On This Day /

Important events in history
on January 15 th

Events

  1. 2022

    1. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupts, cutting off communications with Tonga and causing a tsunami across the Pacific.

      1. Volcanic event in the South Pacific Ocean

        2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami

        On 20 December 2021, an eruption began on Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, a submarine volcano in the Tongan archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. The eruption reached a very large and powerful climax nearly four weeks later, on 15 January 2022. Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai is 65 km (40 mi) north of Tongatapu, the country's main island, and is part of the highly active Tonga–Kermadec Islands volcanic arc, a subduction zone extending from New Zealand to Fiji. In the Volcanic Explosivity Index scale, the eruption was rated at least a VEI-5.

      2. Country in the South Pacific

        Tonga

        Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about 750 km2 (290 sq mi), scattered over 700,000 km2 (270,000 sq mi) in the southern Pacific Ocean. As of 2021, according to Johnson's Tribune, Tonga has a population of 104,494, 70% of whom reside on the main island, Tongatapu. The country stretches approximately 800 km (500 mi) north-south. It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest; Samoa to the northeast; New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu to the west; Niue to the east; and Kermadec to the southwest. Tonga is about 1,800 km (1,100 mi) from New Zealand's North Island.

  2. 2021

    1. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia's Sulawesi island killing at least 105 and injuring 3,369 people.

      1. Earthquake in Indonesia

        2021 West Sulawesi earthquake

        An earthquake struck Majene Regency in the province of West Sulawesi, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on 15 January 2021, at 02:28 WITA, with a moment magnitude of 6.2. This earthquake was felt as far away as Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, and Palu in Central Sulawesi. Strong shaking was reported in Majene and the provincial capital Mamuju for at least 5–7 seconds. It was preceded by a foreshock measuring 5.7 magnitude a few hours earlier.

      2. One of Greater Sunda Islands Indonesia

        Sulawesi

        Sulawesi, also known as Celebes, is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Within Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger populations.

  3. 2020

    1. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirms the first case of COVID-19 in Japan.

      1. Ministry of Japan

        Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

        The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō (厚労省) in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare.

      2. Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Japan

        COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

        The COVID-19 pandemic in Japan has resulted in 25,043,437 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Some sources say that the death toll reached 50,000 deaths.

  4. 2019

    1. Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.

      1. Country in the Horn of Africa

        Somalia

        Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Somalia has an estimated population of around 17.1 million, of which over 2 million live in the capital and largest city Mogadishu, and has been described as Africa's most culturally homogeneous country. Around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis, who have historically inhabited the country's north. Ethnic minorities are largely concentrated in the south. The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic. Most people in the country are Muslims, the majority of them Sunni.

      2. 2019 terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya, by al-Shabaab

        Nairobi DusitD2 complex attack

        The 2019 DusitD2 complex attack was a terrorist attack that occurred from 15 to 16 January 2019 in the Westlands area of Nairobi, Kenya, which left 22 civilians and all five terrorists dead.

      3. Capital and largest city of Kenya

        Nairobi

        Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census, while the metropolitan area has a projected population in 2022 of 10.8 million. The city is commonly referred to as the Green City in the Sun.

    2. Theresa May's UK government suffers the biggest government defeat in modern times, when 432 MPs voting against the proposed European Union withdrawal agreement, giving her opponents a majority of 230.

      1. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019

        Theresa May

        Theresa Mary, Lady May is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cabinet as Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016, and has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidenhead in Berkshire since 1997. May is the UK's second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, and is the first woman to hold two of the Great Offices of State, the second being Liz Truss. Ideologically, May identifies herself as a one-nation conservative.

      2. List of government defeats in the House of Commons since 1945

        The following article is a list of government defeats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 1945; that is, where the government whips have instructed their MPs to vote a certain way on a division of the House and have subsequently been defeated. Whilst most defeats have been on motions or bills scheduled in "government time", on occasion motions proposed by opposition parties or backbench MPs that are critical of government policy or practice, such as opposition day motions, are passed despite the government's efforts.

      3. EU–UK agreement for implementing Brexit

        Brexit withdrawal agreement

        The Brexit withdrawal agreement, officially titled Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, is a treaty between the European Union (EU), Euratom, and the United Kingdom (UK), signed on 24 January 2020, setting the terms of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU and Euratom. The text of the treaty was published on 17 October 2019, and is a renegotiated version of an agreement published half a year earlier. The earlier version of the withdrawal agreement was rejected by the House of Commons on three occasions, leading to the resignation of Theresa May as Prime Minister and the appointment of Boris Johnson as the new prime minister on 24 July 2019.

  5. 2018

    1. British multinational construction and facilities management services company Carillion went into liquidation – officially, "the largest ever trading liquidation in the UK"

      1. Process of the building or assembling of a building or infrastructure

        Construction

        Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations, and comes from Latin constructio and Old French construction. To construct is the verb: the act of building, and the noun is construction: how something is built, the nature of its structure.

      2. Interdisciplinary field

        Facility management

        Facility management or facilities management (FM) is a professional management discipline focused on the efficient and effective delivery of logistics and other support services related to real property and buildings. It encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality, comfort, safety and efficiency of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The profession is certified through Global Facility Management Association member organizations.

      3. Defunct British company

        Carillion

        Carillion plc was a British multinational construction and facilities management services company headquartered in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom, prior to its liquidation in January 2018.

      4. Winding-up of a company

        Liquidation

        Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation. The process of liquidation also arises when customs, an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties, determines the final computation or ascertainment of the duties or drawback accruing on an entry.

  6. 2016

    1. The Kenyan Army suffers its worst defeat ever in a battle with Al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents in El-Adde, Somalia. An estimated 150 Kenyan soldiers are killed in the battle.

      1. Armed forces of Kenya

        Kenya Defence Forces

        The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are the armed forces of the Republic of Kenya. They are made up of the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and Kenya Air Force. The current KDF was established, and its composition stipulated, in Article 241 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya; it is governed by the KDF Act of 2012. Its main mission is the defence and protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya, recruitment to the KDF is done on yearly basis. The President of Kenya is the commander-in-chief of the KDF, and the Chief of Defence Forces is the highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military adviser to the President of Kenya.

      2. Somalia-based cell of al-Qaeda

        Al-Shabaab (militant group)

        Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, more commonly known as al-Shabaab, is an Islamic fundamentalist Salafi jihadist group which is based in Somalia and active elsewhere in East Africa. It is actively involved in the ongoing Somali Civil War. Even though its membership incorporates Somali nationalist elements, al-Shabaab's central aims are Salafi jihadist. Allegiant to the militant pan-Islamist organization al-Qaeda since 2012, it has also been suspected of forging ties with Boko Haram, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

      3. Battle of El Adde

        The Battle of El Adde took place on 15 January 2016. Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on a Kenyan-run AMISOM army base in the town of El Adde, Gedo, Somalia. It remains the deadliest attack on the AMISOM Peace Support Mission to Somalia and is the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) largest defeat since independence in 1963. As such, the Kenyan government went to extreme lengths to conceal the extent of its losses. It has been described by the media as a "military massacre" or military disaster. It was also the largest military defeat in Kenyan history.

      4. Country in the Horn of Africa

        Somalia

        Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Somalia has an estimated population of around 17.1 million, of which over 2 million live in the capital and largest city Mogadishu, and has been described as Africa's most culturally homogeneous country. Around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis, who have historically inhabited the country's north. Ethnic minorities are largely concentrated in the south. The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic. Most people in the country are Muslims, the majority of them Sunni.

  7. 2015

    1. The Swiss National Bank abandons the cap on the Swiss franc's value relative to the euro, causing turmoil in international financial markets.

      1. Central Bank of Switzerland

        Swiss National Bank

        The Swiss National Bank is the central bank of Switzerland, responsible for the nation's monetary policy and the sole issuer of Swiss franc banknotes. The primary goal of its mandate is to ensure price stability, while taking economic developments into consideration.

      2. Currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein

        Swiss franc

        The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the federal mint Swissmint issues coins.

      3. Currency of most countries in the European Union

        Euro

        The euro is the official currency of 19 out of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens as of 2019. The euro is divided into 100 cents.

  8. 2013

    1. A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.

      1. Badrashin railway accident

        The Badrashin railway accident took place near Badrashin station in Giza, Egypt, on 15 January 2013. A train en route to Cairo from Sohag derailed, leaving at least 19 people dead and 120 injured.

      2. Land warfare branch of Egypt's military

        Egyptian Army

        The Egyptian Army or Egyptian Ground Forces is the land warfare branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest service branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

      3. City in Greater Cairo, Egypt

        Giza

        Giza is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 million as of 2021. It is located on the west bank of the Nile, 4.9 km (3 mi) southwest of central Cairo, and is a part of the Greater Cairo metropolis. Giza lies less than 30 km (18.64 mi) north of Memphis (Men-nefer), which was the capital city of the first unified Egyptian state from the days of the first pharaoh, Narmer.

      4. Metropolitan area in Egypt

        Greater Cairo

        The Greater Cairo Area is the largest metropolitan area in Egypt, the largest urban area in Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab world, and the 6th largest metropolitan area in the world. It consists of all cities in the Cairo Governorate as well as Giza, 6th of October, Sheikh Zayed City in the Giza Governorate and Shubra El Kheima and Obour in the Qalyubia Governorate, with a total population estimated at 20,901,000; area: 1,709 km2; density: 10,400/km2.

  9. 2009

    1. US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese during its initial climb out from New York City and made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.

      1. 2009 passenger plane accident in the US with successful ditching in the Hudson River

        US Airways Flight 1549

        US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled US Airways flight from New York City, to Charlotte and Seattle, in the United States. On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from New York, losing all engine power. Unable to reach any airport for an emergency landing due to their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles glided the plane to a ditching in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan. All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats, with only a few serious injuries.

      2. Collision between an aircraft and a bird

        Bird strike

        A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, bird ingestion, bird hit, or bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH)—is a collision between an airborne animal and a moving vehicle, usually an aircraft. The term is also used for bird deaths resulting from collisions with structures such as power lines, towers and wind turbines.

      3. Species of goose native to the Northern Hemisphere

        Canada goose

        The Canada goose, or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.

      4. Departure route from an airport

        Standard instrument departure

        Standard instrument departure (SID) routes, also known as departure procedures (DP), are published flight procedures followed by aircraft on an IFR flight plan immediately after takeoff from an airport.

      5. Aircraft landing made in response to a crisis

        Emergency landing

        An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to terminate the flight. It typically involves a forced diversion to the nearest or most suitable airport or airbase, or an off airport landing or ditching if the flight cannot reach an airfield. Flights under air traffic control will be given priority over all other aircraft operations upon the declaration of the emergency.

      6. River in New York State, United States

        Hudson River

        The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and Jersey City, eventually draining into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The river serves as a political boundary between the states of New Jersey and New York at its southern end. Farther north, it marks local boundaries between several New York counties. The lower half of the river is a tidal estuary, deeper than the body of water into which it flows, occupying the Hudson Fjord, an inlet which formed during the most recent period of North American glaciation, estimated at 26,000 to 13,300 years ago. Even as far north as the city of Troy, the flow of the river changes direction with the tides.

    2. US Airways Flight 1549 ditches safely in the Hudson River after the plane collides with birds less than two minutes after take-off. This becomes known as "The Miracle on the Hudson" as all 155 people on board were rescued.

      1. 2009 passenger plane accident in the US with successful ditching in the Hudson River

        US Airways Flight 1549

        US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled US Airways flight from New York City, to Charlotte and Seattle, in the United States. On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from New York, losing all engine power. Unable to reach any airport for an emergency landing due to their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles glided the plane to a ditching in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan. All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats, with only a few serious injuries.

      2. An aircraft landing intentionally on a body of water

        Water landing

        In aviation, a water landing is, in the broadest sense, an aircraft landing on a body of water. Seaplanes, such as floatplanes and flying boats, land on water as a normal operation. Ditching is a controlled emergency landing on the water surface in an aircraft not designed for the purpose, a very rare occurrence. Controlled flight into the surface and uncontrolled flight ending in a body of water are generally not considered water landings or ditching.

      3. River in New York State, United States

        Hudson River

        The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and Jersey City, eventually draining into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The river serves as a political boundary between the states of New Jersey and New York at its southern end. Farther north, it marks local boundaries between several New York counties. The lower half of the river is a tidal estuary, deeper than the body of water into which it flows, occupying the Hudson Fjord, an inlet which formed during the most recent period of North American glaciation, estimated at 26,000 to 13,300 years ago. Even as far north as the city of Troy, the flow of the river changes direction with the tides.

      4. Collision between an aircraft and a bird

        Bird strike

        A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, bird ingestion, bird hit, or bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH)—is a collision between an airborne animal and a moving vehicle, usually an aircraft. The term is also used for bird deaths resulting from collisions with structures such as power lines, towers and wind turbines.

  10. 2005

    1. ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.

      1. European organisation dedicated to space exploration

        European Space Agency

        The European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organisation of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, ESA has a worldwide staff of about 2,200 in 2018 and an annual budget of about €7.2 billion in 2022.

      2. European Space Agency satellite that orbited around the Moon

        SMART-1

        SMART-1 was a Swedish-designed European Space Agency satellite that orbited around the Moon. It was launched on 27 September 2003 at 23:14 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. "SMART-1" stands for Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology-1. On 3 September 2006, SMART-1 was deliberately crashed into the Moon's surface, ending its mission.

      3. Chemical element, symbol Ca and atomic number 20

        Calcium

        Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to its heavier homologues strontium and barium. It is the fifth most abundant element in Earth's crust, and the third most abundant metal, after iron and aluminium. The most common calcium compound on Earth is calcium carbonate, found in limestone and the fossilised remnants of early sea life; gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, and apatite are also sources of calcium. The name derives from Latin calx "lime", which was obtained from heating limestone.

      4. Chemical element, symbol Al and atomic number 13

        Aluminium

        Aluminium is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has a great affinity towards oxygen, and forms a protective layer of oxide on the surface when exposed to air. Aluminium visually resembles silver, both in its color and in its great ability to reflect light. It is soft, non-magnetic and ductile. It has one stable isotope, 27Al; this isotope is very common, making aluminium the twelfth most common element in the Universe. The radioactivity of 26Al is used in radiodating.

      5. Chemical element, symbol Si and atomic number 14

        Silicon

        Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive.

      6. Chemical element, symbol Fe and atomic number 26

        Iron

        Iron is a chemical element with symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front of oxygen, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust.

  11. 2001

    1. Wikipedia, a free wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.

      1. Free multilingual online encyclopedia

        Wikipedia

        Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers through open collaboration and a wiki-based editing system. Its editors are known as Wikipedians. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in history. It is consistently one of the 10 most popular websites ranked by Similarweb and formerly Alexa; as of 2022, Wikipedia was ranked the 5th most popular site in the world. It is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit organization funded mainly through donations.

      2. Type of website that visitors can edit

        Wiki

        A wiki is an online hypertext publication collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience, using a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages for the subjects or scope of the project, and could be either open to the public or limited to use within an organization for maintaining its internal knowledge base.

  12. 1991

    1. Queen Elizabeth II signed letters patent instituting the Victoria Cross for Australia; the country became the first Commonwealth realm with a separate Victoria Cross award in its honours system.

      1. Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022

        Elizabeth II

        Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime, and was head of state of 15 realms at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.

      2. Type of published legal instrument

        Letters patent

        Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title or status to a person or corporation. Letters patent can be used for the creation of corporations or government offices, or for granting city status or a coat of arms. Letters patent are issued for the appointment of representatives of the Crown, such as governors and governors-general of Commonwealth realms, as well as appointing a Royal Commission. In the United Kingdom, they are also issued for the creation of peers of the realm.

      3. Australian medal for gallantry

        Victoria Cross for Australia

        The Victoria Cross for Australia is the highest award in the Australian honours system, superseding the British Victoria Cross for issue to Australians. The Victoria Cross for Australia is the "decoration for according recognition to persons who in the presence of the enemy, perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, or daring or pre-eminent acts of valour or self-sacrifice or display extreme devotion to duty."

      4. Sovereign state headed by King Charles III

        Commonwealth realm

        A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealth. King Charles III succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as monarch of each Commonwealth realm following her death on 8 September 2022. He simultaneously became Head of the Commonwealth.

      5. Highest military decoration awarded for valour in armed forces of various Commonwealth countries

        Victoria Cross

        The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded by countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two-thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. The investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.

    2. The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.

      1. Intergovernmental organization

        United Nations

        The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. It is the world's largest and most familiar international organization. The UN is headquartered on international territory in New York City, and has other main offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague.

      2. Country in Western Asia

        Iraq

        Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Iraqi Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Armenians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, Persians and Shabakis with similarly diverse geography and wildlife. The vast majority of the country's 44 million residents are Muslims – the notable other faiths are Christianity, Yazidism, Mandaeism, Yarsanism and Zoroastrianism. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish; others also recognised in specific regions are Neo-Aramaic, Turkish and Armenian.

      3. Country in Western Asia

        Kuwait

        Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait also shares maritime borders with Iran. Kuwait has a coastal length of approximately 500 km (311 mi). Most of the country's population reside in the urban agglomeration of the capital city Kuwait City. As of 2022, Kuwait has a population of 4.67 million people of which 1.45 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 2.8 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries.

      4. 1990–1991 war between Iraq and American-led coalition forces

        Gulf War

        The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, which began with the aerial bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January 1991 and came to a close with the American-led Liberation of Kuwait on 28 February 1991.

    3. Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.

      1. Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022

        Elizabeth II

        Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime, and was head of state of 15 realms at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.

      2. Function and history of the Australian monarchy

        Monarchy of Australia

        The monarchy of Australia is Australia's form of government embodied by the Australian sovereign and head of state. The Australian monarchy is a constitutional monarchy, modelled on the Westminster system of parliamentary government, while incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.

      3. Type of published legal instrument

        Letters patent

        Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title or status to a person or corporation. Letters patent can be used for the creation of corporations or government offices, or for granting city status or a coat of arms. Letters patent are issued for the appointment of representatives of the Crown, such as governors and governors-general of Commonwealth realms, as well as appointing a Royal Commission. In the United Kingdom, they are also issued for the creation of peers of the realm.

      4. Sovereign state headed by King Charles III

        Commonwealth realm

        A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealth. King Charles III succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as monarch of each Commonwealth realm following her death on 8 September 2022. He simultaneously became Head of the Commonwealth.

      5. Australian medal for gallantry

        Victoria Cross for Australia

        The Victoria Cross for Australia is the highest award in the Australian honours system, superseding the British Victoria Cross for issue to Australians. The Victoria Cross for Australia is the "decoration for according recognition to persons who in the presence of the enemy, perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, or daring or pre-eminent acts of valour or self-sacrifice or display extreme devotion to duty."

  13. 1981

    1. The American serial police-procedural television show Hill Street Blues aired its pilot episode, "Hill Street Station".

