What Happened Today In History

What happened on January 1? There are more than 587 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

Interesting Facts & Myths About January 1

January 1 is the 1^st day of the year 2024. There are 365 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday. This day falls under the 1^st week of the year 2024.

On this day in Essex Junction, Vermont 05452 sunrise occured at 07:27 AM and sunset occured at 04:24 PM (local time).

The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Capricorn. The modern birthstone for this month is Garnet while the mystical birthstone is Emerald.

According to the Chinese calendar, there are 40 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (February 10, 2024).

Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 28 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)

January 1: A Day In History

The preceding day is December 31 of the previous year.

During the Middle Ages under the influence of the Christian Church, many countries moved the start of the year to one of several important Christian festivals — December 25 (the Nativity of Jesus), March 1, March 25 (the Annunciation), or even Easter. Eastern European countries (most of them with populations showing allegiance to the Orthodox Church) began their numbered year on September 1 from about 988.

In England, January 1 was celebrated as the New Year festival, but from the 12th century to 1752 the year in England began on March 25 (Lady Day). So, for example, the Parliamentary record records the execution of Charles I occurring in 1648 (as the year did not end until March 24), although modern histories adjust the start of the year to January 1 and record the execution as occurring in 1649.

Most western European countries changed the start of the year to January 1 before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to January 1 in 1600. England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to January 1 in 1752. Later that year in September, the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies. These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

January 1 became the official start of the year as follows:

• 1522 The Republic of Venice
• 1544 Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
• 1556 Spain, Portugal
• 1559 Prussia, Sweden
• 1564 France
• 1576 Southern Netherlands
• 1579 Lorraine
• 1583 United Provinces of the Netherlands (northern)
• 1600 Scotland
• 1700 Russia
• 1721 Tuscany
• 1752 Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies

