist and dramatist (born 1869) *

– Daniel Ciugureanu, Romanian physician and politician, Prime Minister of Moldova (born 1884) *1954 – Charles Ives, American composer and educator (born 1874) *1958 – Jadunath Sarkar, Indian historian (born 1870) *1958 – Archie Scott Brown, Scottish race car driver (born 1927) * 1958 – Ronald Colman, English actor (born 1891) *

– Gabriele Münter, German painter (born 1877) *

– Walter Russell, American painter, sculptor, and author (born 1871) *1969 – Coleman Hawkins, American saxophonist and clarinet player (born 1901) *

– Ogden Nash, American poet (born 1902) *1978 – Albert Kivikas, Estonian-Swedish journalist and author (born 1898) *1980 – Joseph Schull, Canadian playwright and historian (born 1906) *1983 – Jean Rey (politician), Jean Rey, Belgian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the European Commission (born 1902) *1984 – John Betjeman, English poet and academic (born 1906) *1985 – Maqbular Rahman Sarkar, Bangladeshi academic (born 1928) *

– Jimmy Lyons, American saxophonist (born 1931) *1987 – James Tiptree, Jr., American psychologist and author (born 1915) *1989 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (born 1910) *1994 – Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher, and academic (born 1912) * 1994 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American journalist, 37th First Lady of the United States (born 1929) * 1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish cyclist (born 1945) *

– John Beradino, American baseball player and actor (born 1917) *1998 – Sōsuke Uno, Japanese soldier and politician, 75th Prime Minister of Japan (born 1922) *2001 – Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (born 1916) * 2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (born 1946) *2002 – John Gorton, Australian lieutenant and politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1911) * 2002 – Walter Lord, American historian and author (born 1917) *2004 – Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress and screenwriter (born 1907) *

– Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (born 1940) * 2007 – Dean Eyre, New Zealand politician (born 1914) *2008 – Vijay Tendulkar, Indian playwright and screenwriter (born 1928) *2009 – Robert F. Furchgott, American biochemist and academic,

laureate (born 1916) * 2009 – Nicholas Maw, English composer and academic (born 1935) *2009 – Clint Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1913) *2011 – Garret FitzGerald, Irish lawyer and politician, 8th Taoiseach, Taoiseach of Ireland (born 1926) * 2011 – Jeffrey Catherine Jones, American artist (born 1944) *

– Bob Boozer, American basketball player (born 1937) * 2012 – Tamara Brooks, American conductor and educator (born 1941) * 2012 – Ian Burgess, English race car driver (born 1930) * 2012 – Gerhard Hetz, German-Mexican swimmer (born 1942) * 2012 – Phil Lamason, New Zealand soldier and pilot (born 1918) *2013 – G. Sarsfield Ford, American lawyer and jurist (born 1933) * 2013 – Robin Harrison (pianist), Robin Harrison, English-Canadian pianist and composer (born 1932) * 2013 – Neil Reynolds, Canadian journalist and politician (born 1940) *2014 – Simon Andrews (motorcycle racer), Simon Andrews, English motorcycle racer (born 1982) * 2014 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (born 1926) * 2014 – Sam Greenlee, American author and poet (born 1930) * 2014 – Vincent Harding, American historian and scholar (born 1931) * 2014 – Gabriel Kolko, American historian and author (born 1932) * 2014 – Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, Polish boxer (born 1934) *

– Bruce Lundvall, American businessman (born 1935) * 2015 – Ted McWhinney, Australian-Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1924) * 2015 – Happy Rockefeller, American philanthropist, socialite; 31st Second Lady of the United States (born 1926) * 2015 – Robert S. Wistrich, English historian, author, and academic (born 1945) *

– Alan Young, English-born Canadian-American actor (born 1919) * 2016 – Morley Safer, Canadian-born American journalist (born 1931) *2017 – Nawshirwan Mustafa, General coordinator of the Movement for Change (Gorran) (born 1944) * 2017 – Stanislav Petrov, Lt. Colonel in Soviet Air Defence Forces (born 1939) *

– Zhengzhang Shangfang, Chinese linguist (born 1933) *2021 – Paul Mooney (comedian), Paul Mooney, American comedian (born 1941) *2023 – Andy Rourke, English bassist (born 1964) *

– Christian Malanga, Congolese politician, businessman and military officer (born 1983) *2024 – 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash, Victims in the 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash: **

, Iranian politician (born 1964) **

, 8th President of Iran (born 1960)

Holidays and observances

* Christian feast day: ** Calocerus (Eastern Orthodox Church) ** Crispin of Viterbo ** Dunstan (Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church; commemoration, Anglicanism) ** Ivo of Kermartin ** Joaquina Vedruna de Mas ** Maria Bernarda Bütler ** Pope Celestine V, Peter Celestine ** Pudentiana (Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church) ** May 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) * Greek genocide#Political recognition, Pontian Greek Genocide Remembrance Day (Greece) * Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (Turkey, Northern Cyprus) * Remembrance Day (Sri Lanka) * Ho Chi Minh, Hồ Chí Minh's Birthday (Vietnam) * Malcolm X Day (United States of America) * AIDS.gov, National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States) * Hepatitis Testing Day (United States) * Mother's Day (Kyrgyzstan)

References

External links

BBC: On This Day
*
Historical Events on May 19
{{months Days of May