      1. Subgenre of detective fiction

        Police procedural

        The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on either a private detective, an amateur investigator or the characters who are the targets of investigations. While many police procedurals conceal the criminal's identity until the crime is solved in the narrative climax, others reveal the perpetrator's identity to the audience early in the narrative, making it an inverted detective story. Whatever the plot style, the defining element of a police procedural is the attempt to accurately depict the profession of law enforcement, including such police-related topics as forensic science, autopsies, gathering evidence, search warrants, interrogation and adherence to legal restrictions and procedure.

      2. American serial police drama television series (1981–1987)

        Hill Street Blues

        Hill Street Blues is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station located on Hill Street in an unnamed large city. The "blues" are the police officers in their blue uniforms. The show received critical acclaim, and its production innovations influenced many subsequent dramatic television series produced in the United States and Canada. In its debut season, the series won eight Emmy Awards, a debut season record later surpassed only by The West Wing. The show won a total of 26 Emmy Awards during its run, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series.

      3. Trial episode made to sell a television series

        Television pilot

        A television pilot, in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distributor. A pilot is created to be a testing ground to gauge whether a series will be successful. It is, therefore, a test episode for the intended television series, an early step in the series development, much like pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity.

      4. 1st episode of the 1st season of Hill Street Blues

        Hill Street Station

        "Hill Street Station" is the first episode of the first season of the American serial police drama Hill Street Blues. "Hill Street Station" originally aired in the United States on NBC on Thursday January 15, 1981, at 10:00 pm Eastern Time as part of a two-week five-episode limited-run pilot airing on Thursdays and Saturdays. The episode won numerous Primetime Emmy Awards, a Directors Guild of America Award, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award as well as Emmy Award nominations for film editing, music composition, and art direction. The episode was directed by Robert Butler and written by Michael Kozoll and Steven Bochco.

    2. Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from the Polish trade union Solidarity at the Vatican led by Lech Wałęsa.

      1. Head of the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005

        Pope John Paul II

        Pope John Paul II was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in April 2005, and was later canonised as Pope Saint John Paul II.

      2. 20th-century Polish trade union

        Solidarity (Polish trade union)

        Solidarity, full name Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity", is a Polish trade union founded in August 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. Subsequently, it was the first independent trade union in a Warsaw Pact country to be recognised by the state. The union's membership peaked at 10 million in September 1981, representing one-third of the country's working-age population. Solidarity's leader Lech Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and the union is widely recognised as having played a central role in the end of Communist rule in Poland.

      3. Holy See's independent city-state, an enclave within Rome, Italy

        Vatican City

        Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State, is an independent city-state, microstate and enclave within Rome, Italy. Also known as The Vatican, the state became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity of international law, which maintains the city state's temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. With an area of 49 hectares and a 2019 population of about 453, it is the smallest state in the world both by area and population. As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Pope who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various origins. After the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) the popes have mainly resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City, although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere.

      4. President of Poland from 1990 to 1995

        Lech Wałęsa

        Lech Wałęsa is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democratically elected President of Poland since 1926 and the first-ever Polish President elected in popular vote. A shipyard electrician by trade, Wałęsa became the leader of the Solidarity movement, and led a successful pro-democratic effort which in 1989 ended the Communist rule in Poland and ushered in the end of the Cold War.

  14. 1977

    1. Linjeflyg Flight 618 crashes in Kälvesta near Stockholm Bromma Airport in Stockholm, Sweden, killing 22 people.

      1. 1977 aviation accident

        Linjeflyg Flight 618

        Linjeflyg Flight 618 was a crash of a Vickers 838 Viscount during approach to Stockholm Bromma Airport at 09:05 on 15 January 1977. All twenty-two people on board the aircraft perished when it hit ground at Kälvesta in Stockholm, Sweden. The domestic service from Malmö via Kristianstad, Växjö and Jönköping was operated by Skyline on behalf of Linjeflyg as part of the latter's domestic scheduled services. The accident was caused by atmospheric icing on the horizontal stabilizer. Low power on two of the engines had caused reduced function of the ice protection system, causing a buildup of ice. The icing caused the loss of pitch control and the aircraft entered a steep dive. Among the deceased was table tennis player Hans Alsér.

      2. Kälvesta

        Kälvesta is a suburban district in the Hässelby-Vällingby borough in western Stockholm. Most of Kälvesta was built during the late 1960s and the 1970s. Kälvesta has two middle schools. The two buses 119 and 116 pass through Kälvesta on their way to either Spånga Station or Vällingby Centrum.

      3. Airport in Bromma

        Stockholm Bromma Airport

        Bromma Stockholm Airport is a Swedish domestic and minor international airport in Stockholm. It is located 4 NM west-northwest of downtown Stockholm and is the closest to the city compared to the other commercial passenger airports in the area around Stockholm. Bromma is Sweden's third-busiest airport by passenger traffic and take-offs and landings as of 2015.

      4. Capital and largest city of Sweden

        Stockholm

        Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the county seat of Stockholm County. For several hundred years, Stockholm was the capital of Finland as well, which then was a part of Sweden. The population of the municipality of Stockholm is expected to reach one million people in 2024.

  15. 1976

    1. Gerald Ford's would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.

      1. President of the United States from 1974 to 1977

        Gerald Ford

        Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected to the office of president or vice president. He previously served as the leader of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, and was appointed to be the 40th vice president in 1973. When President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, Ford succeeded to the presidency, but was defeated for election to a full term in 1976.

      2. American failed assassin (born 1930)

        Sara Jane Moore

        Sara Jane Moore is an American criminal who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975. She was given a life sentence for the attempted assassination and was released from prison on December 31, 2007, after serving 32 years. Moore and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme are the only two women to have attempted to assassinate an American president; both of their attempts were on Gerald Ford and both took place in California within three weeks of one another.

      3. Life imprisonment in the United States

        In the United States, life imprisonment is amongst the most severe punishments provided by law, depending on the state, and second only to the death penalty. According to a 2013 study, 1 of every 20,000 inhabitants of the U.S. were imprisoned for life as of 2012. Many U.S. states can release a convict on parole after a decade or more has passed, but in California, people sentenced to life imprisonment can normally apply for parole after seven years. The laws in the United States categorize life sentences as "determinate life sentences" or "indeterminate life sentences," the latter indicating the possibility of an abridged sentence, usually through the process of parole. For example, sentences of "15 years to life," "25 years to life," or "life with mercy" are called "indeterminate life sentences", while a sentence of "life without the possibility of parole" or "life without mercy" is called a "determinate life sentence". The potential for parole is not assured but discretionary, making it an indeterminate sentence. Even if a sentence explicitly denies the possibility of parole, government officials may have the power to grant an amnesty to reprieve, or to commute a sentence to time served.

  16. 1975

    1. Portugal and the nationalist factions UNITA, the MPLA and the FNLA signed the Alvor Agreement, ending the Angolan War of Independence.

      1. Angolan political party

        UNITA

        The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the Angolan War for Independence (1961–1975) and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war (1975–2002). The war was one of the most prominent Cold War proxy wars, with UNITA receiving military aid initially from People's Republic of China from 1966 until October 1975 and later from the United States and apartheid South Africa while the MPLA received support from the Soviet Union and its allies, especially Cuba.

      2. Political party in Angola

        MPLA

        The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, for some years called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party, is an Angolan left-wing, social democratic political party. The MPLA fought against the Portuguese army in the Angolan War of Independence from 1961 to 1974, and defeated the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) in the Angolan Civil War. The party has ruled Angola since the country's independence from Portugal in 1975, being the de facto government throughout the civil war and continuing to rule afterwards.

      3. Political party in Angola

        National Liberation Front of Angola

        The National Front for the Liberation of Angola is a political party and former militant organisation that fought for Angolan independence from Portugal in the war of independence, under the leadership of Holden Roberto.

      4. 1975 peace treaty establishing Angola's independence from Portugal

        Alvor Agreement

        The Alvor Agreement, signed on 15 January 1975 in Alvor, Portugal, granted Angola independence from Portugal on 11 November and formally ended the 13-year-long Angolan War of Independence.

      5. 1961–1974 conflict for independence of colonial Angola from Portugal

        Angolan War of Independence

        The Angolan War of Independence, called in Angola the Luta Armada de Libertação Nacional, began as an uprising against forced cultivation of cotton, and it became a multi-faction struggle for the control of Portugal's overseas province of Angola among three nationalist movements and a separatist movement. The war ended when a leftist military coup in Lisbon in April 1974 overthrew Portugal's Estado Novo dictatorship, and the new regime immediately stopped all military action in the African colonies, declaring its intention to grant them independence without delay.

    2. The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.

      1. 1975 peace treaty establishing Angola's independence from Portugal

        Alvor Agreement

        The Alvor Agreement, signed on 15 January 1975 in Alvor, Portugal, granted Angola independence from Portugal on 11 November and formally ended the 13-year-long Angolan War of Independence.

      2. 1961–1974 conflict for independence of colonial Angola from Portugal

        Angolan War of Independence

        The Angolan War of Independence, called in Angola the Luta Armada de Libertação Nacional, began as an uprising against forced cultivation of cotton, and it became a multi-faction struggle for the control of Portugal's overseas province of Angola among three nationalist movements and a separatist movement. The war ended when a leftist military coup in Lisbon in April 1974 overthrew Portugal's Estado Novo dictatorship, and the new regime immediately stopped all military action in the African colonies, declaring its intention to grant them independence without delay.

  17. 1974

    1. American serial killer Dennis Rader blinded, tortured, and killed his first three victims, earning him the nickname "BTK killer".

      1. Murderer of multiple people

        Serial killer

        A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three murders, others extend it to four or lessen it to two.

      2. American serial killer (born 1945)

        Dennis Rader

        Dennis Lynn Rader is an American serial killer known as BTK, the BTK Strangler or the BTK Killer. Between 1974 and 1991, he killed ten people in Wichita and Park City, Kansas, and sent taunting letters to police and media outlets describing the details of his crimes. After a decade-long hiatus, Rader resumed sending letters in 2004, leading to his 2005 arrest and subsequent guilty plea. He is currently serving ten consecutive life sentences at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

  18. 1973

    1. Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.

      1. Cold War conflict in Southeast Asia from 1955 to 1975

        Vietnam War

        The Vietnam War was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The north was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist states, while the south was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies. The war is widely considered to be a Cold War-era proxy war. It lasted almost 20 years, with direct U.S. involvement ending in 1973. The conflict also spilled over into neighboring states, exacerbating the Laotian Civil War and the Cambodian Civil War, which ended with all three countries becoming communist states by 1975.

      2. Head of state and head of government of the United States of America

        President of the United States

        The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

      3. President of the United States from 1969 to 1974

        Richard Nixon

        Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was the 36th vice president from 1953 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His five years in the White House saw reduction of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, the first manned Moon landings, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nixon's second term ended early, when he became the only president to resign from office, as a result of the Watergate scandal.

      4. Country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976

        North Vietnam

        North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed from 1945 to 1976 and was recognized in 1954. Both the North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese states ceased to exist when they unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

  19. 1970

    1. Nigerian Civil War: Biafran rebels surrender following an unsuccessful 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria.

      1. 1967–1970 civil war in Nigeria

        Nigerian Civil War

        The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. Nigeria was led by General Yakubu Gowon, while Biafra was led by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu. Biafra represented the nationalist aspirations of the Igbo ethnic group, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the federal government dominated by the interests of the Muslim Hausa-Fulanis of Northern Nigeria. The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded the United Kingdom's formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and anti-Igbo pogroms in Northern Nigeria. Control over the lucrative oil production in the Niger Delta also played a vital strategic role.

      2. Former secessionist state in Nigeria

        Biafra

        Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated then Eastern Region of Nigeria which is now divided into the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria. Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his leadership as the governor of the then Eastern region of Nigeria, following a series of ethnic tensions and military coups after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 massacres of Igbo people and other Eastern ethnic groups living in northern Nigeria. The military of Nigeria proceeded to invade Biafra shortly after its secession, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War.

      3. Country in West Africa

        Nigeria

        Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 sq mi), and with a population of over 225 million, it is the most populous country in Africa, and the world's sixth-most populous country. Nigeria borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west. Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located. The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in Africa.

    2. Muammar Gaddafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.

      1. Leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011

        Muammar Gaddafi

        Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a Libyan revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the de facto leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011, first as Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then as the Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, he later ruled according to his own Third International Theory.

      2. Country in North Africa

        Libya

        Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest. Libya is made of three historical regions: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. With an area of almost 700,000 square miles, it is the fourth-largest country in Africa and the Arab world, and the 16th-largest in the world. Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves in the world. The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is located in western Libya and contains over three million of Libya's seven million people.

  20. 1969

    1. The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.

      1. Country in Eurasia (1922–1991)

        Soviet Union

        The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national republics; in practice, both its government and its economy were highly centralized until its final years. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with the city of Moscow serving as its capital as well as that of its largest and most populous republic: the Russian SFSR. Other major cities included Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Tashkent, Alma-Ata, and Novosibirsk. It was the largest country in the world, covering over 22,402,200 square kilometres (8,649,500 sq mi) and spanning eleven time zones.

      2. Crewed flight of the Soyuz programme

        Soyuz 5

        Soyuz 5 was a Soyuz mission using the Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union on 15 January 1969, which docked with Soyuz 4 in orbit. It was the first docking of two crewed spacecraft of any nation, and the first transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another of any nation, the only time a transfer was accomplished with a space walk – two months before the United States Apollo 9 mission performed the first internal crew transfer.

  21. 1967

    1. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the American football championship game now known as Super Bowl I.

      1. National Football League franchise in Green Bay, Wisconsin

        Green Bay Packers

        The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.

      2. National Football League franchise in Kansas City, Missouri

        Kansas City Chiefs

        The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.

      3. Professional American football championship games

        Below is a list of professional football Championship Games in the United States, involving:the informal western Pennsylvania professional football circuit ; the 1902 "National" Football League and the World Series of Professional Football ; the Ohio Independent Championship ; the New York Pro Football League ; the American Professional Football Association and the National Football League ; the All-America Football Conference ; the American Football League ; the World Football League ; the United States Football League ; the XFL (2001); the United Football League (2009–2011); and any inter-league challenge games that included at least one champion of a major, or borderline-major, league.

      4. 1967 National Football League championship game

        Super Bowl I

        The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The National Football League (NFL) champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35–10.

    2. The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.

      1. National Football League championship game

        Super Bowl

        The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game is played on the second Sunday in February. Prior Super Bowls were played on Sundays in early to mid-January from 1967 to 1978, late January from 1979 to 2003, and the first Sunday of February from 2004 to 2021. Winning teams are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the eponymous coach who won the first two Super Bowls. Due to the NFL restricting use of its "Super Bowl" trademark, it is frequently referred to as the "big game" or other generic terms by non-sponsoring corporations. The day the game is played is often referred to as "Super Bowl Sunday" or simply "Super Sunday".

      2. Largest city in California, United States

        Los Angeles

        Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world's most populous megacities. Los Angeles is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With a population of roughly 3.9 million as of 2020, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic and cultural diversity, Hollywood film industry, and sprawling metropolitan area. The city of Los Angeles lies in a basin in Southern California adjacent to the Pacific Ocean extending through the Santa Monica Mountains and into the San Fernando Valley. It covers about 469 square miles (1,210 km2), and is the seat of Los Angeles County, which is the most populous county in the United States with an estimated 9.86 million as of 2022.

      3. 48th NFL franchise season; first team to win Super Bowl

        1966 Green Bay Packers season

        The 1966 Green Bay Packers season was their 48th season overall and their 46th in the National Football League (NFL). The defending NFL champions had a league-best regular season record of 12–2, led by eighth-year head coach Vince Lombardi and quarterback Bart Starr, in his eleventh NFL season.

      4. 7th season in franchise history; first Super Bowl appearance

        1966 Kansas City Chiefs season

        The 1966 Kansas City Chiefs season was the team's seventh season in the American Football League (AFL) and fourth in Kansas City. With an 11–2–1 regular season record, the Chiefs won the Western Division and defeated the Buffalo Bills to win their second AFL Championship, their first in Kansas City.

  22. 1966

    1. The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d'état.

      1. First republican Governance in Nigeria

        First Nigerian Republic

        The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution. The country's government was based on a federal form of the Westminster system. The period between 1 October 1960, when the country gained its independence and 15 January 1966, when the first military coup d’état took place, is also generally referred to as the First Republic. The first Republic of Nigeria was ruled by different leaders representing their regions as premiers in a federation during this period. Leaders include Ahmadu Bello Northern Nigeria 1959–1966, Obafemi Awolowo Western Nigeria 1959–1960, Samuel Akintola Western Nigeria 1960–1966, Michael Okpara Eastern Nigeria 1960–1966, and Dennis Osadebay Mid-Western Nigeria 1964–1966.

      2. Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1957 to 1966

        Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

        Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was a Nigerian politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria upon independence.

      3. 1966 violent overthrow of Nigerian government

        1966 Nigerian coup d'état

        The 1966 Nigerian coup d'état began on 15 January 1966, when mutinous Nigerian soldiers led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna killed 22 people including the Prime Minister of Nigeria, many senior politicians, many senior Army officers, and sentinels on protective duty. The coup plotters attacked the cities of Kaduna, Ibadan, and Lagos while also blockading the Niger and Benue River within a two-day span of time before the coup plotters were subdued. The General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, was compelled to take control of the government of a country in upheaval, inadvertently putting Nigeria's nascent democracy on hold. His ascendancy to power was deemed a conspiracy by the coup plotters, who were mainly Igbo officers, to pave the way for General Aguiyi-Ironsi to be Head of State of Nigeria. Consequently, the retaliatory events by Northern members of the Nigerian Army that led to deaths of many innocent Igbo soldiers and civilians caused the Nigerian Civil War.

  23. 1962

    1. The Derveni papyrus (fragment pictured), the oldest surviving manuscript in Europe, was discovered in Macedonia, northern Greece.

      1. 4th-century BC manuscript - oldest surviving in Europe

        Derveni papyrus

        The Derveni papyrus is an ancient Greek papyrus roll that was found in 1962. It is a philosophical treatise that is an allegorical commentary on an Orphic poem, a theogony concerning the birth of the gods, produced in the circle of the philosopher Anaxagoras. The roll dates to around 340 BC, during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, making it Europe's oldest surviving manuscript. The poem itself was composed near the end of the 5th century BC, and "in the fields of Greek religion, the sophistic movement, early philosophy, and the origins of literary criticism it is unquestionably the most important textual discovery of the 20th century." While interim editions and translations were published over the subsequent years, the manuscript as a whole was finally published in 2006.

      2. Document written by hand

        Manuscript

        A manuscript was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has come to be understood to further include any written, typed, or word-processed copy of an author's work, as distinguished from its rendition as a printed version of the same. Before the arrival of printing, all documents and books were manuscripts. Manuscripts are not defined by their contents, which may combine writing with mathematical calculations, maps, music notation, explanatory figures, or illustrations.