Historical Events For January 1

• 42 BC
  The Roman Senate posthumously deifies Julius Caesar
• 45 BC
  The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time.
• 153 BC
  Roman consuls begin their year in office.
• 69
  The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.
• 193
  The Senate chooses Pertinax against his will to succeed Commodus as Roman emperor.
• 404
  An infuriated Roman mob tears Telemachus, a Christian monk, to pieces for trying to stop a gladiators’ fight in the public arena held in Rome.
• 414
  Galla Placidia, half-sister of Emperor Honorius, is married to the Visigothic king Ataulf at Narbonne. The wedding is celebrated with Roman festivities and magnificent gifts from the Gothic booty.
• 417
  Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum).
• 1001
  Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II.
• 1259
  Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris.
• 1438
  Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary.
• 1515
  King Francis I of France succeeds to the French throne.
• 1527
  Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as king of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin.
• 1600
  Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25.
• 1651
  Charles II is crowned King of Scotland.
• 1700
  Russia begins using the Anno Domini era and no longer uses the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1707
  John V is crowned King of Portugal.
• 1739
  Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.
• 1772
  The first traveler’s cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities, go on sale in London, England, Great Britain.
• 1773
  The hymn that became known as “Amazing Grace”, then titled “1 Chronicles 17:16–17” is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, England.
• 1776
  American Revolutionary War: Norfolk, Virginia is burned by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action.
• 1781
  American Revolutionary War: 1,500 soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne’s command rebel against the Continental Army’s winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey in the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781.
• 1788
  First edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.
• 1800
  The Dutch East India Company is dissolved.
• 1801
  The dwarf planet Ceres is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.
• 1801
  The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1803
  Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tây Sơn Dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Huế, Vietnam.
• 1804
  French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black republic and second independent country in North America after the United States
• 1806
  The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
• 1808
  The importation of slaves into the United States is banned.
• 1810
  Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB officially becomes Governor of New South Wales
• 1812
  The Bishop of Durham, Shute Barrington, orders troops from Durham Castle to break up a miners strike in Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham
• 1822
  The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
• 1833
  The United Kingdom claims sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
• 1845
  The Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn is completed.
• 1847
  The world’s first “Mercy” Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Sisters of Mercy, the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.
• 1860
  First Polish stamp is issued.
• 1861
  Porfirio Díaz conquers Mexico City.
• 1863
  American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.
• 1863
  The first claim under the Homestead Act is made by Daniel Freeman for a farm in Nebraska.
• 1873
  Japan begins using the Gregorian calendar.
• 1877
  Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.
• 1880
  Ferdinand de Lesseps begins French construction of the Panama Canal.
• 1885
  Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming’s proposal for standard time (and also, time zones)
• 1890
  Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government.
• 1890
  The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, is first held.
• 1892
  Ellis Island opens to begin processing immigrants into the United States.
• 1894
  The Manchester Ship Canal, England, is officially opened to traffic.
• 1898
  New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.
• 1899
  Spanish rule ends in Cuba.
• 1901
  Nigeria becomes a British protectorate.
• 1901
  The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.
• 1902
  The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California.
• 1906
  British India officially adopts the Indian Standard Time.
• 1908
  For the first time, a ball is dropped in New York, New York’s Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight.
• 1909
  Drilling begins on the Lakeview Gusher.
• 1910
  Captain David Beatty is promoted to Rear Admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for Royal family members), since Horatio Nelson.
• 1911
  Northern Territory is separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control.
• 1912
  The Republic of China is established.
• 1913
  The British Board of Censors is established.
• 1916
  German troops abandon Yaoundé and their Kamerun colony to British forces and begin the long march to Spanish Guinea.
• 1920
  The Belorussian Communist Organisation is founded as a separate party.
• 1923
  Britain’s Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMS.
• 1927
  Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar: December 18, 1926 (Julian), is immediately followed by January 1, 1927 (Gregorian).
• 1928
  Boris Bazhanov defects through Iran. He is the only assistant of Joseph Stalin’s secretariat to have defected from the Eastern Bloc.
• 1929
  The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver.
• 1932
  The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth.
• 1934
  Alcatraz Island becomes a United States federal prison.
• 1934
  Nazi Germany passes the “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring”.
• 1937
  Safety glass in vehicle windscreens becomes mandatory in the United Kingdom.
• 1939
  Sydney, Australia, swelters in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat, a record for the city.
• 1942
  The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
• 1945
  World War II: In retaliation for the Malmedy massacre, U.S. troops massacre 30 SS prisoners at Chenogne.
• 1945
  World War II: Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front begins.
• 1945
  World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches Operation Bodenplatte, a massive, but failed attempt to knock out Allied air power in northern Europe in a single blow.
• 1947
  The American and British occupation zones in Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, that later became West Germany.
• 1947
  The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.
• 1948
  The British railway network is nationalised to form British Railways.
• 1948
  The Constitution of Italy comes into force.
• 1949
  United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
• 1954
  NBC makes the first coast-to-coast NTSC color broadcast when it telecast the Tournament of Roses Parade, with public demonstrations given across the United States on prototype color receivers.
• 1956
  A new year event causes panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine, Yahiko, Niigata, Japan, killing at least 124 people.
• 1956
  Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.
• 1957
  An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough RUC barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA’s Operation Harvest.
• 1957
  George Town, Penang becomes a city by a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1958
  The European Economic Community is established.
• 1959
  Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro’s forces during the Cuban Revolution.
• 1960
  Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.
• 1962
  United States Navy SEALs established.
• 1962
  Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.
• 1964
  The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.
• 1965
  The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul, Afghanistan.
• 1966
  After a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa assumes power as president of the Central African Republic.
• 1966
  A twelve-day New York City transit strike begins.
• 1970
  Unix time begins at 00:00:00 UTC/GMT.
• 1971
  Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.
• 1973
  Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are admitted into the European Community.
• 1978
  Air India Flight 855 Boeing 747 crashes into the sea, due to instrument failure and pilot disorientation, off the coast of Bombay, India, killing 213.
• 1978
  The Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands becomes effective.
• 1979
  Formal diplomatic relations are established between the China and the United States.
• 1980
  Victoria is crowned princess of Sweden.
• 1981
  Greece is admitted into the European Community.
• 1981
  Palau achieves self-government though it is not independent from the United States.
• 1982
  Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• 1983
  The ARPANET officially changes to using the Internet Protocol, creating the Internet.
• 1984
  Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
• 1984
  The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T.
• 1985
  The Internet’s Domain Name System is created.
• 1985
  The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone.
• 1986
  Aruba becomes independent of Curaçao, though it remains in free association with the Netherlands.
• 1986
  Spain and Portugal are admitted into the European Community.
• 1988
  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.
• 1989
  The Montreal Protocol Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer comes into force.
• 1990
  David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City’s first black mayor.
• 1992
  Russia is officially formed.
• 1993
  A single market within the European Community is introduced.
• 1993
  Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
• 1994
  The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect.
• 1994
  The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.
• 1995
  Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union.
• 1995
  The Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe becomes the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
• 1995
  The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.
• 1995
  The World Trade Organization goes into effect.
• 1996
  Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Netherlands.
• 1997
  Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan is appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• 1997
  Zaire officially joins the World Trade Organization.
• 1998
  Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.
• 1998
  The European Central Bank is established.
• 1999
  The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries - members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden).
• 2002
  Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union’s member states.
• 2002
  Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei.
• 2002
  The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially comes into force.
• 2004
  In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is “deemed to be elected” to the office of President until October 2007.
• 2007
  Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board.
• 2007
  Bulgaria and Romania officially join the European Union. Also, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages.
• 2008
  Malta and Cyprus officially adopt the Euro currency and become the fourteenth and fifteenth Eurozone countries.
• 2009
  66 die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.
• 2010
  A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more.
• 2011
  Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the seventeenth eurozone country.
• 2012
  Kim Jong-un is officially declared the new Supreme Leader of North Korea.