      3. Traditional region of Greece

        Macedonia (Greece)

        Macedonia is a geographic and former administrative region of Greece, in the southern Balkans. Macedonia is the largest and second-most-populous Greek geographic region, with a population of 2.36 million in 2020. It is highly mountainous, with most major urban centres such as Thessaloniki and Kavala being concentrated on its southern coastline. Together with Thrace, and sometimes also Thessaly and Epirus, it is part of Northern Greece. Greek Macedonia encompasses entirely the southern part of the wider region of Macedonia, making up 51% of the total area of that region. Additionally, it forms part of Greece's borders with three countries: Bulgaria to the northeast, North Macedonia to the north, and Albania to the northwest.

    2. The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.

      1. 4th-century BC manuscript - oldest surviving in Europe

        Derveni papyrus

        The Derveni papyrus is an ancient Greek papyrus roll that was found in 1962. It is a philosophical treatise that is an allegorical commentary on an Orphic poem, a theogony concerning the birth of the gods, produced in the circle of the philosopher Anaxagoras. The roll dates to around 340 BC, during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, making it Europe's oldest surviving manuscript. The poem itself was composed near the end of the 5th century BC, and "in the fields of Greek religion, the sophistic movement, early philosophy, and the origins of literary criticism it is unquestionably the most important textual discovery of the 20th century." While interim editions and translations were published over the subsequent years, the manuscript as a whole was finally published in 2006.

    3. Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.

      1. 1949–1962 Dutch possession in Oceania

        Dutch New Guinea

        Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. It contained what are now Indonesia's five easternmost provinces, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, and West Papua, which were administered as a single province prior to 2003 under the name Irian Jaya, and now comprise the Papua region of the country.

      2. Maritime service branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces

        Indonesian Navy

        The Indonesian Navy is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Indonesia, to protect Indonesia's maritime strategic interests, to protect the islands surrounding Indonesia, and to defend against seaborne threats.

      3. Indonesian naval officer (1925–1962)

        Yos Sudarso

        Commodore Yosaphat "Yos" Sudarso was an Indonesian naval officer killed at the Battle of Arafura Sea. At the time of his death, Yos Sudarso was deputy chief of staff of the Indonesian Navy and in charge of an action to infiltrate Dutch New Guinea. He was promoted to vice admiral posthumously.

      4. Marginal sea between Australia and Indonesian New Guinea

        Arafura Sea

        The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean, overlying the continental shelf between Australia and Western New Guinea, which is the Indonesian part of the Island of New Guinea.

      5. Navy of the Netherlands

        Royal Netherlands Navy

        The Royal Netherlands Navy is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

  24. 1951

    1. Ilse Koch, the wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald and Majdanek concentration camps, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a West German court.

      1. German war criminal (1906–1967)

        Ilse Koch

        Ilse Koch was a German war criminal who was an overseer at Nazi concentration camps run by her husband, commandant Karl-Otto Koch. Working at Buchenwald (1937–1941) and Majdanek (1941–1943), Koch became infamous for her sadistic, brutal treatment of prisoners. In 1947, she became one of the first prominent Nazis tried by the U.S. military.

      2. German SS officer (1897–1945)

        Karl-Otto Koch

        Karl-Otto Koch was a mid-ranking commander in the Schutzstaffel (SS) of Nazi Germany who was the first commandant of the Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen. From September 1941 until August 1942, he served as the first commandant of the Majdanek concentration camp in occupied Poland, stealing vast amounts of valuables and money from murdered Jews. His wife, Ilse Koch, also took part in the crimes at Buchenwald and Majdanek.

      3. Nazi concentration camp in Germany

        Buchenwald concentration camp

        Buchenwald was a Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or suspected communists were among the first internees.

      4. Nazi concentration camp

        Majdanek concentration camp

        Majdanek was a Nazi concentration and extermination camp built and operated by the SS on the outskirts of the city of Lublin during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. It had seven gas chambers, two wooden gallows, and some 227 structures in all, placing it among the largest of Nazi concentration camps. Although initially intended for forced labor rather than extermination, the camp was used to murder people on an industrial scale during Operation Reinhard, the German plan to murder all Polish Jews within their own occupied homeland. The camp, which operated from 1 October 1941 to 22 July 1944, was captured nearly intact. The rapid advance of the Soviet Red Army during Operation Bagration prevented the SS from destroying most of the camp's infrastructure, and Deputy Camp Commandant Anton Thernes failed to remove most incriminating evidence of war crimes.

      5. Imprisonment intended to last for life

        Life imprisonment

        Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for which, in some countries, a person could receive this sentence include murder, torture, terrorism, child abuse resulting in death, rape, espionage, treason, drug trafficking, drug possession, human trafficking, severe fraud and financial crimes, aggravated criminal damage, arson, kidnapping, burglary, and robbery, piracy, aircraft hijacking, and genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or any three felonies in case of three-strikes law. Life imprisonment can also be imposed, in certain countries, for traffic offences causing death. Life imprisonment is not used in all countries; Portugal was the first country to abolish life imprisonment, in 1884.

  25. 1949

    1. Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist government.

      1. 1927–1949 civil war in China

        Chinese Civil War

        The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1st August 1927 until 7th December 1949 with a Communist victory on mainland China.

      2. Founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China

        Chinese Communist Party

        The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang, and in 1949 Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Since then, the CCP has governed China with eight smaller parties within its United Front and has sole control over the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Each successive leader of the CCP has added their own theories to the party's constitution, which outlines the ideological beliefs of the party, collectively referred to as socialism with Chinese characteristics. As of 2022, the CCP has more than 96 million members, making it the second largest political party by party membership in the world after India's Bharatiya Janata Party. The Chinese public generally refers to the CCP as simply "the Party".

      3. Chinese civil war

        Pingjin campaign

        The Pingjin campaign, or the Battle of Pingjin, also officially known in Chinese Communist historiography as the Liberation of Beijing and Tianjin was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War against the Government of the Republic of China. It began on 29 November 1948 and ended on 31 January 1949, lasting a total of 64 days. This campaign marked the end of Nationalist dominance in the North China Plain. The term Pingjin refers to the cities Beiping and Tianjin.

      4. City and province-level municipality of China

        Tianjin

        Tianjin, alternately romanized as Tientsin, is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants during the 2020 Chinese census. Its built-up area, made up of 12 central districts, was home to 11,165,706 inhabitants and is also the world's 29th-largest agglomeration and 11th-most populous city proper.

      5. Government of the Republic of China between 1925 and 1948

        Nationalist government

        The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, also known as the Second Republic of China or simply as the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the Kuomintang.

  26. 1947

    1. The mutilated corpse of the Black Dahlia, a 22-year-old woman whose murder is one of the most famous unsolved crimes in the U.S., was found in Leimert Park, Los Angeles.

      1. American murder victim (1924–1947)

        Black Dahlia

        Elizabeth Short, known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized owing to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.

      2. Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

        Leimert Park, Los Angeles

        Leimert Park is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.

    2. The Black Dahlia murder: The dismembered corpse of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles.

      1. American murder victim (1924–1947)

        Black Dahlia

        Elizabeth Short, known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, was an American woman found murdered in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. Her case became highly publicized owing to the gruesome nature of the crime, which included the mutilation of her corpse, which was bisected at the waist.

  27. 1943

    1. The highest-capacity office building in the world, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense known as the Pentagon, was dedicated.

      1. Executive department of the U.S. federal government

        United States Department of Defense

        The United States Department of Defense is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. The DoD is the largest employer in the world, with over 1.34 million active-duty service members as of June 2022. The DoD also maintains over 778,000 National Guard and reservists, and over 747,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.87 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the DoD's stated mission is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security".

      2. US Department of Defense headquarters in Virginia

        The Pentagon

        The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase The Pentagon is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership.

    2. World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.

      1. Global war, 1939–1945

        World War II

        World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries.

      2. Soviet counter-offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II

        Voronezh–Kastornoye offensive

        The 1943 Battle of Voronezh or Voronezh–Kastornoye offensive operation was a Soviet counter-offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II on recapturing the city of Voronezh during January 1943.

    3. The Pentagon is dedicated in Arlington County, Virginia.

      1. US Department of Defense headquarters in Virginia

        The Pentagon

        The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase The Pentagon is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership.

      2. County in Virginia, United States

        Arlington County, Virginia

        Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is coextensive with the U.S. Census Bureau's census-designated place of Arlington. Arlington County is considered to be the second-largest "principal city" of the Washington metropolitan area, although Arlington County does not have the legal designation of independent city or incorporated town under Virginia state law.

  28. 1937

    1. Spanish Civil War: Nationalist and Republican forces both withdrew after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.

      1. 1936–1939 civil war in Spain

        Spanish Civil War

        The Spanish Civil War was a civil war in Spain fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, and consisted of various socialist, communist, separatist, anarchist, and republican parties, some of which had opposed the government in the pre-war period. The opposing Nationalists were an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, conservatives, and traditionalists led by a military junta among whom General Francisco Franco quickly achieved a preponderant role. Due to the international political climate at the time, the war had many facets and was variously viewed as class struggle, a religious struggle, a struggle between dictatorship and republican democracy, between revolution and counterrevolution, and between fascism and communism. According to Claude Bowers, U.S. ambassador to Spain during the war, it was the "dress rehearsal" for World War II. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939, and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November 1975.

      2. 1939–1975 period of Spain under the rule of Francisco Franco

        Francoist Spain

        Francoist Spain, or the Francoist dictatorship, was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title Caudillo. After his death in 1975, Spain transitioned into a democracy. During this time period, Spain was officially known as the Spanish State.

      3. Government of Spain, 1931–1939

        Second Spanish Republic

        The Spanish Republic, commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic, was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 April 1939 after surrendering in the Spanish Civil War to the Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco.

      4. Battle in the Spanish Civil War

        Second Battle of the Corunna Road

        The Second Battle of the Corunna Road was a battle of the Spanish Civil War that took place from 13 December 1936 to 15 January 1937, northwest of Madrid. In December 1936, the Nationalists launched an offensive in order to cut the Corunna Road and isolate Madrid, but a Republican counter-offensive stopped the Nationalist advance. The Nationalists cut the Corunna road but failed to encircle Madrid.

    2. Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.

      1. 1936–1939 civil war in Spain

        Spanish Civil War

        The Spanish Civil War was a civil war in Spain fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, and consisted of various socialist, communist, separatist, anarchist, and republican parties, some of which had opposed the government in the pre-war period. The opposing Nationalists were an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, conservatives, and traditionalists led by a military junta among whom General Francisco Franco quickly achieved a preponderant role. Due to the international political climate at the time, the war had many facets and was variously viewed as class struggle, a religious struggle, a struggle between dictatorship and republican democracy, between revolution and counterrevolution, and between fascism and communism. According to Claude Bowers, U.S. ambassador to Spain during the war, it was the "dress rehearsal" for World War II. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939, and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November 1975.

      2. 1939–1975 period of Spain under the rule of Francisco Franco

        Francoist Spain

        Francoist Spain, or the Francoist dictatorship, was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title Caudillo. After his death in 1975, Spain transitioned into a democracy. During this time period, Spain was officially known as the Spanish State.

      3. Government of Spain, 1931–1939

        Second Spanish Republic

        The Spanish Republic, commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic, was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 April 1939 after surrendering in the Spanish Civil War to the Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco.

      4. Battle in the Spanish Civil War

        Second Battle of the Corunna Road

        The Second Battle of the Corunna Road was a battle of the Spanish Civil War that took place from 13 December 1936 to 15 January 1937, northwest of Madrid. In December 1936, the Nationalists launched an offensive in order to cut the Corunna Road and isolate Madrid, but a Republican counter-offensive stopped the Nationalist advance. The Nationalists cut the Corunna road but failed to encircle Madrid.

  29. 1936

    1. The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.

      1. American manufacturing company

        O-I Glass

        O-I Glass, Inc. is an American company that specializes in container glass products. It is one of the world's leading manufacturers of packaging products, holding the position of largest manufacturer of glass containers in North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Approximately one of every two glass containers made worldwide is made by O-I, its affiliates, or its licensees.

      2. City in Ohio, United States

        Toledo, Ohio

        Toledo is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according to the 2020 census, the 79th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 270,871, it is the principal city of the Toledo metropolitan area. It also serves as a major trade center for the Midwest; its port is the fifth-busiest in the Great Lakes and 54th-biggest in the United States. The city was founded in 1833 on the west bank of the Maumee River, and originally incorporated as part of Monroe County, Michigan Territory. It was refounded in 1837, after the conclusion of the Toledo War, when it was incorporated in Ohio.

  30. 1934

    1. At least 10,700 people died when an earthquake registering 8.0 Mw struck Nepal and the Indian state of Bihar.

      1. January 1934 earthquake in India and Nepal

        1934 Nepal–India earthquake

        The 1934 Nepal–India earthquake or 1934 Bihar–Nepal earthquake was one of the worst earthquakes in India's history. The towns of Munger and Muzaffarpur were completely destroyed. This 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on 15 January 1934 at around 2:13 pm IST and caused widespread damage in northern Bihar and in Nepal.

      2. Measure of earthquake size, in terms of the energy released

        Moment magnitude scale

        The moment magnitude scale is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 paper by Thomas C. Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori. Similar to the local magnitude scale (ML ) defined by Charles Francis Richter in 1935, it uses a logarithmic scale; small earthquakes have approximately the same magnitudes on both scales.

      3. State in eastern India

        Bihar

        Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi), and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east.

    2. The 8.0 Mw  Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing an estimated 6,000–10,700 people.

      1. January 1934 earthquake in India and Nepal

        1934 Nepal–India earthquake

        The 1934 Nepal–India earthquake or 1934 Bihar–Nepal earthquake was one of the worst earthquakes in India's history. The towns of Munger and Muzaffarpur were completely destroyed. This 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred on 15 January 1934 at around 2:13 pm IST and caused widespread damage in northern Bihar and in Nepal.

      2. Country in South Asia

        Nepal

        Nepal, formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, and India in the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as the official language. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city.

      3. State in eastern India

        Bihar

        Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi), and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east.

      4. Seismic intensity scale used to quantify the degree of shaking during earthquakes

        Modified Mercalli intensity scale

        The Modified Mercalli intensity scale, developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake at a given location, distinguished from the earthquake's inherent force or strength as measured by seismic magnitude scales. While shaking is caused by the seismic energy released by an earthquake, earthquakes differ in how much of their energy is radiated as seismic waves. Deeper earthquakes also have less interaction with the surface, and their energy is spread out across a larger volume. Shaking intensity is localized, generally diminishing with distance from the earthquake's epicenter, but can be amplified in sedimentary basins and certain kinds of unconsolidated soils.

  31. 1933

    1. A teenage girl in Banneux, Belgium, reported the first of several Marian apparitions, now known as Our Lady of Banneux.

      1. Town in Belgium

        Banneux

        Banneux is a village of Wallonia in the municipality of Sprimont, district of Louveigné, located in the province of Liège, Belgium.

      2. Supernatural appearance by Mary, mother of Jesus

        Marian apparition

        A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time.

      3. 1933 apparition of Mary in Belgium

        Our Lady of Banneux

        Our Lady of Banneux, or Our Lady of the Poor, is the sobriquet given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mariette Beco, an adolescent girl living in Banneux, Liège Province, Belgium. Between 15 January and 2 March 1933 Beco told her family and parish priest of seeing a Lady in white who declared herself to be the "Virgin of the Poor", saying I come to relieve suffering and Believe in me and I will believe in you.

  32. 1919

    1. A large molasses tank in Boston, Massachusetts, burst and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets , killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.

      1. Viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane, grapes, or sugar beets into sugar

        Molasses

        Molasses is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods. Molasses is a major constituent of fine commercial brown sugar. It is also one of the primary ingredients used to distill rum.

      2. Capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States

        Boston

        Boston, officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th-most populous city in the country. The city boundaries encompass an area of about 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of 2020. It is the seat of Suffolk County. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest MSA in the country. A broader combined statistical area (CSA), generally corresponding to the commuting area and including Providence, Rhode Island, is home to approximately 8.2 million people, making it the sixth most populous in the United States.

      3. 1919 accident in Boston

        Great Molasses Flood

        The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, was a disaster that occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

    2. Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.

      1. Polish Marxist philosopher and revolutionary socialist (1871–1919)

        Rosa Luxemburg

        Rosa Luxemburg was a Polish and naturalised-German revolutionary socialist, Marxist philosopher and anti-war activist. Successively, she was a member of the Proletariat party, the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (SDKPiL), the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD), the Spartacus League, and the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Born and raised in an assimilated Jewish family in Poland, she became a German citizen in 1897.

      2. German socialist politician (1871–1919)

        Karl Liebknecht

        Karl Paul August Friedrich Liebknecht was a German socialist and anti-militarist. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) beginning in 1900, he was one of its deputies in the Reichstag from 1912 to 1916, where he represented the left-revolutionary wing of the party. In 1916 he was expelled from the SPD's parliamentary group for his opposition to the political truce between all parties in the Reichstag while the war lasted. He twice spent time in prison, first for writing an anti-militarism pamphlet in 1907 and then for his role in a 1916 antiwar demonstration. He was released from the second under a general amnesty three weeks before the end of the First World War.

      3. Political ideology and socio-economic system

        Socialism

        Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the economic, political and social theories and movements associated with the implementation of such systems. Social ownership can be state/public, community, collective, cooperative, or employee. While no single definition encapsulates the many types of socialism, social ownership is the one common element. Different types of socialism vary based on the role of markets and planning in resource allocation, on the structure of management in organizations, and from below or from above approaches, with some socialists favouring a party, state, or technocratic-driven approach. Socialists disagree on whether government, particularly existing government, is the correct vehicle for change.

      4. 1760s–1940s German volunteer military units

        Freikorps

        Freikorps were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, regardless of their own nationality. In German-speaking countries, the first so-called Freikorps were formed in the 18th century from native volunteers, enemy renegades, and deserters. These, sometimes exotically equipped, units served as infantry and cavalry ; sometimes in just company strength and sometimes in formations of up to several thousand strong. There were also various mixed formations or legions. The Prussian von Kleist Freikorps included infantry, jäger, dragoons and hussars. The French Volontaires de Saxe combined uhlans and dragoons.

      5. 1919 general strike in Berlin

        Spartacist uprising

        The Spartacist uprising, also known as the January uprising (Januaraufstand), was a general strike and the accompanying armed struggles that took place in Berlin from 5 to 12 January 1919. It occurred in connection with the November Revolution that broke out following Germany's defeat in World War I. The uprising was primarily a power struggle between the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) led by Friedrich Ebert, which favored a social democracy, and the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, which wanted to set up a council republic similar to the one established by the Bolsheviks in Russia. In 1914 Liebknecht and Luxemburg had founded the Marxist Spartacus League (Spartakusbund), which gave the uprising its popular name.

    3. Great Molasses Flood: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.

      1. 1919 accident in Boston

        Great Molasses Flood

        The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, was a disaster that occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

      2. Viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane, grapes, or sugar beets into sugar

        Molasses

        Molasses is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods. Molasses is a major constituent of fine commercial brown sugar. It is also one of the primary ingredients used to distill rum.

      3. Capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States

        Boston

        Boston, officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th-most populous city in the country. The city boundaries encompass an area of about 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of 2020. It is the seat of Suffolk County. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest MSA in the country. A broader combined statistical area (CSA), generally corresponding to the commuting area and including Providence, Rhode Island, is home to approximately 8.2 million people, making it the sixth most populous in the United States.

  33. 1911

    1. Palestinian Arabic-language Falastin newspaper founded.

      1. Dialect of Arabic spoken in the State of Palestine

        Palestinian Arabic

        Palestinian Arabic is a dialect continuum of mutually intelligible varieties of Levantine Arabic spoken by most Palestinians in Palestine, Israel and in the Palestinian diaspora. Together with Jordanian Arabic, it has the ISO 639-3 language code "ajp", known as South Levantine Arabic.

      2. Palestinian newspaper (1911–1967)

        Falastin

        Falastin, meaning Palestine in Arabic, was an Arabic-language Palestinian newspaper. Founded in 1911 in Jaffa, Falastin began as a weekly publication, evolving into one of the most influential dailies in Ottoman and Mandatory Palestine.

  34. 1910

    1. Construction on the Buffalo Bill Dam on the Shoshone River in the U.S. state of Wyoming, then the tallest dam in the world, was completed.

      1. Dam in Wyoming

        Buffalo Bill Dam

        Buffalo Bill Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Shoshone River in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is named after the famous Wild West figure William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who founded the nearby town of Cody and owned much of the land now covered by the reservoir formed by its construction. The dam is part of the Shoshone Project, successor to several visionary schemes promoted by Cody to irrigate the Bighorn Basin and turn it from a semi-arid sagebrush-covered plain to productive agricultural land. Known at the time of its construction as Shoshone Dam, it was renamed in 1946 to honor Cody.

      2. River in Wyoming, United States

        Shoshone River

        The Shoshone River is a 100-mile (160 km) long river in northern Wyoming in the United States. Its headwaters are in the Absaroka Range in Shoshone National Forest. It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, Byron, and Lovell. Near Cody, it runs through a volcanically active region of fumaroles known as Colter's Hell. This contributed to the river being named on old maps of Wyoming as the Stinking Water River.

      3. U.S. state

        Wyoming

        Wyoming is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. With a population of 576,851 in the 2020 United States census, Wyoming is the least populous state despite being the 10th largest by area, with the second-lowest population density after Alaska. The state capital and most populous city is Cheyenne, which had an estimated population of 63,957 in 2018.

    2. Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 99 m (325 ft).

      1. Dam in Wyoming

        Buffalo Bill Dam

        Buffalo Bill Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Shoshone River in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is named after the famous Wild West figure William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who founded the nearby town of Cody and owned much of the land now covered by the reservoir formed by its construction. The dam is part of the Shoshone Project, successor to several visionary schemes promoted by Cody to irrigate the Bighorn Basin and turn it from a semi-arid sagebrush-covered plain to productive agricultural land. Known at the time of its construction as Shoshone Dam, it was renamed in 1946 to honor Cody.

      2. U.S. state

        Wyoming

        Wyoming is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the south. With a population of 576,851 in the 2020 United States census, Wyoming is the least populous state despite being the 10th largest by area, with the second-lowest population density after Alaska. The state capital and most populous city is Cheyenne, which had an estimated population of 63,957 in 2018.

  35. 1908

    1. The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.

      1. First historically African American sorority

        Alpha Kappa Alpha

        Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΑΚΑ) is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of sixteen students led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Forming a sorority broke barriers for African-American women in areas where they had little power or authority due to a lack of opportunities for minorities and women in the early 20th century. Alpha Kappa Alpha was incorporated on January 29, 1913.

      2. Social organizations at colleges and universities

        Fraternities and sororities

        Fraternities and sororities, also referred to as Greek-letter organizations (GLOs) or, collectively, as "Greek life" in North America and the Philippines, are social organizations at colleges and universities. A form of the social fraternity, they are prominent in Canada, the United States, Europe and the Philippines. Similar organizations exist in other countries, including the Studentenverbindungen of former and current German-speaking countries and the goliardie in Italy.

      3. Ethnic group in the United States

        African Americans

        African Americans are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States. While some Black immigrants or their children may also come to identify as African-American, the majority of first generation immigrants do not, preferring to identify with their nation of origin.

  36. 1892

    1. James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.

      1. Inventor of basketball (1861–1939)

        James Naismith

        James Naismith was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. After moving to the United States, he wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program. Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, as well as the birth of the National Invitation Tournament (1938) and the NCAA Tournament (1939).

      2. Rules governing the game of basketball

        Rules of basketball

        The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are the National Basketball Association and NCAA, formulate their own rules. In addition, the Technical Commission of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) determines rules for international play; most leagues outside North America use the complete FIBA ruleset.

      3. Team sport

        Basketball

        Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball through the defender's hoop (a basket 18 inches in diameter mounted 10 feet high to a backboard at each end of the court, while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line, when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one, two or three one-point free throws. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play is mandated.

  37. 1889

    1. The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta.

      1. American multinational beverage corporation

        The Coca-Cola Company

        The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. The company's stock is listed on the NYSE and is part of the DJIA and the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indexes.

      2. Legal process to create a new corporation

        Incorporation (business)

        Incorporation is the formation of a new corporation. The corporation may be a business, a nonprofit organization, sports club, or a local government of a new city or town.

      3. Capital city of Georgia, United States

        Atlanta

        Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 living within the city limits, it is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 38th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census. It is the core of the much larger Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to more than 6.1 million people, making it the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at an elevation of just over 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, it features unique topography that includes rolling hills, lush greenery, and the most dense urban tree coverage of any major city in the United States.

  38. 1885

    1. Wilson Bentley took the first known photograph of a snowflake by attaching a bellows camera to a microscope.

      1. American photographer known for photographing snowflakes

        Wilson Bentley

        Wilson Alwyn Bentley, also known as Snowflake Bentley, was an American meteorologist and photographer, who was the first known person to take detailed photographs of snowflakes and record their features. He perfected a process of catching flakes on black velvet in such a way that their images could be captured before they either melted or sublimated.

      2. Ice crystals that fall as snow

        Snowflake

        A snowflake is a single ice crystal that has achieved a sufficient size, and may have amalgamated with others, which falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow. Each flake nucleates around a dust particle in supersaturated air masses by attracting supercooled cloud water droplets, which freeze and accrete in crystal form. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity zones in the atmosphere, such that individual snowflakes differ in detail from one another, but may be categorized in eight broad classifications and at least 80 individual variants. The main constituent shapes for ice crystals, from which combinations may occur, are needle, column, plate, and rime. Snow appears white in color despite being made of clear ice. This is due to diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light by the small crystal facets of the snowflakes.

      3. Large-format camera

        View camera

        A view camera is a large-format camera in which the lens forms an inverted image on a ground-glass screen directly at the film plane. The image is viewed and then the glass screen is replaced with the film, and thus the film is exposed to exactly the same image as was seen on the screen.

  39. 1876

    1. The first newspaper in Afrikaans, Die Afrikaanse Patriot, is published in Paarl.

      1. West Germanic language

        Afrikaans

        Afrikaans is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics during the course of the 18th century. Now spoken in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, estimates circa 2010 of the total number of Afrikaans speakers range between 15 and 23 million. Most linguists consider Afrikaans to be a partly creole language.

      2. Die Afrikaanse Patriot

        Die Afrikaanse Patriot was the first Afrikaans-language newspaper. The first issue was published in Paarl on 15 January 1876. Initially a monthly magazine, it became a weekly two years later.

      3. Town in Western Cape, South Africa

        Paarl

        Paarl is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington. It is situated about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province and is known for its scenic environment and viticulture and fruit-growing heritage.

  40. 1870

    1. A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).

      1. Illustration used to comment on current events and personalities

        Political cartoon

        A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine artistic skill, hyperbole and satire in order to either question authority or draw attention to corruption, political violence and other social ills.

      2. American political party

        Democratic Party (United States)

        The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled a wide cadre of politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s. The party is a big tent, and is less ideologically uniform than the Republican Party due to the broader list of unique voting blocs that compose it, though modern liberalism is the majority ideology in the party.

      3. Domesticated animal used for transportation

        Donkey

        The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, Equus africanus, and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, Equus africanus asinus, or as a separate species, Equus asinus. It was domesticated in Africa some 5000–7000 years ago, and has been used mainly as a working animal since that time.

      4. File:Democraticjackass.jpg

      5. American cartoonist (1840–1902)

        Thomas Nast

        Thomas Nast was German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon".

      6. American political magazine

        Harper's Weekly

        Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, alongside illustrations. It carried extensive coverage of the American Civil War, including many illustrations of events from the war. During its most influential period, it was the forum of the political cartoonist Thomas Nast.

  41. 1867

    1. In Regent's Park, London, the ice on the lake broke, plunging skaters into the water and causing 40 deaths from drowning or hypothermia.

      1. Royal Park in London, England

        Regent's Park

        Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies 410 acres (170 ha) of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden. In addition to its large central parkland and ornamental lake, it contains various structures and organizations both public and private, generally on its periphery, including Regent's University and London Zoo.

      2. Disaster in London in 1867

        Regent's Park skating disaster

        The Regent's Park skating disaster occurred on 15 January 1867 when 40 people died after the ice broke on the lake in London's Regent's Park pitching about 200 people into icy water up to 12 ft (3.7 m) deep. Most were rescued by bystanders but 40 people died either from hypothermia or by drowning. The incident was considered at the time to be the worst weather-related accident in Britain. One of the consequences of the incident was that the lake bottom was raised and the overall depth of the lake reduced to a maximum depth of 4 ft (1.2 m), to help prevent adult drownings in the future.

      3. Self-propulsion of a person over ice, wearing bladed skates

        Ice skating

        Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be performed on naturally frozen bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers, and on man-made ice surfaces both indoors and outdoors.

    2. Forty people die when ice covering the boating lake at Regent's Park, London, collapses.

      1. Disaster in London in 1867

        Regent's Park skating disaster

        The Regent's Park skating disaster occurred on 15 January 1867 when 40 people died after the ice broke on the lake in London's Regent's Park pitching about 200 people into icy water up to 12 ft (3.7 m) deep. Most were rescued by bystanders but 40 people died either from hypothermia or by drowning. The incident was considered at the time to be the worst weather-related accident in Britain. One of the consequences of the incident was that the lake bottom was raised and the overall depth of the lake reduced to a maximum depth of 4 ft (1.2 m), to help prevent adult drownings in the future.

      2. Royal Park in London, England

        Regent's Park

        Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies 410 acres (170 ha) of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden. In addition to its large central parkland and ornamental lake, it contains various structures and organizations both public and private, generally on its periphery, including Regent's University and London Zoo.

      3. Capital city of England and the United Kingdom

        London

        London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority.

  42. 1865

    1. American Civil War: The Union Army captured Fort Fisher, the last seaport of the Confederacy.

      1. 1861–1865 conflict in the United States

        American Civil War

        The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter formed by states that had seceded. The central cause of the war was the dispute over whether slavery would be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prevented from doing so, which was widely believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.

      2. Land force that fought for the Union (the north) during the American Civil War

        Union Army

        During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to the preservation of the United States as a working, viable republic.

      3. Battle of the American Civil War in January 1865

        Second Battle of Fort Fisher

        The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a successful assault by the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps against Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War in January 1865. Sometimes referred to as the "Gibraltar of the South" and the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had tremendous strategic value during the war, providing a port for blockade runners supplying the Army of Northern Virginia.

      4. Former North American state (1861–65)

        Confederate States of America

        The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States, the Confederacy, or "the South", was an unrecognized breakaway republic in North America that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confederacy comprised U.S. states that declared secession and warred against the United States during the American Civil War. Eleven U.S. states, nicknamed Dixie, declared secession and formed the main part of the CSA. They were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Kentucky, and Missouri also had declarations of secession and full representation in the Confederate Congress during their Union army occupation.

    2. American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.

      1. 1861–1865 conflict in the United States

        American Civil War

        The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter formed by states that had seceded. The central cause of the war was the dispute over whether slavery would be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prevented from doing so, which was widely believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.

      2. Confederate fort

        Fort Fisher

        Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River's two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean on what was then known as Federal Point or Confederate Point and today is known as Pleasure Island. The strength of Fort Fisher led to its being called the Southern Gibraltar and the "Malakoff Tower of the South". The battle of Fort Fisher was the most decisive battle of the Civil War fought in North Carolina.

      3. U.S. state

        North Carolina

        North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with a population of 2,595,027 in 2020, is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 21st-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd-most populous in the United States, with a population of 2,043,867 in 2020, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.

      4. Battle of the American Civil War in January 1865

        Second Battle of Fort Fisher

        The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a successful assault by the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps against Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War in January 1865. Sometimes referred to as the "Gibraltar of the South" and the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had tremendous strategic value during the war, providing a port for blockade runners supplying the Army of Northern Virginia.

  43. 1857

    1. In British Hong Kong, hundreds of Europeans were non-lethally poisoned by arsenic in bread from a locally-owned bakery, leading to geopolitical tension.

      1. British colony and dependent territory from 1841 to 1997

        British Hong Kong

        Hong Kong was a colony and subsequently a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British occupation of Hong Kong Island in 1841, during the First Opium War between the British and the Qing dynasty. The Qing had wanted to enforce its prohibition of opium importation within the dynasty that was being exported mostly from British India, as it was causing widespread addiction among its populace.

      2. Poisoning case

        Esing Bakery incident

        The Esing Bakery incident, also known as the Ah Lum affair, was a food contamination scandal in the early history of British Hong Kong. On 15 January 1857, during the Second Opium War, several hundred European residents were poisoned non-lethally by arsenic, found in bread produced by a Chinese-owned store, the Esing Bakery. The proprietor of the bakery, Cheong Ah-lum, was accused of plotting the poisoning but was acquitted in a trial by jury. Nonetheless, Cheong was successfully sued for damages and was banished from the colony. The true responsibility for the incident and its intention—whether it was an individual act of terrorism, commercial sabotage, a war crime orchestrated by the Qing government, or purely accidental—both remain a matter of debate.

  44. 1822

    1. Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.

      1. Greek Revolution, 1821–1830

        Greek War of Independence

        The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by the British Empire, Kingdom of France, and the Russian Empire, while the Ottomans were aided by their North African vassals, particularly the eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece. The revolution is celebrated by Greeks around the world as independence day on 25 March.

      2. Greek military leader and politician (1793–1832)

        Demetrios Ypsilantis

        Demetrios Ypsilantis was a Greek army officer who served in both the Hellenic Army and the Imperial Russian Army. Ypsilantis played an important role in the Greek War of Independence, leading several key battles. He was also member of the Filiki Eteria and the younger brother of Alexander Ypsilantis.

  45. 1818

    1. A paper by David Brewster is read to the Royal Society, belatedly announcing his discovery of what we now call the biaxial class of doubly-refracting crystals. On the same day, Augustin-Jean Fresnel signs a "supplement" (submitted four days later) on reflection of polarized light.

      1. British astronomer and mathematician

        David Brewster

        Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optics, mostly concerned with the study of the polarization of light and including the discovery of Brewster's angle. He studied the birefringence of crystals under compression and discovered photoelasticity, thereby creating the field of optical mineralogy. For this work, William Whewell dubbed him the "father of modern experimental optics" and "the Johannes Kepler of optics."

      2. National academy of sciences for the UK

        Royal Society

        The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, education and public engagement and fostering international and global co-operation. Founded on 28 November 1660, it was granted a royal charter by King Charles II as The Royal Society and is the oldest continuously existing scientific academy in the world.

      3. Optical phenomenon

        Birefringence

        Birefringence is the optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light. These optically anisotropic materials are said to be birefringent. The birefringence is often quantified as the maximum difference between refractive indices exhibited by the material. Crystals with non-cubic crystal structures are often birefringent, as are plastics under mechanical stress.

      4. French civil engineer and optical physicist (1788–1827)

        Augustin-Jean Fresnel

        Augustin-Jean Fresnel was a French civil engineer and physicist whose research in optics led to the almost unanimous acceptance of the wave theory of light, excluding any remnant of Newton's corpuscular theory, from the late 1830s  until the end of the 19th century. He is perhaps better known for inventing the catadioptric (reflective/refractive) Fresnel lens and for pioneering the use of "stepped" lenses to extend the visibility of lighthouses, saving countless lives at sea. The simpler dioptric stepped lens, first proposed by Count Buffon  and independently reinvented by Fresnel, is used in screen magnifiers and in condenser lenses for overhead projectors.

      5. Property of waves that can oscillate with more than one orientation

        Polarization (waves)

        Polarization is a property applying to transverse waves that specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. In a transverse wave, the direction of the oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the wave. A simple example of a polarized transverse wave is vibrations traveling along a taut string (see image); for example, in a musical instrument like a guitar string. Depending on how the string is plucked, the vibrations can be in a vertical direction, horizontal direction, or at any angle perpendicular to the string. In contrast, in longitudinal waves, such as sound waves in a liquid or gas, the displacement of the particles in the oscillation is always in the direction of propagation, so these waves do not exhibit polarization. Transverse waves that exhibit polarization include electromagnetic waves such as light and radio waves, gravitational waves, and transverse sound waves in solids.

  46. 1815

    1. War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, was captured by a squadron of four British frigates.

      1. Conflict between the United States and the British Empire from 1812 to 1815

        War of 1812

        The War of 1812 was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It began when the United States declared war on 18 June 1812 and, although peace terms were agreed upon in the December 1814 Treaty of Ghent, did not officially end until the peace treaty was ratified by Congress on 17 February 1815.

      2. Type of warship

        Frigate

        A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.

      3. United States Navy frigate

        USS President (1800)

        USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy, nominally rated at 44 guns. She was launched in April 1800 from a shipyard in New York City. President was one of the original six frigates whose construction the Naval Act of 1794 had authorized, and she was the last to be completed. The name "President" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March of 1795 for the frigates that were to be constructed. Joshua Humphreys designed these frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so President and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. Forman Cheeseman, and later Christian Bergh were in charge of her construction. Her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and to engage in a punitive expedition against the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.

      4. United States naval officer and commodore (1779–1820)

        Stephen Decatur

        Stephen Decatur Jr. was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the United States Navy who served during the American Revolution; he brought the younger Stephen into the world of ships and sailing early on. Shortly after attending college, Decatur followed in his father's footsteps and joined the U.S. Navy at the age of nineteen as a midshipman.

      5. US-British naval battle

        Capture of USS President

        The capture of USS President was one of many naval actions fought at the end of the War of 1812. The frigate USS President tried to break out of New York Harbor but was intercepted by a British squadron of four warships and forced to surrender.