Who Were Born On January 1?

• 766
  Ali al-Rida, Shia Imam (d. 818)
• 871
  King Zwentibold of Lotharingia (d. 900)
• 1431
  Pope Alexander VI (d. 1503)
• 1449
  Lorenzo de' Medici (d. 1492)
• 1467
  King Sigismund I the Old of Poland (d. 1548)
• 1484
  Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss religious figure (d. 1531)
• 1511
  Henry, Duke of Cornwall (d. 1511)
• 1516
  Margaret Leijonhufvud, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (d. 1551)
• 1557
  Prince István Bocskay of Transylvania (d. 1606)
• 1600
  Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649)
• 1614
  John Wilkins, English Bishop of Chester (d. 1672)
• 1618
  Bartolomé Estéban Murillo, Spanish painter (baptism) (d. 1682)
• 1638
  Emperor Go-Sai of Japan (d. 1685)
• 1648
  Elkanah Settle, English writer (d. 1724)
• 1655
  Christian Thomasius, German jurist (d. 1728)
• 1684
  Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch classical scholar (d. 1748)
• 1704
  Soame Jenyns, English writer (d. 1787)
• 1711
  Franz Freiherr von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (d. 1749)
• 1714
  Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian poet (d. 1780)
• 1735
  Paul Revere, American patriot (d. 1818)
• 1745
  Anthony Wayne, American general and statesman (d. 1796)
• 1750
  Frederick Muhlenberg, American statesman and 1st and 3rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1801)
• 1752
  Betsy Ross, American seamstress (d. 1836)
• 1767
  Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish novelist (d. 1849)
• 1774
  André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist (d. 1860)
• 1779
  William Clowes, English printer (d. 1847)
• 1803
  Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, Italian mathematician (d. 1869)
• 1814
  Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebel (d. 1864)
• 1819
  Arthur Hugh Clough, English poet (d. 1861)
• 1823
  Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and revolutionary (d. 1849)
• 1833
  Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (d. 1902)
• 1834
  Ludovic Halévy, French playwright (d. 1908)
• 1848
  John Goff, Irish lawyer (d. 1924)
• 1852
  Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist (d. 1904)
• 1854
  Sir James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist (d. 1941)
• 1859
  Thibaw Min, King of Burma (d. 1916)
• 1860
  Dan Katchongva, Native American leader (d. 1972)
• 1860
  Dirk van Erp, Dutch American coppersmith (d. 1933)
• 1860
  Jan Vilímek, Czech illustrator and painter (d. 1938)
• 1860
  John Cassidy, Irish sculptor and painter (d. 1939)
• 1860
  Michele Lega, Roman Catholic Cardinal (d. 1935)
• 1863
  Pierre de Coubertin, French aristocrat and founder of the modern Olympic Games (d. 1937)
• 1864
  Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer (d. 1946)
• 1864
  Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (d. 1957)
• 1867
  Lew Fields, American vaudeville performer (d. 1941)
• 1868
  Snitz Edwards, American actor (d. 1937)
• 1873
  Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (d. 1952)
• 1874
  Frank Knox, American journalist and 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (d. 1944)
• 1874
  Gustave Whitehead, German inventor (d. 1927)
• 1876
  Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933)
• 1878
  Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish scientist and engineer (d. 1929)
• 1879
  E. M. Forster, English novelist (d. 1970)
• 1879
  William Fox, Hungarian-born American film producer (d. 1952)
• 1881
  Vajiravudh, King of Thailand (d. 1925)
• 1887
  Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (d. 1945)
• 1888
  Georgios Stanotas, Greek cavalry officer (d. 1965)
• 1888
  John Garand, American inventor (d. 1974)
• 1889
  Charles Bickford, American film actor (d. 1967)
• 1890
  Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer (d. 1966)
• 1892
  Artur Rodziński, Croatian conductor (d. 1958)
• 1892
  Manuel Roxas, Filipino statesman (d. 1948)
• 1893
  Mordehai Frizis, Greek Army officer (d. 1940)
• 1894
  Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian mathematician (d. 1974)
• 1894
  Shitsu Nakano, Japanese supercentenarian (d. 2007)
• 1895
  J. Edgar Hoover, American FBI director (d. 1972)
• 1900
  Chiune Sugihara, Japanese diplomat (d. 1986)
• 1900
  Xavier Cugat, Spanish musician (d. 1990)
• 1902
  Buster Nupen, South African cricketer (d. 1977)
• 1904
  Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani politician (d. 1982)
• 1904