    2. War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.

      1. Conflict between the United States and the British Empire from 1812 to 1815

        War of 1812

        The War of 1812 was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It began when the United States declared war on 18 June 1812 and, although peace terms were agreed upon in the December 1814 Treaty of Ghent, did not officially end until the peace treaty was ratified by Congress on 17 February 1815.

      2. United States Navy frigate

        USS President (1800)

        USS President was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy, nominally rated at 44 guns. She was launched in April 1800 from a shipyard in New York City. President was one of the original six frigates whose construction the Naval Act of 1794 had authorized, and she was the last to be completed. The name "President" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March of 1795 for the frigates that were to be constructed. Joshua Humphreys designed these frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so President and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. Forman Cheeseman, and later Christian Bergh were in charge of her construction. Her first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and to engage in a punitive expedition against the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.

      3. Naval officer rank

        Commodore (rank)

        Commodore is a senior naval rank used in many navies which is equivalent to brigadier and air commodore. It is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. It is either regarded as the most junior of the flag officers rank or may not hold the jurisdiction of a flag officer at all depending on the officer's appointment. Non-English-speaking nations commonly use the rank of flotilla admiral, counter admiral, or senior captain as an equivalent, although counter admiral may also correspond to rear admiral lower half abbreviated as RDML.

      4. United States naval officer and commodore (1779–1820)

        Stephen Decatur

        Stephen Decatur Jr. was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the United States Navy who served during the American Revolution; he brought the younger Stephen into the world of ships and sailing early on. Shortly after attending college, Decatur followed in his father's footsteps and joined the U.S. Navy at the age of nineteen as a midshipman.

      5. US-British naval battle

        Capture of USS President

        The capture of USS President was one of many naval actions fought at the end of the War of 1812. The frigate USS President tried to break out of New York Harbor but was intercepted by a British squadron of four warships and forced to surrender.

  47. 1782

    1. Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris addresses the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.

      1. American merchant, slave trader, and Founding Father

        Robert Morris (financier)

        Robert Morris Jr. was an English-born merchant and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, the Second Continental Congress, and the United States Senate, and he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. From 1781 to 1784, he served as the Superintendent of Finance of the United States, becoming known as the "Financier of the Revolution." Along with Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin, he is widely regarded as one of the founders of the financial system of the United States.

      2. Branch of the United States federal government

        United States Congress

        The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a governor's appointment. Congress has 535 voting members: 100 senators and 435 representatives. The vice president of the United States has a vote in the Senate only when senators are evenly divided. The House of Representatives has six non-voting members.

      3. Industrial facility that manufactures coins that can be used as currency

        Mint (facility)

        A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins that can be used as currency.

      4. Small, flat and usually round piece of material used as money

        Coin

        A coin is a small, flat, round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a government. Coins often have images, numerals, or text on them. Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and medals. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse tails.

  48. 1777

    1. American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present-day Vermont) declares its independence.

      1. 1775–1783 war of independence

        American Revolutionary War

        The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, secured American independence from Great Britain. Fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by the Kingdom of France and, to a lesser extent, the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Empire, in a conflict taking place in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

      2. Republic in North America between 1777 and 1791

        Vermont Republic

        The Vermont Republic, officially known at the time as the State of Vermont, was an independent state in New England that existed from January 15, 1777, to March 4, 1791. The state was founded in January 1777, when delegates from 28 towns met and declared independence from the jurisdictions and land claims of the British colonies of Quebec, New Hampshire, and New York. The republic remained in existence for the next fourteen years, albeit without diplomatic recognition from any foreign power. On March 4, 1791, it was admitted into the United States as the State of Vermont, with the constitution and laws of the independent state continuing in effect after admission.

      3. U.S. state

        Vermont

        Vermont is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Admitted to the union in 1791 as the 14th state, it is the only state in New England not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the state has a population of 643,503, ranking it the second least-populated in the U.S. after Wyoming. It is also the nation's sixth-smallest state in area. The state's capital Montpelier is the least-populous state capital in the U.S., while its most-populous city, Burlington, is the least-populous to be a state's largest.

  49. 1759

    1. The British Museum in London, today containing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world, opened to the public in Montagu House, Bloomsbury.

      1. National museum in London, United Kingdom

        British Museum

        The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. The British Museum was the first public national museum to cover all fields of knowledge.

      2. 17th-century mansion in London, which became the first home of the British Museum

        Montagu House, Bloomsbury

        Montagu House was a late 17th-century mansion in Great Russell Street in the Bloomsbury district of London, which became the first home of the British Museum. The first house on the site was destroyed by fire in 1686. The rebuilt house was sold to the British Museum in 1759, and demolished in the 1840s to make way for the present larger building.

    2. The British Museum opens to the public.

      1. National museum in London, United Kingdom

        British Museum

        The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. The British Museum was the first public national museum to cover all fields of knowledge.

  50. 1582

    1. Truce of Yam-Zapolsky: Russia cedes Livonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

      1. 1582 peace treaty between the Poland–Lithuania and Russia

        Truce of Yam-Zapolsky

        The Truce or Treaty of Yam-Zapolsky (Ям-Запольский) or Jam Zapolski, signed on 15 January 1582 between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia, was one of the treaties that ended the Livonian War. It followed the successful Livonian campaign of Stephen Báthory, culminating in the siege of Pskov.

      2. Historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea

        Livonia

        Livonia is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.

      3. 1569–1795 bi-confederate monarchy in Europe

        Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

        The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch in real union, who was both King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th- to 17th-century Europe. At its largest territorial extent, in the early 17th century, the Commonwealth covered almost 1,000,000 km2 (400,000 sq mi) and as of 1618 sustained a multi-ethnic population of almost 12 million. Polish and Latin were the two co-official languages.

  51. 1559

    1. Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London.

      1. Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603

        Elizabeth I

        Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".

      2. English monarchs until 1707

        List of English monarchs

        This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself King of the Anglo-Saxons from about 886, and while he was not the first king to claim to rule all of the English, his rule represents the start of the first unbroken line of kings to rule the whole of England, the House of Wessex.

      3. Gothic abbey church in London, England

        Westminster Abbey

        Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and a burial site for English and, later, British monarchs. Since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, all coronations of English and British monarchs have occurred in Westminster Abbey. Sixteen royal weddings have occurred at the abbey since 1100.

  52. 1541

    1. King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".

      1. King of France from 1515 to 1547

        Francis I of France

        Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a son.

      2. Jean-François Roberval

        Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval also named "l'élu de Poix" or sieur de Roberval son of an unknown mother and Bernard de La Rocque military and former seneschal of Carcassonne. He was a French officer, appointed viceroy of Canada by Francis I and led the first French colonial attempt in the Saint Laurent valley in the first half of the 16th century with the explorer Jacques Cartier.

      3. Area colonized by France in North America

        New France

        New France was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris.

  53. 69

    1. Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.

      1. Calendar year

        AD 69

        AD 69 (LXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Rufinus. The denomination AD 69 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

      2. 7th Roman emperor in 69 AD

        Otho

        Marcus Otho was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.

      3. Ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period

        Roman emperor

        The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period. The emperors used a variety of different titles throughout history. Often when a given Roman is described as becoming "emperor" in English it reflects his taking of the title augustus. Another title often used was caesar, used for heirs-apparent, and imperator, originally a military honorific. Early emperors also used the title princeps civitatis. Emperors frequently amassed republican titles, notably princeps senatus, consul, and pontifex maximus.

Births & Deaths

  1. 2022

    1. Alexa McDonough, first female politician to lead a major provincial political party in Canada, former leader of the federal New Democratic Party. deaths

      1. Canadian politician (1944–2022)

        Alexa McDonough

        Alexa Ann McDonough was a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Nova Scotia, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's (NSNDP) leader in 1980.

  2. 2020

    1. Rocky Johnson, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1944) deaths

      1. Canadian professional wrestler (1944–2020)

        Rocky Johnson

        Rocky Johnson was a Canadian professional wrestler. Among many National Wrestling Alliance titles, he was the first Black Georgia Heavyweight Champion as well as the NWA Television Champion. He won the World Tag Team Championship in 1983, along with his partner Tony Atlas, to become the first Black champions in WWE history. He is the father of actor and former WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

    2. Lloyd Cowan, British athlete and coach (b. 1962) deaths

      1. British athlete and coach (1962–2021)

        Lloyd Cowan

        Lloyd Cowan was a British track and field athlete. Cowan specialised in the 110 and 400 metres hurdles, but was better known as a coach. On 11 January 2021, it was announced that Cowan had died at the age of 58.

  3. 2019

    1. Carol Channing, American actress (b. 1921) deaths

      1. American actress (1921–2019)

        Carol Channing

        Carol Elaine Channing was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect.

    2. Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (b. 1936) deaths

      1. Dutch chef (1936–2019)

        Ida Kleijnen

        Ida Kleijnen was a Dutch chef.

  4. 2018

    1. Dolores O'Riordan, Irish pop singer (b. 1971) deaths

      1. Irish musician (1971–2018)

        Dolores O'Riordan

        Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan was an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She was best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist for the alternative rock band the Cranberries. One of the most recognizable voices in rock in the 1990s, she was known for her lilting mezzo-soprano voice, signature yodel, emphasized use of keening, and strong Limerick accent.

  5. 2017

    1. Jimmy Snuka, Fijian professional wrestler (b. 1943) deaths

      1. Fijian professional wrestler (1943–2017)

        Jimmy Snuka

        James Reiher Snuka was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.

  6. 2016

    1. Francisco X. Alarcón, American poet and educator (b. 1954) deaths

      1. American poet

        Francisco X. Alarcón

        Francisco Xavier Alarcón was a Chicano poet and educator. He was one of the few Chicano poets to have "gained recognition while writing mostly in Spanish" within the United States. His poems have been also translated into Irish and Swedish. He made many guest appearances at public schools so that he could help inspire and influence young people to write their own poetry especially because he felt that children are "natural poets."

    2. Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1958) deaths

      1. Australian rules footballer, born 1958

        Ken Judge

        Ken Judge was an Australian rules footballer and coach.

    3. Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (b. 1943) deaths

      1. Spanish footballer

        Manuel Velázquez

        Manuel Velázquez Villaverde was a Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.

  7. 2015

    1. Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (b. 1919) deaths

      1. American songwriter

        Ervin Drake

        Ervin Drake was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as "I Believe" and "It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variety of styles and his work has been recorded by musicians around the world. In 1983, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

    2. Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1939) deaths

      1. American record producer and songwriter (1939–2015)

        Kim Fowley

        Kim Vincent Fowley was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed the the Runaways in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll", as well as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream".

    3. Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (b. 1927) deaths

      1. American football player, coach, and administrator (1927–2015)

        Ray Nagel

        Raymond Robert Nagel was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at the University of Utah from 1958 to 1965 and the University of Iowa from 1966 to 1970, compiling a career college football coaching record of 58–71–3 (.455). After coaching, Nagel was the athletic director at Washington State University from 1971 to 1976 and the University of Hawaii at Manoa from 1976 to 1983. From 1990 to 1995, he was the executive director of the Hula Bowl, a college football invitational all-star game in Hawaii.

  8. 2014

    1. Curtis Bray, American football player and coach (b. 1970) deaths

      1. American football player and coach (1970–2014)

        Curtis Bray

        Curtis Sidney Bray was an American football coach. He was a coach for Duquesne University, Western Kentucky University, Villanova University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and Iowa State University.

    2. John Dobson, Chinese-American astronomer and author (b. 1915) deaths

      1. John Dobson (amateur astronomer)

        John Lowry Dobson was an American amateur astronomer and is best known for the Dobsonian telescope, a portable, low-cost Newtonian reflector telescope. He was also known for his efforts to promote awareness of astronomy through public lectures including his performances of "sidewalk astronomy". Dobson was also the co-founder of the amateur astronomical group, the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers.

    3. Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (b. 1944) deaths

      1. English actor

        Roger Lloyd-Pack

        Roger Lloyd-Pack was an English actor. He is best known for playing Trigger in Only Fools and Horses from 1981 to 2003, and Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley from 1994 to 2007. He later starred as Tom in The Old Guys with Clive Swift. He is also well known for the role of Barty Crouch Sr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and for his appearances in Doctor Who as John Lumic in the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel". He was sometimes credited without the hyphen in his surname. He died in 2014 from pancreatic cancer.

  9. 2013

    1. Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932) deaths

      1. Japanese film director and screenwriter

        Nagisa Ōshima

        Nagisa Ōshima was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. One of the foremost directors within the Japanese New Wave, his films include In the Realm of the Senses (1976), a sexually explicit film set in 1930s Japan, and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), about World War II prisoners of war held by the Japanese.

    2. John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941) deaths

      1. American high jumper

        John Thomas (athlete)

        John Curtis Thomas was an American track and field athlete who set several world records in the high jump using the straddle technique. As a youth, he earned the Eagle Scout award. At the age of 17, while a freshman at Boston University, Thomas became the first man to clear 7 feet indoors. He subsequently pushed the world indoor record to 7'1½", and broke the world outdoor record three times, with a career best jump of 7'3¾" in 1960 while just 20 years old.

  10. 2012

    1. Ed Derwinski, American soldier and politician, first United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (b. 1926) deaths

      1. American politician (1926–2012)

        Ed Derwinski

        Edward Joseph Derwinski was an American politician who served as the first Cabinet-level United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving under President George H. W. Bush from March 15, 1989 to September 26, 1992. He previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1959 to 1983, representing south and southwest suburbs of Chicago.

      2. U.S. Cabinet position

        United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs

        The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and second to last at sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency. Until the appointment of David Shulkin in 2017, all appointees and acting appointees to the post were United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.

    2. Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish lawyer and politician, third President of the Xunta of Galicia (b. 1922) deaths

      1. Spanish politician (1922–2012)

        Manuel Fraga

        Manuel Fraga Iribarne was a Spanish professor and politician in Francoist Spain, who was also the founder of the People's Party. Fraga was Minister of Information and Tourism between 1962 and 1969, Ambassador to the United Kingdom between 1973 and 1975, Minister of the Interior in 1975, Second Deputy Prime Minister between 1975 and 1976, President of the People's Alliance/People's Party between 1979 and 1990 and President of the Regional Government of Galicia between 1990 and 2005. He was also a Member of the Congress of Deputies and a Senator.

      2. President of the Regional Government of Galicia

        The president of the Regional Government of Galicia, is the head of government of Galicia. The president leads the executive branch of the regional government.

    3. Carlo Fruttero, Italian journalist and author (b. 1926) deaths

      1. Carlo Fruttero

        Carlo Fruttero was an Italian writer, journalist, translator and editor of anthologies.

    4. Samuel Jaskilka, American general (b. 1919) deaths

      1. United States Marine Corps general

        Samuel Jaskilka

        Samuel Jaskilka was a U.S. Marine four-star general whose last assignment was Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (1975–1978). General Jaskilka was a highly decorated veteran of the Korean War, having led the landing at Inchon as a company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1978 after 36 years of service.

    5. Ib Spang Olsen, Danish author and illustrator (b. 1921) deaths

      1. Danish children's illustrator and writer

        Ib Spang Olsen

        Ib Spang Olsen was a Danish writer and illustrator best known to generations of Danes for cartoons and illustrations, many of which appeared in children's publications. Those include a series of nursery rhyme books written by Halfdan Rasmussen, including "Halfdans ABC". He also wrote his own children's books, such as the whimsical tale of the seasons, The Marsh Crone's Brew. Olsen drew for newspapers, magazines, books, posters, television, and comics. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator Olsen received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1972.

    6. Hulett C. Smith, American lieutenant and politician, 27th Governor of West Virginia (b. 1918) deaths

      1. American politician (1918–2012)

        Hulett C. Smith

        Hulett Carlson Smith was an American politician who served as the 27th Governor of West Virginia from 1965 to 1969.

      2. List of governors of West Virginia

        The governor of West Virginia is the head of government of West Virginia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the West Virginia Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except when prosecution has been carried out by the House of Delegates, to grant pardons and reprieves.

  11. 2011

    1. Nat Lofthouse, English footballer and manager (b. 1925) deaths

      1. English footballer

        Nat Lofthouse

        Nathaniel Lofthouse was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his entire career. He won 33 caps for England between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals, with one of the highest goals-per-game ratios of any England player.

    2. Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, French soldier, race car driver, and businessman (b. 1908) deaths

      1. French soldier and businessman

        Pierre Louis-Dreyfus

        Pierre Louis-Dreyfus was a French Resistance fighter during World War II who later served as CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Cie.

    3. Susannah York, English actress and activist (b. 1939) deaths

      1. English film, stage and television actress

        Susannah York

        Susannah Yolande Fletcher, known professionally as Susannah York, was an English actress. Her appearances in various films of the 1960s, including Tom Jones (1963) and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), formed the basis of her international reputation. An obituary in The Telegraph characterised her as "the blue-eyed English rose with the china-white skin and cupid lips who epitomised the sensuality of the swinging sixties", who later "proved that she was a real actor of extraordinary emotional range".

  12. 2009

    1. Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (b. 1917) deaths

      1. Ecuadorian journalist and politician

        Lincoln Verduga Loor

        Lincoln Savonarola Verduga Loor was an Ecuadorian journalist and politician known for a long career in public service in his country.

  13. 2008

    1. Robert V. Bruce, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923) deaths

      1. American historian

        Robert V. Bruce

        Robert Vance Bruce was an American historian specializing in the American Civil War, who won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book The Launching of Modern American Science, 1846–1876 (1987). After serving in the Army during World War II, Bruce graduated from the University of New Hampshire, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He received his Master of Arts in history and his Doctor of Philosophy from Boston University, where he was later a professor. He also taught at the University of Bridgeport, Lawrence Academy at Groton, and the University of Wisconsin. Bruce was also a lecturer at the Fortenbaugh Lecture at Gettysburg College.

    2. Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982) deaths

      1. American actor

        Brad Renfro

        Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut at the age of 11 with a starring role in The Client (1994). He went on to appear in 21 feature films and won several awards.

  14. 2007

    1. Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi lawyer and judge (b. 1945) deaths

      1. Iraqi chief judge during the presidency of Saddam Hussein

        Awad Hamed al-Bandar

        Awad Hamad al-Bandar (Arabic: عواد حمد البندر السعدون, romanized: ʿAwād Ḥamad al-Bandar al-Saʿdūn; was an Iraqi chief judge under Saddam Hussein's presidency. He was a member of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and was the head of the Revolutionary Court which issued death sentences against 143 Dujail residents, in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on the president on 8 July 1982.

    2. Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi intelligence officer (b. 1951) deaths

      1. Iraqi Mukhabarat leader (1951–2007)

        Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti

        Barzan Ibrahim Hassan al-Tikriti, also known as Barazan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Barasan Ibrahem Alhassen and Barzan Hassan, was one of three half-brothers of Saddam Hussein, and a leader of the Mukhabarat, the Iraqi intelligence service. Despite falling out of favour with Saddam at one time, he was believed to have been a close presidential adviser at the time of his capture by U.S. forces. On 15 January 2007, Barzan was hanged for crimes against humanity. He was decapitated by the hangman's rope after errors were made calculating his body weight and length of drop from the platform.

    3. James Hillier, Canadian-American computer scientist and academic, co-invented the electron microscope (b. 1915) deaths

      1. James Hillier

        James Hillier, was a Canadian-American scientist and inventor who designed and built, with Albert Prebus, the first successful high-resolution electron microscope in North America in 1938.

      2. Type of microscope with electrons as a source of illumination

        Electron microscope

        An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. As the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, electron microscopes have a higher resolving power than light microscopes and can reveal the structure of smaller objects. A scanning transmission electron microscope has achieved better than 50 pm resolution in annular dark-field imaging mode and magnifications of up to about 10,000,000× whereas most light microscopes are limited by diffraction to about 200 nm resolution and useful magnifications below 2000×.

    4. Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino educator and diplomat (b. 1905) deaths

      1. Pura Santillan-Castrence

        Pura Santillan-Castrence was a Filipino writer and diplomat. Of Filipino women writers, she was among the first to gain prominence writing in the English language. She was named a Chevalier de Légion d'honneur by the French government.

    5. Bo Yibo, Chinese commander and politician, Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (b. 1908) deaths

      1. Chinese politician (1908–2007)

        Bo Yibo

        Bo Yibo (Chinese: 薄一波; pinyin: Bó Yībō; Wade–Giles: Po2 I1-po1; 17 February 1908 – 15 January 2007) was a Chinese politician. He was one of the most senior political figures in China during the 1980s and 1990s.

      2. Senior official position in the government of China

        Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China

        The vice premiers of the State Council of the People's Republic of China are high-ranking officials under the premier and above the state councillors and ministers. Generally, the title is held by multiple individuals at any given time, with each vice-premier holding a broad portfolio of responsibilities. The first vice-premier takes over duties of the premier at the time of the latter's incapacity. The incumbent vice premiers, in order of rank, are Han Zheng, Sun Chunlan, Hu Chunhua and Liu He.

  15. 2006

    1. Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1926) deaths

      1. Emir of Kuwait from 1977 to 2006

        Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

        Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was Emir of Kuwait and Commander of the Kuwait Military Forces from 31 December 1977 until his death in 2006.

  16. 2005

    1. Victoria de los Ángeles, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1923) deaths

      1. Spanish opera singer

        Victoria de los Ángeles

        Victoria de los Ángeles López García was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s.

    2. Walter Ernsting, German author (b. 1920) deaths

      1. German writer (1920–2005)

        Walter Ernsting

        Walter Ernsting was a German science fiction and fantasy author who mainly published under the pseudonym Clark Darlton. He grew up in Koblenz and was drafted into the German Wehrmacht shortly after the beginning of World War II. He served in an intelligence unit in Norway and on the Eastern Front, where he was captured and spent several years as a prisoner of war in Siberia.

    3. Elizabeth Janeway, American author and critic (b. 1913) deaths

      1. American novelist

        Elizabeth Janeway

        Elizabeth Janeway was an American author and critic.

    4. Ruth Warrick, American actress (b. 1916) deaths

      1. American singer, actress and activist (1916–2005)

        Ruth Warrick

        Ruth Elizabeth Warrick was an American singer, actress and political activist, best known for her role as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on All My Children, which she played regularly from 1970 until her death in 2005. She made her film debut in Citizen Kane, and years later celebrated her 80th birthday by attending a special screening of the film.

  17. 2004

    1. Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter births

      1. American singer-songwriter

        Grace VanderWaal

        Grace Avery VanderWaal is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive vocals and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele.

    2. Olivia Goldsmith, American author (b. 1949) deaths

      1. Olivia Goldsmith

        Olivia Goldsmith was an American author, known for her first novel The First Wives Club (1992), which was adapted into the 1996 film of the same name.

  18. 2003

    1. Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915) deaths

      1. American singer

        Doris Fisher (songwriter)

        Doris Fisher was an American singer and songwriter, collaborating both as lyricist and composer. She co-wrote many popular songs in the 1940s, including "Whispering Grass", "You Always Hurt the One You Love", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", "That Ole Devil Called Love", and "Put the Blame on Mame." Her songs were recorded by the Ink Spots, Louis Prima, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Pearl Bailey, the Mills Brothers and Ella Fitzgerald amongst others.

  19. 2002

    1. Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923) deaths

      1. American politician and judge

        Michael Anthony Bilandic

        Michael Anthony Bilandic was an American Democratic politician and attorney who served as the 49th mayor of Chicago from 1976 to 1979, after the death of his predecessor, Richard J. Daley. Bilandic practiced law in Chicago for several years, having graduated from the DePaul University College of Law. Bilandic served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council, representing the eleventh ward on the south-west side from June 1969 until he began his tenure as mayor in December 1976. After his mayoralty, Bilandic served as chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1994 to 1997.

      2. American politician

        Mayor of Chicago

        The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and recommendations to the Chicago City Council, is active in the enforcement of the city's ordinances, submits the city's annual budget and appoints city officers, department commissioners or directors, and members of city boards and commissions.

    2. Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913) deaths

      1. Dutch painter

        Eugène Brands

        Eugène Brands was a Dutch painter, an early member of the COBRA avant-garde art movement.

  20. 2001

    1. Leo Marks, English cryptographer, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1920) deaths

      1. British cryptographer, playwright and screenwriter

        Leo Marks

        Leopold Samuel Marks, was an English writer, screenwriter, and cryptographer. During the Second World War he headed the codes office supporting resistance agents in occupied Europe for the secret Special Operations Executive organisation. After the war, Marks became a playwright and screenwriter, writing scripts that frequently utilised his war-time cryptographic experiences. He wrote the script for Peeping Tom, the controversial film directed by Michael Powell that had a disastrous effect on Powell's career, but was later described by Martin Scorsese as a masterpiece. In 1998, towards the end of his life, Marks published a personal history of his experiences during the war, Between Silk and Cyanide, which was critical of the leadership of SOE.

  21. 2000

    1. Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903) deaths

      1. Georges-Henri Lévesque

        Georges-Henri Lévesque was a Canadian Dominican priest and sociologist and a liberal figure during the conservative Duplessis era in Quebec.

  22. 1999

    1. Betty Box, English film producer (b. 1915) deaths

      1. British film producer

        Betty Box

        Betty Evelyn Box, was a prolific British film producer, usually credited as Betty E. Box.

  23. 1998

    1. Alexandra Eade, Australian artistic gymnast births

      1. Australian artistic gymnast

        Alexandra Eade

        Alexandra Eade is a retired Australian artistic gymnast.

    2. Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898) deaths

      1. Indian politician and economist (1898–1998)

        Gulzarilal Nanda

        Gulzarilal Nanda was an Indian politician and economist who specialized in labour issues. He was the Interim Prime Minister of India for two 13-day tenures following the deaths of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966 respectively. Both his terms ended after the ruling Indian National Congress's parliamentary party elected a new prime minister. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1997.

      2. Leader of the Executive Branch of the Government of India

        Prime Minister of India

        The prime minister of India is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the executive. The prime minister is often the leader of the party or the coalition with a majority in the lower house of the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha, which is the main legislative body in the Republic of India. The prime minister and their cabinet are at all times responsible to the Lok Sabha.

    3. Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1934) deaths

      1. American Chicago blues musician

        Junior Wells

        Junior Wells was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song "Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album Hoodoo Man Blues, described by the critic Bill Dahl as "one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s". Wells himself categorized his music as rhythm and blues.

  24. 1996

    1. Dove Cameron, American actress and singer births

      1. American actress and singer

        Dove Cameron

        Dove Olivia Cameron is an American singer and actress. She became famous for her double role of the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie, for which she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. Cameron continued her work with the Disney Channel and portrayed Mal in the Descendants franchise (2015-2021). In 2016, Cameron starred in the NBC live television musical Hairspray Live!. On stage, from 2018 to 2019, she played the role of Cher Horowitz in an off-Broadway rendition of the 1995 film Clueless, and in 2019, she debuted on the London stage with her portrayal of Clara Johnson in the musical The Light in the Piazza. Cameron further starred in the comedy thriller Vengeance (2022).

    2. Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922) deaths

      1. Musical artist

        Les Baxter

        Leslie Thompson "Les" Baxter was a best-selling American musician and composer. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica and scored over 100 motion pictures.

    3. Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938) deaths

      1. King of Lesotho

        Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho

        Moshoeshoe II, previously known as Constantine Bereng Seeiso, was the Paramount Chief of Basutoland, succeeding paramount chief Seeiso from 1960 until the country gained full independence from Britain in 1966. He was King of Lesotho from 1966 until his exile in 1990, and from 1995 until his death in 1996.

  25. 1994

    1. Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist and composer (b. 1921) deaths

      1. Hungarian pianist and composer

        György Cziffra

        Christian Georges Cziffra was a Hungarian-French virtuoso pianist and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of the twentieth century. Among his teachers was István Thomán, who was a favourite pupil of Franz Liszt.

    2. Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941) deaths

      1. American singer-songwriter (1941–1994)

        Harry Nilsson

        Harry Edward Nilsson III, sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experiments, returns to the Great American Songbook, and fusions of Caribbean sounds. A tenor with a 3+1⁄2 octave range, Nilsson was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists to achieve significant commercial success without ever performing major public concerts or undertaking regular tours.

    3. Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (b. 1916) deaths

      1. Gujarati author (1916–1994)

        Harilal Upadhyay

        Harilal Upadhyay was a Gujarati novelist and poet. He wrote more than 100 books.

  26. 1993

    1. Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913) deaths

      1. American lyricist, songwriter, musician

        Sammy Cahn

        Samuel Cohen, known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He and his collaborators had a series of hit recordings with Frank Sinatra during the singer's tenure at Capitol Records, but also enjoyed hits with Dean Martin, Doris Day and many others. He played the piano and violin, and won an Oscar four times for his songs, including the popular hit "Three Coins in the Fountain".

  27. 1992

    1. Joël Veltman, Dutch footballer births

      1. Dutch association football player

        Joël Veltman

        Joël Ivo Veltman is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Netherlands national team.

  28. 1991

    1. Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer births

      1. Spanish footballer

        Marc Bartra

        Marc Bartra Aregall is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor.

    2. Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer births

      1. Danish footballer (born 1991)

        Nicolai Jørgensen

        Nicolai Mick Jørgensen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a forward. He is currently a free agent.

    3. Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper births

      1. Russian long jumper

        Darya Klishina

        Darya Igorevna Klishina is a Russian long jumper.

    4. James Mitchell, Australian basketball player births

      1. Australian basketball player

        James Mitchell (basketball)

        James Mitchell is an Australian professional basketball player for the Cairns Marlins of the NBL1 North. Between 2010 and 2016, he was based in his hometown of Cairns playing for the Marlins in the QBL and the Taipans in the NBL. Between 2017 and 2019, he played three seasons for the Rockhampton Rockets in the QBL and spent a season in England with the Sheffield Sharks. In 2021, he re-joined the Marlins.

  29. 1990

    1. Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer births

      1. Polish footballer

        Robert Trznadel

        Robert Trznadel is a Polish footballer who plays for Stal Rzeszów.

    2. Gordon Jackson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1923) deaths

      1. Scottish actor

        Gordon Jackson (actor)

        Gordon Cameron Jackson, was a Scottish actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and as George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals. He also portrayed Capt Jimmy Cairns in Tunes of Glory, and Flt. Lt. Andrew MacDonald, "Intelligence", in The Great Escape.

    3. Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910) deaths

      1. British ballerina and dance educator

        Peggy van Praagh

        Dame Margaret van Praagh was a British ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, repetiteur, producer, advocate and director, who spent much of her later career in Australia.

  30. 1989

    1. Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008) births

      1. Russian ice hockey player (1989–2008)

        Alexei Cherepanov

        Alexei Andreyevich Cherepanov was a Russian professional ice hockey winger who played for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Previously, Cherepanov had played for Avangard's lower-level teams, and then for the senior men's team in the Russian Super League. Cherepanov was selected in the first round of the 2007 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, although he never played professional hockey in North America. Cherepanov represented Russia in international play, and played in several tournaments at the junior level. He won a gold medal at the 2007 World Under-18 Championships. While playing at the Under-20 level, Cherepanov won silver and bronze medals in 2007 and 2008.

    2. Nicole Ross, American Olympic foil fencer births

      1. American fencer

        Nicole Ross

        Nicole Ross is an American foil fencer. Fencing for the Columbia Lions fencing team, she won the 2010 NCAA individual women's foil title, and was a three time All-American. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she competed in individual women's foil, coming in 25th, while in the team event she and her teammates came in sixth. At the 2018 World Championships, she and her Team USA teammates won the gold medal in the women's team foil event.

  31. 1988

    1. Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer births

      1. German professional footballer

        Daniel Caligiuri

        Daniel Caligiuri is a German-Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club FC Augsburg.

    2. Skrillex, American DJ and producer births

      1. American DJ and music producer

        Skrillex

        Sonny John Moore, known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead singer in 2004, and recorded two studio albums with the band before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and the Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press' annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.

    3. Seán MacBride, Irish republican activist and politician, Minister for External Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904) deaths

      1. Irish military commander, politician, and diplomat (1904–1988)

        Seán MacBride

        Seán MacBride was an Irish Clann na Poblachta politician who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff of the IRA from 1936 to 1937. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1947 to 1957.

      2. Irish government cabinet minister

        Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)

        The Minister for Foreign Affairs is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Foreign Affairs.

      3. One of five Nobel Prizes established by Alfred Nobel

        Nobel Peace Prize

        The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine and Literature. Since March 1901, it has been awarded annually to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

  32. 1987

    1. Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player births

      1. Australian international rugby league footballer

        Greg Inglis

        Gregory Paul Inglis, also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Australian professional rugby league footballer. His regular playing positions were Centre, Fullback, Five-eighth and Wing.

    2. Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner births

      1. Ethiopian long-distance runner

        Tsegaye Kebede

        Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2007. In his second year of professional running, he won the Paris Marathon, the Fukuoka Marathon and won the marathon bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    3. David Knight, English footballer births

      1. English association football player

        David Knight (English footballer)

        David Sean Knight is an English footballer who last played for Spennymoor Town as a goalkeeper.

    4. Kelleigh Ryan, Canadian fencer births

      1. Canadian fencer

        Kelleigh Ryan

        Kelleigh Ryan is a Canadian Olympic fencer.

    5. Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904) deaths

      1. American actor (1904–1987)

        Ray Bolger

        Raymond Wallace Bolger was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer who started in the silent-film era.

  33. 1986

    1. Fred Davis, American football player births

      1. American football player (born 1986)

        Fred Davis (tight end)

        Frederick Martin Davis is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC.

  34. 1985

    1. René Adler, German footballer births

      1. German footballer

        René Adler

        René Adler is a retired German footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

    2. Enrico Patrizio, Italian rugby player births

      1. Rugby player

        Enrico Patrizio

        Enrico Patrizio is an Italian rugby union footballer who plays for Mogliano in the Top12. Enrico Patrizio's position of choice is at centre.

    3. Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer births

      1. Danish footballer

        Kenneth Emil Petersen

        Kenneth Emil Petersen, also known as KEP, is a Danish football pundit and former player. He played as a centre back.

  35. 1984

    1. Ben Shapiro, American author and commentator births

      1. American conservative political commentator and writer (born 1984)

        Ben Shapiro

        Benjamin Aaron Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator, media host, columnist and author. At age 17, he became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States. Shapiro writes columns for Creators Syndicate, Newsweek, and Ami Magazine, and serves as editor emeritus for The Daily Wire, which he founded. Shapiro is the host of The Ben Shapiro Show, a daily political podcast and live radio show. He was editor-at-large of Breitbart News between 2012 and 2016. Shapiro has written eleven books.

    2. Fazıl Küçük, Cypriot journalist and politician (b. 1906) deaths

      1. Turkish Cypriot politician (1906-1984)

        Fazıl Küçük

        Fazıl Küçük was a Turkish Cypriot politician who served as the first Vice President of the Republic of Cyprus.

  36. 1983

    1. Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer births

      1. Portuguese footballer (born 1983)

        Hugo Viana

        Hugo Miguel Ferreira Gomes Viana is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a central midfielder.

    2. Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (b. 1898) deaths

      1. Estonian paleontologist

        Armin Öpik

        Armin Aleksander Öpik was an Estonian paleontologist who spent the second half of his career at the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Australia.

    3. Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907) deaths

      1. American actor of the 20th century

        Shepperd Strudwick

        Shepperd Strudwick was an American actor of film, television, and stage. He was also billed as John Shepperd for some of his films and for his acting on stage in New York.

  37. 1982

    1. Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer births

      1. Cameroonian footballer

        Francis Zé

        Francis Zé is a Cameroonian footballer.

    2. Red Smith, American journalist (b. 1905) deaths

      1. American sportswriter

        Red Smith (sportswriter)

        Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith was an American sportswriter. Smith’s journalistic career spanned over five decades and his work influenced an entire generation of writers. In 1976, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Author David Halberstam called Smith "the greatest sportswriter of two eras."

  38. 1981

    1. Pitbull, American rapper and producer births

      1. American rapper and singer (born 1981)

        Pitbull (rapper)

        Armando Christian Pérez, known professionally by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper and businessman. He began his career in the early 2000s, recording reggaeton, Latin hip hop, and crunk music under a multitude of labels. In 2004, he released his debut album M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records and the executive production of Lil Jon. Pitbull later released his second album, El Mariel, in 2006 and his third, The Boatlift, in 2007. His fourth album, Rebelution (2009), included his breakthrough hit single "I Know You Want Me ", which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart.

    2. Dylan Armstrong, Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower births

      1. Canadian shot putter

        Dylan Armstrong

        Dylan Armstrong is a Canadian shot putter. He is a two-time Pan American Games champion, a former Commonwealth Games champion and has also won world championship silver and bronze medals. He was awarded the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics seven years after the event in 2015, following a doping disqualification by competitor Andrei Mikhnevich. Armstrong holds the Canadian national record and the Pan American Games record for shot put, and is a former holder of the Commonwealth games record. With his world championship medal, Armstrong was the first Canadian to reach the podium in a throwing event in a major global competition.

    3. Vanessa Henke, German tennis player births

      1. German tennis player

        Vanessa Henke

        Vanessa Henke, also known as Vanessa Paffrath, is a German former professional tennis player.

    4. Graham Whitehead, English race car driver (b. 1922) deaths

      1. English racing driver

        Graham Whitehead

        Alfred Graham Whitehead was a British racing driver from England. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, on 19 July 1952. He finished 12th, scoring no championship points. He also competed in several non-Championship Formula One races. He began racing his half-brother Peter's ERA, in 1951 and then drove his Formula Two Alta in the 1952 British Grand Prix. He finished second at 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans only weeks before the accident on the Tour de France in which Peter was killed. Graham escaped serious injury and later raced again with an Aston Martin and Ferrari 250GT before stopping at the end of 1961.