  Vasilis Avlonitis, Greek actor (d. 1970)
• 1905
  Stanisław Mazur, Polish mathematician (d. 1981)
• 1906
  Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian songwriter (d. 1974)
• 1908
  Bill Tapia, American musician (d. 2011)
• 1909
  Dana Andrews, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1909
  Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian nationalist leader (d. 1959)
• 1911
  Audrey Wurdemann, American poet (d.1960)
• 1911
  Basil Dearden, British film director (d. 1971)
• 1911
  Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)
• 1911
  Roman Totenberg, Polish-born American violinist
• 1912
  Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician (d. 1995)
• 1912
  Kim Philby, British spy (d. 1988)
• 1912
  Nikiforos Vrettakos, Greek writer and poet (d. 1991)
• 1914
  Noor Inayat Khan, Indian princess and SOE agent (d. 1944)
• 1917
  Albert Mol, Dutch actor (d. 2004)
• 1917
  Jule Gregory Charney, American meteorologist (d. 1981)
• 1918
  Frances Bay, Canadian actress (d. 2011)
• 1918
  Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish Victoria Cross recipient (d. 2000)
• 1919
  Carole Landis, American film actress (d. 1948)
• 1919
  J. D. Salinger, American novelist (d. 2010)
• 1919
  Rocky Graziano, American boxer (d. 1990)
• 1919
  Yoshio Tabata, Japanese singer
• 1920
  Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (d. 2007)
• 1920
  Virgilio Savona, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra) (d. 2009)
• 1920
  Willie Fennell, Australian comedian, actor (d. 1992)
• 1921
  César Baldaccini, French sculptor (d. 1998)
• 1921
  Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi, Palestinian philosopher (d. 1986)
• 1921
  Wadih El Safi, Lebanese singer and songwriter
• 1922
  Ernest Hollings, American politician, 106th Governor of South Carolina and United States Senator from South Carolina
• 1922
  Jerry Robinson, American comic book artist (d. 2011)
• 1923
  Daniel Gorenstein, American mathematician (d. 1992)
• 1923
  Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist (d. 1999)
• 1924
  Charlie Munger, American philanthropist
• 1924
  Roberts Blossom, American actor and poet
• 1925
  Matthew “Stymie” Beard, American actor (d. 1981)
• 1925
  Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and ambassador (d. 2005)
• 1925
  Raymond Pellegrin, French actor (d. 2007)
• 1925
  Valentina Cortese, Italian actress
• 1926
  Richard Verreau, French-Canadian tenor (d. 2005)
• 1927
  Calum MacKay, Canadian hockey player (d. 2001)
• 1927
  Doak Walker, American football star (d. 1998)
• 1927
  Maurice Béjart, French choreographer (d. 2007)
• 1927
  Pat Heywood, Scottish actress
• 1927
  Vernon L. Smith, American economist, Nobel Prize in Economics winner
• 1927
  Yvonne Sanson, Greek film actress (d. 2003)
• 1928
  Ernest Tidyman, American writer (d. 1984)
• 1928
  Gerhard Weinberg, German-American historian
• 1929
  Haruo Nakajima, Japanese actor
• 1929
  Joseph Lombardo, American mafioso
• 1929
  Raymond Chow, Hong Kong film producer
• 1930
  Frederick Wiseman, American documentary filmmaker
• 1930
  Gaafar al-Nimeiry, Sudanese politician (d. 2009)
• 1930
  Jean-Pierre Duprey, French poet and sculptor (d. 1959)
• 1930
  Ty Hardin, American film actor
• 1932
  Giuseppe Patanè, Italian opera conductor (d. 1989)
• 1932
  Jackie Parker, American football player (d. 2006)
• 1933
  Frederick Lowy, Canadian educator
• 1933
  James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat
• 1933
  Joe Orton, English writer (d. 1967)
• 1933
  Joseph Koo, Chinese composer
• 1933
  Norman Yemm, Australian actor
• 1935
  B. Kliban, American cartoonist (d. 1990)
• 1936
  Don Nehlen, American football player and coach
• 1936
  James Sinegal, American businessman
• 1937
  Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg, Polish author (d. 1995)
• 1937
  John Fuller, English poet
• 1937
  Matt Robinson, American actor (d. 2002)
• 1937
  Petros Markaris, Greek writer
• 1938
  Clay Cole, American television host and producer (d. 2010)
• 1938
  Frank Langella, American actor
• 1938
  Robert Jankel, British coachbuilder (d. 2005)
• 1939
  Michèle Mercier, French actress
• 1941
  Asrani, Indian actor and comedian
• 1941
  Barry Goldberg, American musician
• 1942
  Al Hunt, American reporter and news anchor
• 1942
  Alassane Ouattara, former Prime Minister of Ivory Coast
• 1942
  Country Joe McDonald, American musician (Country Joe and the Fish)
• 1942
  Dennis Archer, American politician
• 1942
  Gennadi Sarafanov, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 2005)