  39. 1980

    1. Matt Holliday, American baseball player births

      1. American baseball player (born 1980)

        Matt Holliday

        Matthew Thomas Holliday is an American professional baseball coach and former left fielder who is the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 2004 to 2018 for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees. A World Series champion in 2011 with the Cardinals, Holliday played a key role in seven postseasons, including the Rockies' first-ever World Series appearance in 2007 and Cardinals' playoff success in the 2010s. His distinctions include a National League (NL) batting championship, the 2007 NL Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award, seven All-Star selections, and four Silver Slugger Awards. Other career accomplishments include 300 home runs, more than 2,000 hits, and batting over .300 eight times.

  40. 1979

    1. Drew Brees, American football player births

      1. American football player and television analyst (born 1979)

        Drew Brees

        Drew Christopher Brees is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is second in NFL career passing yards, career touchdown passes, career pass attempts, career pass completions, and career passing completion percentage. He also holds the record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass, breaking the feat held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years. Brees is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

    2. Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer births

      1. Cypriot footballer

        Michalis Morfis

        Michalis Morfis is a Cypriot footballer (goalkeeper) who plays for Doxa Katokopias in Cypriot First Division.

    3. Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer births

      1. Bulgarian footballer

        Martin Petrov

        Martin Petyov Petrov is a Bulgarian former footballer who played as a winger.

  41. 1978

    1. Eddie Cahill, American actor births

      1. American actor

        Eddie Cahill

        Edmund Patrick Cahill is an American actor known for portraying "Miracle on Ice" goalie Jim Craig in the 2004 film Miracle, and for playing the roles of Tag Jones in Friends, Eddie Barrett in NCIS: New Orleans, and Detective Don Flack in CSI: NY. He has had numerous roles in television, films, and theater. His most recent starring role was in 2016 as District Attorney Conner Wallace in Conviction.

    2. Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist births

      1. Italian cyclist

        Franco Pellizotti

        Franco Pellizotti is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2001 and 2018 for the Alessio, Liquigas–Doimo, Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec and Bahrain–Merida teams. Pellizotti now works as a directeur sportif for the Team Bahrain Victorious team.

    3. Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer births

      1. English cricketer (born 1978)

        Ryan Sidebottom

        Ryan Jay Sidebottom is a former England international cricketer who played domestic cricket for Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and retired in 2017 after taking more than 1,000 career wickets. He is the only player in the last 15 years to win 5 county championships and also won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 with England.

  42. 1976

    1. Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster births

      1. American basketball analyst and sports talk radio host

        Doug Gottlieb

        Douglas Mitchell Gottlieb is an American basketball analyst and sports talk radio host. He played both NCAA collegiate basketball, twice leading the nation in assists, and professional basketball. He now works for Fox Sports, Pac-12 Network and CBS Sports after tenures with ESPN.

    2. Iryna Lishchynska, Ukrainian runner births

      1. Ukrainian middle-distance runner

        Iryna Lishchynska

        Iryna Lishchynska, née Nedelenko (Неделенко) is a Ukrainian middle-distance athlete who specializes in the 1500 metres.

    3. Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player births

      1. Former Scottish rugby union player/current coach

        Scott Murray (rugby union)

        Scott Murray is a former rugby union player who played lock for Scotland. He was at one time the record caps holder for Scotland having represented them on 87 occasions, five of which as captain and playing at three World Cups. He also toured with the British & Irish Lions and won Scotland player of the season three times. He is currently the head coach for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).

    4. Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer and manager births

      1. Romanian footballer

        Florentin Petre

        Florentin Petre is a Romanian professional football manager and former player.

  43. 1975

    1. Mary Pierce, Canadian-American tennis player and coach births

      1. French tennis player

        Mary Pierce

        Mary Caroline Pierce is a retired tennis professional who represented France internationally in team competitions and the Olympics. She was born in Canada to an American father and a French mother, and holds citizenship of all three countries.

  44. 1974

    1. Séverine Deneulin, international development academic births

      1. Séverine Deneulin

        Séverine Marie Paule Deneulin is a senior lecturer in International Development at the Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, and a fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA); she is also the HDCA's secretary with a place on the executive council.

    2. Harold D. Cooley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1897) deaths

      1. American politician

        Harold D. Cooley

        Harold Dunbar Cooley was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He represented the Fourth Congressional district of North Carolina from 1934 to 1966.

  45. 1973

    1. Essam El Hadary, Egyptian footballer births

      1. Egyptian footballer

        Essam El Hadary

        Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary is an Egyptian goalkeeping coach and former professional footballer.

    2. Coleman Francis, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1919) deaths

      1. American actor

        Coleman Francis

        Coleman C. Francis was an American actor, writer, producer and director. He was best known for his film trilogy consisting of The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961), The Skydivers (1963) and Red Zone Cuba (1966), all three of which were filmed in the general vicinity of Santa Clarita, California.

    3. Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1901) deaths

      1. Soviet mathematician (1901–1973)

        Ivan Petrovsky

        Ivan Georgievich Petrovsky was a Soviet mathematician working mainly in the field of partial differential equations. He greatly contributed to the solution of Hilbert's 19th and 16th problems, and discovered what are now called Petrovsky lacunas. He also worked on the theories of boundary value problems, probability, and on the topology of algebraic curves and surfaces.

  46. 1972

    1. Shelia Burrell, American heptathlete births

      1. American heptathlete

        Shelia Burrell

        Shelia Burrell is a retired American heptathlete. She was a two-time representative of the United States at the Summer Olympics, competing in 2000 and 2004. Her best Olympic finish was fourth place. She also competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics, which included a bronze medal in 2001. She was also a two-time silver medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games. Her personal best for the heptathlon 6472 points and she was American national champion on four occasions.

    2. Christos Kostis, Greek footballer births

      1. Greek footballer

        Christos Kostis

        Christos Kostis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a second striker. Kostis is widely regarded to be one of the most technical players Greece has ever produced, but his great injury in 1997 stopped his from making a big career. His nickname was "the Greek Cruyff" (Greek: "ο Έλληνας Κρόιφ").

    3. Claudia Winkleman, English journalist and critic births

      1. English television presenter (born 1972)

        Claudia Winkleman

        Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman is an English television presenter, radio personality, film critic and journalist. Between 2004 and 2010, she presented Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on weeknights on BBC Two. Since 2010, she has co-presented Strictly Come Dancing's main results show on Sunday nights with Tess Daly on BBC One and since 2014 has been a main co-host alongside Daly on the Saturday night live shows, following the departure of Sir Bruce Forsyth. She has twice been nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance for her work on Strictly Come Dancing.

    4. Daisy Ashford, English author (b. 1881) deaths

      1. English writer

        Daisy Ashford

        Margaret Mary Julia Devlin, known as Daisy Ashford, was an English writer who is most famous for writing The Young Visiters, a novella concerning the upper class society of late 19th century England, when she was just nine years old. The novella was published in 1919, preserving her juvenile spelling and punctuation. She wrote the title as "Viseters" in her manuscript, but it was published as "Visiters".

  47. 1971

    1. Regina King, American actress births

      1. American actor and director (born 1971)

        Regina King

        Regina Rene King is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

  48. 1970

    1. Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman births

      1. American professional wrestler, producer, and businessman

        Shane McMahon

        Shane Brandon McMahon is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he was a wrestler, producer and minority owner. He is the founder and executive chairman of Ideanomics, formerly Seven Stars Cloud Group.

    2. Frank Clement, English race car driver (b. 1886) deaths

      1. British racing driver

        Frank Clement (racing driver)

        Frank Charles Clement was a British racing driver who, along with Canadian John Duff, won the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    3. William T. Piper, American engineer and businessman, founded Piper Aircraft (b. 1881) deaths

      1. American airplane manufacturer and businessman

        William T. Piper

        William Thomas Piper Sr. was an American airplane manufacturer, aviation businessman, oil industry businessman, and engineer. He was the founding president of the Piper Aircraft Corporation and led the company from 1929 until his death in 1970. He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and later became known as "the Henry Ford of aviation".

      2. American light aircraft manufacturer

        Piper Aircraft

        Piper Aircraft, Inc. is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, located at the Vero Beach Regional Airport in Vero Beach, Florida, United States and owned since 2009 by the Government of Brunei. Throughout much of the mid-to-late 20th century, it was considered to be one of the "Big Three" in the field of general aviation manufacturing, along with Beechcraft and Cessna.

  49. 1969

    1. Delino DeShields, American baseball player and manager births

      1. American baseball player & coach (born 1969)

        Delino DeShields

        Delino Lamont DeShields, also nicknamed "Bop", is an American former professional baseball second baseman and current first base coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs between 1990 and 2002. He managed the Louisville Bats in the Cincinnati Reds organization from 2012–2017. His son Delino DeShields Jr. plays for the Atlanta Braves and his daughter Diamond DeShields plays for the Chicago Sky.

  50. 1968

    1. Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer births

      1. American actor and director

        Chad Lowe

        Charles Davis Lowe II is an American actor and director. He is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in Life Goes On as a young man living with HIV. He has had recurring roles on ER, Melrose Place, and Now and Again. Lowe played Deputy White House Chief of Staff Reed Pollock on the sixth season of 24, and played Byron Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars.

    2. Bill Masterton, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1938) deaths

      1. Canadian ice hockey player

        Bill Masterton

        William Masterton was a Canadian American professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars in 1967–68. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals.

  51. 1967

    1. Ted Tryba, American golfer births

      1. American golfer

        Ted Tryba

        Ted Tryba is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.

    2. David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (b. 1882) deaths

      1. Ukrainian artist, poet and publicist (1882–1967)

        David Burliuk

        Davyd Davydovych Burliuk was a Ukrainian poet, artist and publicist associated with the Futurist and Neo-Primitivist movements. Burliuk has been described as "the father of Ukrainian and Russian Futurism."

  52. 1965

    1. Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist births

      1. Italian cyclist

        Maurizio Fondriest

        Maurizio Fondriest is a retired Italian professional road racing cyclist.

    2. Bernard Hopkins, American boxer and coach births

      1. American boxer

        Bernard Hopkins

        Bernard Hopkins Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed middleweight title from 2001 to 2005, and the lineal light heavyweight title from 2011 to 2012.

    3. James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor births

      1. Northern Irish actor (b. 1965)

        James Nesbitt

        William James Nesbitt is an actor from Northern Ireland.

  53. 1964

    1. Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer births

      1. Finnish composer of contemporary music (born 1964)

        Osmo Tapio Räihälä

        Osmo Tapio Everton Räihälä is a Finnish composer of contemporary music. He has mainly written instrumental music for various chamber music line-ups, five concertos as well as for symphony orchestra.

    2. Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombonist (b. 1905) deaths

      1. American jazz trombonist and singer (1905–1964)

        Jack Teagarden

        Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 1940s and "one of the best jazz singers too". Teagarden's early career was as a sideman with the likes of Paul Whiteman and lifelong friend Louis Armstrong.

  54. 1961

    1. Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer and coach births

      1. Ukrainian footballer

        Serhiy N. Morozov

        Serhiy N. Morozov is a former professional footballer from Ukraine. He became topscorer of the Meistriliiga 1994–95 by scoring 25 goals for Lantana Marlekor. He also played as a professional in Latvia. His last club was Olimpia Yuzhnoukrainsk from Ukraine. As of 2006, Morozov was working as a youth coach at MFC Mykolaiv.

    2. Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director births

      1. Canadian film director, actor and comedian

        Yves Pelletier

        Yves P. Pelletier is a Canadian film director, actor and comedian.

  55. 1959

    1. Greg Dowling, Australian rugby league player births

      1. Australia international rugby league footballer

        Greg Dowling

        Greg Dowling is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative prop forward, he played his club football mostly in Brisbane with a spell playing for English club, Wigan.

    2. Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008) births

      1. Pavle Kozjek

        Pavle Kozjek was a Slovenian mountaineering pioneer and a photographer.

    3. Regina Margareten, Hungarian businesswoman (b. 1863) deaths

      1. Hungarian-American entrepreneur

        Regina Margareten

        Regina Margareten was a Hungarian-American entrepreneur, who became known as the "Matzoh Queen" of New York City. She immigrated to the United States in 1883, where the family set up a business which grew into Kosher food manufacturers Horowitz Brothers and Margareten Company. She was profiled several times by The New York Times, and continued to attend the business until two weeks prior to her death.

  56. 1958

    1. Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2016) births

      1. Australian rules footballer, born 1958

        Ken Judge

        Ken Judge was an Australian rules footballer and coach.

    2. Boris Tadić, Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia births

      1. Former president of Serbia

        Boris Tadić

        Boris Tadić is a Serbian politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2004 to 2012.

      2. Head of State of Serbia

        President of Serbia

        The president of Serbia, officially styled as the President of the Republic is the head of state of Serbia.

  57. 1957

    1. David Ige, American politician births

      1. Governor of Hawaii since 2014

        David Ige

        David Yutaka Ige is an American politician and engineer serving as the eighth governor of Hawaii since 2014. A Democrat, he served in the Hawaii State Senate from 1995 to 2014 and the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1985 to 1995.

    2. Marty Lyons, American football player and sportscaster births

      1. American football player (born 1957)

        Marty Lyons

        Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle and defensive end in the National Football League for 11 seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Lyons played college football for the University of Alabama, and earned All-American honors. Selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft, he played his entire professional career for the NFL's New York Jets. He was a member of the Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange," the team's dominant front four in 1981 and 1982 that also featured Mark Gastineau, Abdul Salaam and Joe Klecko.

    3. Andrew Tyrie, English journalist and politician births

      1. British Conservative politician

        Andrew Tyrie

        Andrew Guy Tyrie, Baron Tyrie, is a British politician and former chair of the Competition and Markets Authority. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Chichester from 1997 to 2017. Tyrie was previously a special adviser at HM Treasury and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, having taken up the role on 10 June 2010. He was described by Donald Macintyre of The Independent in 2013 as "the most powerful backbencher in the House of Commons", and by The Economist as a liberal conservative.

    4. Mario Van Peebles, Mexican-American actor and director births

      1. American actor and film director

        Mario Van Peebles

        Mario Van Peebles is an American film director and actor best known for directing and starring in New Jack City in 1991 and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage in 2016. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss!, which he also co-wrote and directed.

  58. 1956

    1. Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect births

      1. Vigilante killer of air traffic controller Peter Nielsen

        Vitaly Kaloyev

        Vitaly Konstantinovich Kaloyev is a Russian former architect and convicted murderer who was found guilty of the premeditated killing of an air traffic controller after his family died aboard BAL Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937, which collided with DHL International Aviation ME Flight 611 over Überlingen, Germany, on 1 July 2002.

    2. Mayawati, Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh births

      1. 18th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

        Mayawati

        Kumari Mayawati is an Indian politician. She has served four separate terms as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. She is the national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which focuses on a platform of social change for Bahujans, more commonly known as Other Backward Castes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as well as converted minorities from these castes. She was chief minister briefly in 1995 and again in 1997, then from 2002 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2012.

      2. Head of the Government of Uttar Pradesh

        List of chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh

        The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is the principal minister in chief of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following elections to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits.

    3. Marc Trestman, American football player and coach births

      1. American gridiron football player and coach (born 1956)

        Marc Trestman

        Marc Marlyn Trestman is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. He was also named CFL Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2017.

  59. 1955

    1. Nigel Benson, English author and illustrator births

      1. British author and illustrator

        Nigel Benson

        Nigel C. Benson is a British author and illustrator.

    2. Andreas Gursky, German photographer births

      1. German artist and photographer

        Andreas Gursky

        Andreas Gursky is a German photographer and professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany.

    3. Khalid Islambouli, Egyptian lieutenant (d. 1982) births

      1. Egyptian Islamist

        Khalid al-Islambouli

        Khalid Ahmed Showky El Islambouli was an Egyptian army officer who planned and participated in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, during the annual 6th October victory parade on 6 October 1981. Islambouli stated that his primary motivation for the assassination was Sadat's signing of the Camp David Accords with Israel and Sadat's plan for a more progressive Egypt. Islambouli was tried before an Egyptian court-martial, found guilty, and sentenced to death by firing squad. Following his execution, he was declared a martyr by many radicals in the Islamic world, and became an inspirational symbol for radical Islamic movements as one of the first 'modern martyrs of Islam'.

    4. Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (b. 1900) deaths

      1. French surrealist painter

        Yves Tanguy

        Raymond Georges Yves Tanguy, known as just Yves Tanguy, was a French surrealist painter.

  60. 1954

    1. Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter births

      1. Filipino writer

        Jose Dalisay Jr.

        Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. is a Filipino writer. He has won numerous awards and prizes for fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and screenwriting, including 16 Palanca Awards.

  61. 1953

    1. Randy White, American football player births

      1. American football player (born 1953)

        Randy White (American football)

        Randall Lee White nicknamed The Manster is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins from 1972 to 1974, and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 to 1988. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (1994), the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1994) and the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.

  62. 1952

    1. Boris Blank, Swiss singer-songwriter births

      1. Swiss artist and musician

        Boris Blank (musician)

        Boris Blank is a Swiss artist and musician. He is known for his work in the musical duo Yello with Dieter Meier.

    2. Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer births

      1. Polish footballer (1952–2018)

        Andrzej Fischer

        Andrzej Lucjan Fischer was a Polish football goalkeeper.

    3. Muhammad Wakkas, Bangladeshi teacher and parliamentarian (d. 2021) births

      1. Bangladeshi politician (1952–2021)

        Muhammad Wakkas

        Muḥammad Waqqāṣ ibn Muḥammad Ismāʿīl al-Jasarī, or simply known as Muhammad Wakkas, was a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar, teacher, former Member of Parliament and State Minister. He was the founder of Jamia Imdadia Madaninagar Madrasa, the largest madrasa in South Bengal, accommodating roughly 2000 students.

    4. Ned Hanlon, Australian sergeant and politician, 26th Premier of Queensland (b. 1887) deaths

      1. Australian politician

        Ned Hanlon (politician)

        Edward Michael Hanlon was an Australian politician and soldier, who was Premier of Queensland from 1946 until his death in 1952.

      2. Premier of Queensland

        The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland.

  63. 1951

    1. Ernest Swinton, British Army officer (b. 1868) deaths

      1. British Army general and author

        Ernest Swinton

        Major-General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton, was a British Army officer who played a part in the development and adoption of the tank during the First World War. He was also a war correspondent and author of several short stories on military themes. He is credited, along with fellow officer Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Dally Jones, with having initiated the use of the word "tank" as a code-name for the first tracked, armoured fighting vehicles.

    2. Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian captain and sailor (b. 1887) deaths

      1. Estonian sailor

        Nikolai Vekšin

        Nikolai Vekšin was a Russian and Estonian sailor and helmsman of the bronze-medallist Estonian team at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games.

  64. 1950

    1. Marius Trésor, French footballer and coach births

      1. French former professional footballer (born 1950)

        Marius Trésor

        Marius Paul Trésor is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers. He is considered one of the best central defenders of all time, and he is regarded as one of France's greatest ever players.