• 1942
  Judy Stone, Australian pop singer
• 1942
  Martin Frost, American politician
• 1943
  Don Novello, American actor
• 1943
  Larry Clark, American director
• 1943
  Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, Indian scientist
• 1943
  Ronald Perelman, American businessman
• 1943
  Tony Knowles, American politician and 7th Governor of Alaska
• 1944
  Jimmy Hart, American wrestling manager
• 1944
  Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani politician
• 1945
  Jacky Ickx, Belgian race car driver
• 1945
  Max Julien, American actor
• 1945
  Peter Duncan, Australian politician
• 1946
  Carl B. Hamilton, Swedish economist and politician
• 1946
  Rick Hurst, American actor
• 1946
  Rivelino, Brazilian football player
• 1946
  Shelby Steele, American author and filmmaker
• 1946
  Susannah McCorkle, American writer and singer (d. 2001)
• 1947
  Frances Yip, Hong Kong singer
• 1947
  James K. Glassman, American journalist and diplomat
• 1947
  Jon Corzine, American politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey and former United States Senator from New Jersey
• 1947
  Leonard Thompson, American professional golfer
• 1947
  Paula Tsui, Hong Kong singer
• 1948
  Ashok Saraf, Marathi/Hindi actor
• 1948
  Devlet Bahçeli, Turkish politician
• 1948
  Ismael Zambada García, Mexican drug lord
• 1948
  Joe Petagno, American artist
• 1948
  Pavel Grachev, Russian general
• 1949
  Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician
• 1949
  Daniel E Gawthrop, American composer
• 1949
  Max Azria, French fashion designer
• 1950
  Deepa Mehta, Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter
• 1950
  Morgan Fisher, English musician (Mott the Hoople)
• 1950
  Wayne Bennett, Australian rugby league coach
• 1951
  Ashfaq Hussain, Urdu poet
• 1951
  Hans-Joachim Stuck, German race car driver
• 1951
  Nana Patekar, Indian film and stage actor
• 1952
  Rosario Marchese, Italian-Canadian politician
• 1952
  Stephanie Faracy, American actress
• 1953
  Alpha Blondy, Ivorian reggae singer
• 1953
  Gary Johnson, American politician and 29th Governor of New Mexico
• 1953
  Greg Carmichael, British guitarist (Acoustic Alchemy)
• 1953
  Lynn Jones, American baseball player
• 1954
  Bob Menendez, American politician and United States Senator from New Jersey
• 1954
  Richard Edson, American actor and musician
• 1954
  Yannis Papathanasiou, Greek politician
• 1955
  LaMarr Hoyt, American baseball player
• 1956
  Kōji Yakusho, Japanese actor
• 1956
  Mark R. Hughes, American entrepreneur (d. 2000)
• 1956
  Mike Mitchell, American basketball player
• 1956
  Sergei Avdeyev, Russian cosmonaut
• 1956
  Sheila McCarthy, Canadian actress
• 1956
  Ziad Rahbani, Lebanese composer
• 1957
  Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician
• 1957
  Ewa Kasprzyk, Polish actress
• 1957
  Mark Hurd, American businessman
• 1958
  Dave Silk, American ice hockey player
• 1958
  Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian musician
• 1958
  Ren Woods, American actress and singer
• 1959
  Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghan cosmonaut
• 1959
  Andy Andrews, American tennis player
• 1959
  Azali Assoumani, Comorian president
• 1959
  Michel Onfray, French philosopher
• 1959
  Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach
• 1960
  Leilani Kai, American wrestler
• 1960
  Michael Seibert, American ice dancer
• 1960
  Rayo de Jalisco, Jr., Mexican wrestler
• 1961
  Fiona Phillips, British television presenter
• 1961
  Mark Wingett, British actor
• 1961
  Sam Backo, Australian rugby league footballer
• 1961
  Sam Palahnuk, American video game designer
• 1961
  Sergei Babayan, American classical pianist
• 1962
  Ari Up, German musician (The Slits) (d. 2010)
• 1963
  Alberigo Evani, Italian footballer
• 1963
  Dražen Ladić, Croatian footballer
• 1963
  Jean-Marc Gounon, French race car driver
• 1963
  Lina Kačiušytė, Lithuanian swimmer
• 1963
  Linda Henry, English actor
• 1964
  Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress
• 1964
  Juliana Donald, American actress
• 1965
  Andrew Valmon, American athlete
• 1965
  John Sullivan, American politician
• 1966
  Adam Paskowitz, American singer (The Flys)
• 1966
  Anna Burke, Australian politician
• 1966
  Tina Landon, Mexican-American choreographer
• 1967
  Derrick Thomas, American football player (d. 2000)
• 1967
  Gorsha Sur, Russian ice dancer
• 1967
  John Digweed, English DJ
• 1967
  Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Spanish film director
• 1967
  Spencer Tunick, American artist
• 1967
  Tim Dog, American rapper
• 1968
  Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer
• 1968
  Felix Chong, Hong Kong screenwriter
• 1968
  Joey Stefano, American actor (d. 1994)
• 1968
  Miki Higashino, Japanese composer
• 1969
  Christi Paul, American news anchor
• 1969
  Melissa DiMarco, Canadian actress
• 1969
  Morris Chestnut, American actor
• 1969
  Nicolle Dickson, Australian actress
• 1969
  Paul Lawrie, Scottish golfer
• 1969
  Verne Troyer, American actor
• 1970
  Kimberly Page, American manager and actress
• 1971
  Bobby Holik, Czech ice hockey player
• 1971
  Chris Potter, American jazz saxophonist
• 1971
  Ezra Weisz, American voice actor
• 1971
  Fredro Starr, American rapper (Onyx)
• 1971
  Juan Carlos Plata, Guatemalan soccer player
• 1971
  Phoebus, Greek songwriter
• 1971
  Sammie Henson, American wrestler
• 1971
  Scott Riggs, American racing driver
• 1972
  Barron Miles, American Canadian football player
• 1972
  Catherine McCormack, British actress
• 1972
  Garrett K. Gomez, American horse jockey
• 1972
  Lilian Thuram, French footballer
• 1972
  Neve McIntosh, Scottish actress
• 1972
  Yermakhan Ibraimov, Kazakh boxer
• 1973
  Anwar Mansoor Mangrio, Sindhi poet
• 1973
  Danny Lloyd, American actor
• 1973
  Li Fang, Chinese tennis player
• 1973
  Magnus Sahlgren, Swedish musician (Lake of Tears)
• 1973
  Shelda Bede, Brazilian beach volleyball player
• 1974
  Christian Paradis, Canadian politician
• 1974
  Eva Birthistle, Irish actress
• 1974
  Giorgos Theodotou, Greek-Cypriot footballer
• 1974
  Hamilton Ricard, Colombian footballer
• 1975
  Becky Kellar-Duke, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1975
  Bengt Sæternes, Norwegian footballer
• 1975
  Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player
• 1975
  Eiichiro Oda, Japanese manga artist
• 1975
  Fernando Tatis, Dominican baseball player
• 1975
  Joe Cannon, American footballer
• 1975
  Sonali Bendre, Indian model and actress
• 1977
  Andrei Stoliarov, Russian tennis player
• 1977
  Hasan Salihamidžić, Bosnian footballer
• 1977
  Jerry Yan, Taiwanese actor and singer
• 1977
  Leoš Friedl, Czech tennis player
• 1977
  María de la Paz Hernández, Argentinian field hockey player
• 1977
  Robert Roode, Canadian professional wrestler
• 1978
  Mykhaylo Renzhyn, Latvian skier
• 1978
  Nina Bott, German actress
• 1978
  Phillip Mulryne, Northern Irish footballer
• 1978
  Tarik O'Regan, British composer
• 1978
  Vidya Balan, Indian model and actress
• 1979
  Brody Dalle, Australian singer (The Distillers)
• 1979
  Fadi El Khatib, Lebanese basketball player
• 1979
  Koichi Domoto, Japanese artist
• 1980
  Elin Nordegren, Swedish model
• 1980
  Lazaros Agadakos, Greek basketball player
• 1981
  Abdülkadir Koçak, Turkish boxer
• 1981
  Eden Riegel, American actress
• 1981
  Jonas Armstrong, English actor
• 1981
  Mladen Petrić, Croatian footballer
• 1981
  Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian racing driver
• 1982
  David Nalbandian, Argentinian tennis player
• 1982
  Luke Rodgers, English soccer player
• 1983
  Calum Davenport, English footballer
• 1983
  Emi Kobayashi, Japanese model
• 1983
  Park Sung-Hyun, South Korean Olympic archer
• 1983
  Thomas Morrison, English actor
• 1984
  Alok Kapali, Bangladeshi cricketer
• 1984
  Cheung Kin Fung, Hong Kong footballer
• 1984
  José Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer
• 1984
  Michael Witt, Australian rugby league footballer
• 1984
  Mohammed Ghaddar, Lebanese footballer
• 1984
  Stefano Pastrello, Italian footballer
• 1985
  Eyjólfur Héðinsson, Icelandic professional footballer and model
• 1985
  Jeff Carter, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985
  Steven Davis, Northern Irish footballer
• 1985
  Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball player
• 1986
  Colin Morgan, Northern Irish actor
• 1986
  Glen Davis, American basketball player
• 1986
  James Davis, American football player
• 1986
  Pablo Cuevas, Uruguayan tennis player
• 1986
  Sungmin, South Korean singer (Super Junior)
• 1987
  Chris Collins, American actor and comedian
• 1987
  Devin Setoguchi, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1987
  Gilbert Brule, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1988
  Grzegorz Panfil, Polish tennis player
• 1992
  He Kexin, Chinese gymnast
• 1992
  Jack Wilshere, English footballer
• 1992
  Tim Menzel, German rugby player
• 1998
  Marlene Lawston, American child actress