    2. Henry H. Arnold, American general (b. 1886) deaths

      1. US Army Air Forces general

        Henry H. Arnold

        Henry Harley Arnold was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces, the only United States Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation, and was one of the founders of Pan American World Airways.

  65. 1949

    1. Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2001) births

      1. Puerto Rican baseball player (1949-2001)

        Luis Alvarado

        Luis César Alvarado Martínez, born in Lajas, Puerto Rico was an infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). From 1968 through 1977, he played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers. Alvarado batted and threw right-handed.

    2. Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012) births

      1. Alasdair Liddell

        Alasdair Donald MacDuff Liddell was one of the architects of Britain's health strategy in the 1990s. As Director of Planning at the Department of Health (1994–2000) he led the process of setting national priorities for the National Health Service (NHS).

    3. Ian Stewart, Scottish runner births

      1. Ian Stewart (runner)

        Ian Stewart MBE is a Scottish former long-distance running athlete. Ian Stewart was one of the world's leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s. Stewart won the bronze medal in the Men's 5000 metres at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Stewart also won the following championships: European 5,000 metres (1969), Commonwealth 5,000 metres (1970), European Indoor and World Cross Country (1975).

    4. Howard Twitty, American golfer births

      1. American professional golfer (born 1949)

        Howard Twitty

        Howard Allen Twitty is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; and played on the Champions Tour from 1999 until 2007.

  66. 1948

    1. Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (d. 1977) births

      1. American singer and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd (1948–1977)

        Ronnie Van Zant

        Ronald Wayne Van Zant was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist, primary lyricist and a founding member of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He is the older brother of current Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant and Donnie Van Zant, the founder and vocalist of the rock band .38 Special.

    2. Josephus Daniels, American publisher and diplomat, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1862) deaths

      1. American diplomat and newspaper publisher (1862–1948)

        Josephus Daniels

        Josephus Daniels was an American newspaper editor and publisher from the 1880s until his death, who controlled Raleigh's News & Observer, at the time North Carolina's largest newspaper, for decades. A Democrat, he was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I. He became a close friend and supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served as his Assistant Secretary of the Navy and later was elected as United States president. Roosevelt appointed Daniels as his U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, serving from 1933 to 1941. Daniels was a vehement white supremacist and segregationist. Along with Charles Brantley Aycock and Furnifold McLendel Simmons, he was a leading perpetrator of the Wilmington insurrection of 1898.

      2. Statutory office and the head of the U.S. Department of the Navy

        United States Secretary of the Navy

        The secretary of the Navy is a statutory officer and the head of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense.

  67. 1947

    1. Mary Hogg, English lawyer and judge births

      1. Mary Hogg

        The Honourable Dame Mary Claire Hogg, is a British lawyer and former High Court judge. She is the daughter of Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, and his wife, Mary Evelyn Martin, and is the sister of Douglas Hogg.

    2. Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress, singer, and screenwriter births

      1. American-Canadian actress, singer and comedian

        Andrea Martin

        Andrea Louise Martin is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series SCTV and Great News. She has appeared in films such as Black Christmas (1974), Wag the Dog (1997), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), and Little Italy (2018). She has also lent her voice to the animated films Anastasia (1997), The Rugrats Movie (1998), and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001).

  68. 1946

    1. Charles Brown, American actor (d. 2004) births

      1. American actor

        Charles Brown (actor)

        Charles Brown was an American actor and a member of New York City, New York theater troupe the Negro Ensemble Company. He was best known for his performances in Off-Broadway and Broadway plays by Samm-Art Williams and August Wilson.

  69. 1945

    1. Ko Chun-hsiung, Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (d. 2015) births

      1. Taiwanese actor, director and politician

        Ko Chun-hsiung

        Ko Chun-hsiung was a Taiwanese actor, director and politician. He had been acting since the 1960s and had appeared in more than 200 films.

    2. Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (d. 1993) births

      1. American lawyer (1945–1993)

        Vince Foster

        Vincent Walker Foster Jr. was an American attorney who served as deputy White House counsel during the first six months of the Clinton administration.

    3. William R. Higgins, American colonel (d. 1990) births

      1. United States Marine Corps officer (1945–1989)

        William R. Higgins

        William Richard Higgins was a United States Marine Corps colonel who was captured in Lebanon in 1988 while serving on a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission. He was held hostage, tortured and eventually murdered by his captors.

    4. Princess Michael of Kent births

      1. Wife of Prince Michael of Kent

        Princess Michael of Kent

        Princess Michael of Kent is a member of the British royal family of German, Austrian, Czech and Hungarian descent. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to Elizabeth II. Princess Michael of Kent was an interior designer before becoming an author; she has written several books on European royalty. She carries out lecture tours and supports her husband in his public duties.

    5. David Pleat, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster births

      1. English footballer & manager

        David Pleat

        David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town, and four as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

    6. Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (b. 1865) deaths

      1. Austrian mathematician

        Wilhelm Wirtinger

        Wilhelm Wirtinger was an Austrian mathematician, working in complex analysis, geometry, algebra, number theory, Lie groups and knot theory.

  70. 1944

    1. Jenny Nimmo, English author births

      1. British children's book author, born 1944

        Jenny Nimmo

        Jenny Nimmo is a British author of children's books, including fantasy and adventure novels, chapter books, and picture books. Born in England, she has lived mostly in Wales for 40 years. She is probably best known for two series of fantasy novels: The Magician Trilogy (1986–1989), contemporary stories rooted in Welsh myth, and Children of the Red King (2002–2010), featuring schoolchildren endowed with magical powers. The Snow Spider, first of the Magician books, won the second annual Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and the 1987 Tir na n-Og Award as the year's best originally English-language book with an authentic Welsh background. The Stone Mouse was highly commended for the 1993 Carnegie Medal. Several others of hers have been shortlisted for children's book awards.

  71. 1943

    1. George Ambrum, Australian rugby league player (d. 1986) births

      1. Australian rugby league footballer

        George Ambrum

        George Ambrum (1943–1986) was an Australian rugby league player who played in the 1960s and 1970s.

    2. Margaret Beckett, English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs births

      1. British Labour politician

        Margaret Beckett

        Dame Margaret Mary Beckett is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South since 1983. A member of the Labour Party, she became Britain's first female Foreign Secretary in 2006 and served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout his tenure. Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 1994, Beckett briefly served as Leader of the Opposition and Acting Leader of the Labour Party following John Smith's death in 1994.

      2. United Kingdom government cabinet minister

        Foreign Secretary

        The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as one of the most senior ministers in the government and a Great Office of State, the incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, fourth in the ministerial ranking.

    3. Stuart E. Eizenstat, American lawyer and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the European Union births

      1. American diplomat and attorney

        Stuart E. Eizenstat

        Stuart Elliott Eizenstat is an American diplomat and attorney. He served as the United States Ambassador to the European Union from 1993 to 1996 and as the United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001. For many years, and currently he has served as a partner and Senior Counsel at the Washington, D.C.–based law firm Covington & Burling and as a senior strategist at APCO Worldwide.

      2. List of ambassadors of the United States to the European Union

        This is a list of United States ambassadors to the European Union. The formal title of this position is Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

    4. Mike Marshall, American baseball player births

      1. American baseball player (1943–2021)

        Mike Marshall (pitcher)

        Michael Grant "Iron Mike" Marshall was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1967 and from 1969 through 1981 for nine different teams. Marshall won the National League Cy Young Award in 1974 as a Los Angeles Dodger and was a two-time All-Star selection. He was the first relief pitcher to receive the Cy Young Award.

  72. 1942

    1. Frank Joseph Polozola, American academic and judge (d. 2013) births

      1. American judge

        Frank Joseph Polozola

        Frank Joseph Polozola was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

  73. 1941

    1. Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter, musician, and artist (d. 2010) births

      1. American musician (1941–2010)

        Captain Beefheart

        Don Van Vliet was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as The Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio albums between 1967 and 1982. His music blended elements of blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde composition with idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist wordplay, a loud, gravelly voice, and his claimed wide vocal range, though reports of it have varied from three octaves to seven and a half. Known for his enigmatic persona, Beefheart frequently constructed myths about his life and was known to exercise an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians. Although he achieved little commercial success, he sustained a cult following as a "highly significant" and "incalculable" influence on an array of new wave, punk, and experimental rock artists.

  74. 1939

    1. Per Ahlmark, Swedish journalist and politician, first Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 2018) births

      1. Swedish politician and writer

        Per Ahlmark

        Per Axel Ahlmark was a Swedish politician and writer. He was the leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1975 to 1978, and Minister for Employment and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government from 1976 to 1978. He also served as a member of the Swedish parliament from 1967 to 1978.

      2. Deputy head of government of Sweden

        Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden

        The deputy prime minister of Sweden is the deputy head of government of Sweden. The incumbent deputy prime minister is Ebba Busch.

    2. Tony Bullimore, British sailor (d. 2018) births

      1. British yachtsman (1939–2018)

        Tony Bullimore

        Tony Bullimore was a British businessman and international yachtsman. He is known especially for being rescued on 10 January 1997 during a sailing race after he had been presumed dead.

    3. Kullervo Manner, Finnish Speaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister of the FSWR and the Supreme Commander of the Red Guards (b. 1880) deaths

      1. Finnish politician

        Kullervo Manner

        Kullervo Achilles Manner was a Finnish politician and journalist, and later a Soviet politician. He was a member of the Finnish parliament, serving as its Speaker in 1917. He was also chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland between 1917 and 1918. During the Finnish Civil War, he led the Finnish People's Delegation, a leftist alternative to the established Finnish government. After the war, he escaped to the Soviet Union, where he co-founded the Finnish Communist Party. It is said if the Red Guards had won the Civil War, Manner might have risen to the position of the "Leader of the Red Finland".

      2. Legislative chair of the government of Finland

        Speaker of the Parliament of Finland

        The speaker of the Parliament of Finland, along with two deputy speakers, is elected by Parliament during the first plenary session each year. Speakers are chosen for a year at a time. In addition to their preparing the work in plenary sessions the speakers also play a key role in Parliament's international co-operation, which includes visits by speakers and international delegations as well as participation in numerous interparliamentary organisations.

      3. Socialist revolutionary faction of the Finnish Civil War (1918)

        Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic

        The Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (FSWR), more commonly referred to as Red Finland, was a self-proclaimed Finnish socialist state that ruled parts of the country during the Finnish Civil War of 1918. It was outlined on 29 January 1918 by the Finnish People's Delegation, the Reds and Red Guards of the Finnish Social Democratic Party, after the socialist revolution in Finland on 26 January 1918. Its sole prime minister was Kullervo Manner, chairman of the central committee.

      4. Paramilitary organization in early 20th-century Finland

        Red Guards (Finland)

        The Red Guards were the paramilitary units of the Finnish labour movement in the early 1900s. The first Red Guards were established during the 1905 general strike, but disbanded a year later. After the Russian 1917 February revolution the Red Guards were re-established and in the 1918 Finnish Civil War they formed the army of Red Finland. The combined strength of the Red Guard was about 30,000 at the beginning of the Civil War, peaking at between 90,000 and 120,000 during the course of the conflict. The number included more than 2,000 members of the Women's Guards. In May 1918, up to 80,000 Reds were captured by the victorious Whites, 12,000 to 14,000 of them died in the prison camps due to execution, disease and malnutrition. A majority of the Reds were finally pardoned in late 1918.

  75. 1938

    1. Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer births

      1. Pakistani mountain climber

        Ashraf Aman

        Ashraf Aman is a Pakistani mountaineer, adventurer, and engineer. In 1977, he became the first Pakistani to reach the summit of K2. He operates the travel and tourism-based company "Adventure Tours Pakistan". He is also vice-President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

    2. Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler births

      1. Mexican professional wrestler (1938–2021)

        Estrella Blanca

        Estrella Blanca was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler. Estrella Blanca was most known for his claim to have won more Luchas de Apuestas "bet matches" than anyone, winning more masks and hair than any other Luchador. Blanca claimed to have been in 700 Luchas de Apuestas since making his wrestling debut in 1954. "Estrella Blanca" is Spanish for "White Star".

    3. Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer (d. 2020) births

      1. Indian footballer and cricketer (1938–2020)

        Chuni Goswami

        Subimal "Chuni" Goswami was an Indian professional footballer and first-class cricketer. As footballer, he played as a striker or winger, captained both the Mohun Bagan club and the Indian national team. He also served as the Sheriff of Kolkata. Goswami scored nine goals in 30 international appearances. He was an Olympian, represented India national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He also led the team to achieve the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games, and earn the runners-up position at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.

  76. 1937

    1. Margaret O'Brien, American actress and singer births

      1. American film, television and stage actress

        Margaret O'Brien

        Angela Maxine O'Brien is an American film, radio, television, and stage actress, and is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress in feature films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at age 4, O'Brien became one of the most popular child stars in cinema history and was honored with a Juvenile Academy Award as the outstanding child actress of 1944. In her later career, she appeared on television, on stage, and in supporting film roles.

    2. Anton Holban, Romanian author, theoretician, and educator (b. 1902) deaths

      1. Romanian writer

        Anton Holban

        Anton Holban was a Romanian novelist. He was the nephew of Eugen Lovinescu.

  77. 1936

    1. Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, English cricketer and politician, seventh Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866) deaths

      1. British politician and cricketer

        Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster

        Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, was a British politician who served as the seventh Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1920 to 1925. He had previously been a government minister under Arthur Balfour, H. H. Asquith, and David Lloyd George.

      2. Representative of the monarch of Australia

        Governor-General of Australia

        The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of government ministers. The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; issuing writs for election; and bestowing Australian honours.

  78. 1934

    1. V. S. Ramadevi, Indian civil servant and politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013) births

      1. Indian politician

        V. S. Ramadevi

        V. S. Ramadevi was an Indian politician who was the first lady to become the 13th Governor of Karnataka and 9th Chief Election Commissioner of India from 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990. She was the first woman to become Chief Election Commissioner of India. She was succeeded by T. N. Seshan. Ramadevi was the first woman to serve as Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, from 1 July 1993 to 25 September 1997. And also she was the first and to date only female Governor of Karnataka, from 2 December 1999 to 20 August 2002.

      2. List of governors of Karnataka

        The Governor of Karnataka is the constitutional head of the Indian state of Karnataka. The governor is appointed by the president of India for a term of five years, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is de jure head of the government of Karnataka; all its executive actions are taken in the governor's name. However, the governor must act on the advice of the popularly elected council of ministers, headed by the chief minister of Karnataka, which thus holds de facto executive authority in the state. The Constitution of India also empowers the governor to act upon his or her own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a ministry, recommend President's rule, or reserve bills for the president's assent. Over the years, the exercise of these discretionary powers have given rise to conflict between the elected chief minister and the central government–appointed governor.

  79. 1933

    1. Frank Bough, English journalist and radio host (d. 2020) births

      1. English television presenter (1933–2020)

        Frank Bough

        Francis Joseph Bough was an English television presenter. He was best known as the former host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he launched alongside Selina Scott and Nick Ross.

    2. Ernest J. Gaines, American author and academic (d. 2019) births

      1. American author (1933–2019)

        Ernest J. Gaines

        Ernest James Gaines was an American author whose works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese. Four of his works were made into television movies.

    3. Peter Maitlis, English chemist and academic births

      1. British chemist (1933–2022)

        Peter Maitlis

        Peter Michael Maitlis, FRS was a British organometallic chemist.

  80. 1932

    1. Lou Jones, American sprinter (d. 2006) births

      1. American sprinter

        Lou Jones (athlete)

        Louis Woodard "Lou" Jones was an American athlete. He won a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

  81. 1931

    1. Lee Bontecou, American painter and sculptor births

      1. American sculptor and printmaker (1931–2022)

        Lee Bontecou

        Lee Bontecou was an American sculptor and printmaker and a pioneer figure in the New York art world. She kept her work consistently in a recognizable style, and received broad recognition in the 1960s. Bontecou made abstract sculptures in the 1960s and 1970s and created vacuum-formed plastic fish, plants, and flower forms in the 1970s. Rich, organic shapes and powerful energy appear in her drawings, prints, and sculptures. Her work has been shown and collected in many major museums in the United States and in Europe.

  82. 1930

    1. Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter (d. 1985) births

      1. American professional wrestler

        Eddie Graham

        Edward F. Gossett, better known as Eddie Graham, was an American professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s.

  83. 1929

    1. Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970) births

      1. American blues guitarist

        Earl Hooker

        Earl Zebedee Hooker was a Chicago blues guitarist known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", he performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker and fronted his own bands. An early player of the electric guitar, Hooker was influenced by the modern urban styles of T-Bone Walker and Robert Nighthawk. He recorded several singles and albums as a bandleader and with other well-known artists. His "Blue Guitar", a slide guitar instrumental single, was popular in the Chicago area and was later overdubbed with vocals by Muddy Waters as "You Shook Me".

    2. Martin Luther King Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968) births

      1. American civil-rights activist and leader (1929–1968)

        Martin Luther King Jr.

        Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. An African American church leader and the son of early civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Sr., King advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi, he led targeted, nonviolent resistance against Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination.

      2. One of five Nobel Prizes established by Alfred Nobel

        Nobel Peace Prize

        The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine and Literature. Since March 1901, it has been awarded annually to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

      3. 1968 murder in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

        Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

        Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7:05 p.m. He was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience.

    3. George Cope, American painter (b. 1855) deaths

      1. American painter

        George Cope (artist)

        George Cope was an American painter who specialized in landscapes and still lifes. His works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brandywine River Museum of Art.

  84. 1928

    1. W. R. Mitchell, English journalist and author (d. 2015) births

      1. British writer and editor

        W. R. Mitchell

        William Reginald Mitchell was a British writer who was the editor of Dalesman magazine for twenty years and over a sixty-year period wrote over 200 books, hundreds of articles, and delivered many talks on the history and physical and natural evolution of North Britain, with particular emphasis on the Yorkshire Dales, Lancashire and the Lake District. These include biographies, social history, topography, and natural history of the regions. In the course of his career Mitchell made and collected many taped interviews with people of these regions - now housed at the Universities of Leeds and Bradford - representing a unique archive of dialect and history.

  85. 1927

    1. Phyllis Coates, American actress births

      1. American actress

        Phyllis Coates

        Phyllis Coates is an American actress best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and in the first season of the television series Adventures of Superman.

  86. 1926

    1. Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress (d. 2005) births

      1. Austrian-Swiss actress

        Maria Schell

        Maria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance in Helmut Käutner's war drama The Last Bridge, and in 1956, she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for Gervaise.

    2. Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1883) deaths

      1. Italian composer

        Enrico Toselli

        Enrico Toselli, Count of Montignoso, was an Italian pianist and composer. Born in Florence, he studied piano with Giovanni Sgambati and composition with Giuseppe Martucci and Reginaldo Grazzini. He embarked on a career as a concert pianist, playing in Italy, European capital cities, Alexandria and North America.