Who Died On January 1?

• 379
  Saint Basil of Caesarea (b. 330)
• 404
  Saint Telemachus, Christian monk
• 874
  Hasan al-Askari, eleventh Shia Imam (b. 846)
• 898
  Odo, Count of Paris (b. 860)
• 962
  Baldwin III, Count of Flanders (b. c. 940)
• 1204
  King Haakon III of Norway (b. c. 1170)
• 1387
  King Charles II of Navarre (b. 1332)
• 1515
  King Louis XII of France (b. 1462)
• 1554
  Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish conquistador (b. 1500)
• 1559
  Christian III of Denmark and Norway (b. 1503)
• 1560
  Joachim du Bellay, French poet (b. 1522)
• 1617
  Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter (b. 1558)
• 1631
  Thomas Hobson, the “Cambridge Carrier”, eponym of Hobson’s Choice (b. 1544)
• 1697
  Filippo Baldinucci, Florentine biographer/historian (b. 1624)
• 1716
  William Wycherley, English dramatist (b. 1640)
• 1730
  Samuel Sewall, English judge (b. 1652)
• 1742
  Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English statesman (b. 1686)
• 1748
  Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (b. 1667)
• 1759
  Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie, French adventurer (b. 1705)
• 1766
  James Francis Edward Stuart, “The Old Pretender” (b. 1688)
• 1782
  Johann Christian Bach, German composer (b. 1735)
• 1789
  Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English politician (b. 1716)
• 1793
  Francesco Guardi, Venetian painter (b. 1712)
• 1796
  Alexandre-Théophile Vandermonde, French mathematician (b. 1735)
• 1800
  Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French naturalist (b. 1716)
• 1817
  Martin Heinrich Klaproth, German chemist (b. 1743)
• 1835
  Mátyás Godina, writer, teacher and pastor (b. 1768)
• 1852
  John George Children, British chemist, mineralogist and zoologist (b. 1777)
• 1853
  Gregory Blaxland, Australian explorer (b. 1778)
• 1862
  Mikhail Vasilievich Ostrogradsky, Russian physicist (b. 1801)
• 1869
  Martin W. Bates, American politician (b. 1786)
• 1881
  Louis Auguste Blanqui, French political activist (b. 1805)
• 1892
  Roswell B. Mason, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
• 1894
  Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, German physicist (b. 1857)
• 1896
  Alfred Ely Beach, American inventor (b. 1826)
• 1906
  Sir Hugh Nelson, Premier of Queensland (b. 1835)
• 1918
  Wilfred Campbell, Canadian poet (b. 1858)
• 1919
  Mikhail Drozdovsky, Russian general (b. 1881)
• 1921
  Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1856)
• 1922
  István Kühár, Slovene (Prekmurian) writer and politician (b. 1887)
• 1931
  Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (b. 1851)
• 1932
  C P Scott, British journalist, publisher and politician (b. 1846)
• 1940
  Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian writer and essayist (b. 1865)
• 1943
  Colonel Andrew Summers Rowan, U.S. military officer who gave “a message to Garcia” (b. 1857)
• 1944
  Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (b. 1862)
• 1944
  Sir Edward Lutyens, British architect who designed New Delhi (b. 1869)
• 1953
  Hank Williams, American singer (b. 1923)
• 1954
  Duff Cooper, British diplomat and writer (b. 1890)
• 1955
  Arthur C. Parker, American archaeologist, folklorist, and historian (b. 1881)
• 1957
  Seán South and Fergal O'Hanlon are killed in the Brookeborough Raid
• 1958
  Edward Weston, American photographer (b. 1886)
• 1960
  Margaret Sullavan, American actress, screenwriter (b. 1909)
• 1964
  Bechara El Khoury, President of Lebanon (b. 1890)
• 1966
  Vincent Auriol, French politician (b. 1884)
• 1969
  Barton MacLane, American actor (b. 1902)
• 1969
  Bruno Söderström, Swedish athlete (b. 1888)
• 1971
  Saint Amphilochius of Pochayiv, Ukrainian Orthodox Christian Saint (b. 1894)
• 1972
  Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888)
• 1973
  Sergei Kourdakov, former KGB agent (b. 1951)
• 1980
  Adolph Deutsch, American composer and arranger (b. 1897)
• 1980
  Pietro Nenni, Italian socialist politician (b. 1891)
• 1981
  Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Jewish concert pianist (b. 1920)
• 1982
  Victor Buono, American actor (b. 1938)
• 1984
  Alexis Korner, British blues musician (b. 1928)
• 1985
  Kamatari Fujiwara, Japanese actor (b. 1905)
• 1985
  Sigerson Clifford, Irish poet and writer (b. 1913)
• 1986
  Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (b. 1902)
• 1986
  Bruce Norris, American hockey executive (Detroit Red Wings) (b. 1924)
• 1989
  Aleka Stratigou, Greek actress (b. 1926)
• 1991
  Buck Ram, American songwriter and businessman (The Platters) (b. 1907)
• 1992
  Grace Hopper, American computer pioneer (b. 1906)
• 1994
  Cesar Romero, American actor (b. 1907)
• 1994
  Edward Arthur Thompson, British historian (b. 1914)
• 1994
  Lord Arthur Porritt, Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1900)
• 1995
  Eugene Wigner, Hungarian American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1902)
• 1995
  Fred West, British serial killer (suicide) (b. 1941)
• 1996
  Arleigh Burke, American admiral (b. 1901)
• 1996
  Arthur Rudolph, German engineer (b. 1906)
• 1997
  Hagood Hardy, Canadian composer and musician (b. 1937)
• 1997
  Ivan Graziani, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
• 1997
  Townes Van Zandt, American country musician (b. 1944)
• 1998
  Helen Wills Moody, American tennis player (b. 1905)
• 2000
  Colin Vaughan, Australian political journalist (b. 1931)
• 2001
  Ray Walston, American actor (b. 1914)
• 2002
  Julia Phillips, American film producer (b. 1944)
• 2003
  Cyril Shaps, English actor (b. 1923)
• 2003
  Dumitru Tinu, Romanian journalist (b. 1940)
• 2003
  F. William Free, American advertising executive (b. 1928)
• 2003
  Joe Foss, American politician, fighter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient and AFL Commissioner (b. 1915)
• 2005
  Bob Matsui, American politician (b. 1941)
• 2005
  Eugene J. Martin, American painter, artist (b. 1938)
• 2005
  Hugh Lawson, 6th Baron Burnham, British newspaperman (b. 1931)
• 2005
  Shirley Chisholm, American politician (b. 1924)
• 2006
  Bryan Harvey, American musician (House of Freaks) (b. 1956)
• 2006
  Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne (b. 1927)
• 2006
  Harry Magdoff, American magazine editor (b. 1913)
• 2006
  Hugh McLaughlin, Irish publisher and inventor (b. 1918)
• 2007
  A. I. Bezzerides, American novelist and screenwriter (b. 1908)
• 2007
  Darrent Williams, American football player (b. 1982)
• 2007
  Del Reeves, American country singer (b. 1932)
• 2007
  Ernie Koy, American baseball player (b. 1909)
• 2007
  Julius Hegyi, American conductor (b. 1923)
• 2007
  Leon Davidson, American scientist known for studying UFOs (b. 1922)
• 2007
  Leonard Fraser, Australian serial killer (b. 1951)
• 2007
  Roland Levinsky, South African medical scientist (b. 1943)
• 2007
  Tad Jones, American jazz music historian (b. 1952)
• 2007
  Tillie Olsen, American writer (b. 1912)
• 2008
  Harold Corsini, American photographer (b. 1919)
• 2008
  Peter Caffrey, Irish actor (b. 1949)
• 2008
  Pratap Chandra Chunder, Union minister of India (b. 1919)
• 2008
  Salvatore Bonanno, son of Joseph Bonanno (b. 1932)
• 2009
  Aarne Arvonen, Finnish supercentenerian (b.1897)
• 2009
  Claiborne Pell, U.S. senator (b. 1918)
• 2009
  Nizar Rayan, Hamas leader (b. 1962)
• 2010
  Lhasa de Sela, Mexican-American singer (b. 1972)
• 2011
  Flemming Jørgensen, Danish singer (b. 1947)
• 2011
  Marin Constantin, Romanian composer and conductor (b. 1925)
• 2011
  Reynaldo Dagsa, Filipino politician
• 2012
  Carlos Soria, politician, Secretary of Intelligence (2002) and Governor of Río Negro (2011) (b. 1948)
• 2012
  Gary Ablett, English footballer (b. 1965)
• 2012
  Yafa Yarkoni, Israeli singer (b. 1925)

Did you know that coffee and word games are an excellent combination to sharpen your vocabulary? Try this! Within 30 seconds, how many words can you think of from these letters FSIOVOKGS? Check your answers here: Words with these letters FSIOVOKGS. (Sponsored by WordFinder.Cafe)

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