Events
- 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor is lifted.
- 1521 - Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25.
- 1547 - Henry VIII dies. His nine year old son, Edward VI becomes King, and the first Protestant ruler of England.
- 1573 - Articles of Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland.
- 1754 - Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity.
- 1624 - Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on Saint Kitts.
- 1724 - The Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great, and implemented in the Senate decree. It was called St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917.
- 1760 - Pownal, Vermont created by Benning Wentworth as one of the New Hampshire Grants.
- 1813 - Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom.
- 1820 - Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovered the Antarctic continent approaching the Antarctic coast.
- 1846 - Battle of Aliwal, India won by British troops commanded by Sir Harry Smith.
- 1855 - The first locomotive runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the Panama Railway.
- 1871 - Franco-Prussian War: Siege of Paris ends in French defeat and an armistice.
- 1878 - Yale Daily News becomes the first daily, college newspaper in the United States.
- 1887 - In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world's largest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick.
- 1902 - The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.
- 1909 - United States troops leave Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base after being there since the Spanish-American War.
- 1915 - An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard.
- 1916 - Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court.
- 1917 - Municipally owned streetcars take to the streets of San Francisco.
- 1918 - Finnish Civil War: Rebels seized control of the capital, Helsinki, and members of the Senate of Finland go underground.
- 1921 - A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to honour the unknown dead of World War I.
- 1922 - Knickerbocker Storm,Washington DC's biggest snowfall, causes Washington DC's greatest lossof life when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater collapses.
- 1932 - Japanese forces attack Shanghai.
- 1933 - The name Pakistan is coined by Choudhary Rehmat Ali Khan and is accepted by the Indian Muslims who then thereby adopted it further for the Pakistan Movement seeking independence.
- 1934 - The first ski tow in America begins operation in Vermont.
- 1935 - Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion.
- 1938 - The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by driver Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W195.
- 1945 - World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
- 1946 - Bluenose, Canada's greatest sailing ship, founders on a Haitian reef.
- 1953 - Derek Bentley hanged for a murder carried out by Christopher Craig.
- 1958 - Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate begin their murder spree with the killings of her parents and infant sister.
- 1980 - USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa Bay Florida and capsizes; killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers.
- 1981 - Ronald Reagan lifts remaining domestic petroleum price and allocation controls in the United States helping to end the 1979 energy crisis and begin the 1980s oil glut.
- 1982 - US Army general James L. Dozier is rescued by Italian anti-terrorism forces after 42 days of captivity under the Red Brigades.
Disintegration of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
- 1986 - Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission (Space Shuttle Challenger disaster) - Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after liftoff killing all seven astronauts onboard, including Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher in space.
- 1994 - The first trial of accused murderer Lyle Menendez ends in a mistrial. He and his brother Erik are later found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
- 1998 - Gunmen hold at least 400 children and teachers hostage for several hours at an elementary school in Manila, Philippines.
- 2002 - TAME Flight 120, a Boeing 727-100 crashes in the Andes mountains in southern Colombia killing 92.
- 2004 - Lord Hutton publishes his report into the death of UN weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly.
Births
- 1312 - Queen Joan II of Navarre (d. 1349)
- 1457 - King Henry VII of England (d. 1509)
- 1540 - Ludolph van Ceulen, German mathematician (d. 1610)
- 1582 - John Barclay, Scottish writer (d. 1621)
- 1600 - Pope Clement IX (d. 1669)
- 1608 - Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Italian physiologist and physicist (d. 1679)
- 1611 - Johannes Hevelius, astronomer (d. 1687)
- 1622 - Adrien Auzout, French astronomer (d. 1691)
- 1701 - Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (d. 1774)
- 1706 - John Baskerville, English printer (d. 1775)
- 1712 - Tokugawa Ieshige, Japanese shogun (d. 1761)
- 1717 - Mustafa III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1774)
- 1719 - Johann Elias Schlegel, German critic and poet (d. 1749)
- 1755 - Samuel Thomas von Sömmering, German physician (d. 1830)
- 1784 - George Hamilton Gordon Aberdeen, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1860)
- 1822 - Alexander Mackenzie, 2nd Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1892)
- 1833 - Charles George 'Chinese' Gordon, British soldier and administrator (d. 1885)
- 1841 - Henry Morton Stanley, Welsh-born explorer and journalist (d. 1904)
- 1853 - José MartÃÂ, Cuban revolutionary (d. 1895)
- 1855 - William Seward Burroughs I, American inventor (d. 1898)
- 1863 - Ernst William Christmas, Australian painter (d. 1918)
- 1864 - Charles W. Nash, co-founder of Nash Motors, which would become American Motors as well as co-founder of Buick (d. 1948)
- 1864 - Herbert Akroyd Stuart, English engineer - inventor of the first compression ignition engine (d. 1927)
- 1865 - Lala Lajpat Rai, Indian freedom fighter (d. 1928)
- 1865 - Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, first president of Finland (d. 1952)
- 1873 - Colette, French writer (d. 1954)
- 1874 - Vsevolod Meyerhold, Russian theatre director (d. 1940)
- 1879 - Francis Picabia, French-born painter and poet (d. 1953)
- 1880 - Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer (d. 1970)
- 1884 - Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist (d. 1962)
- 1886 - Marthe Bibesco, Romanian writer (d. 1973)
- 1887 - Arthur Rubinstein, Polish pianist and conductor (d. 1982)
- 1890 - Robert Stroud, American convict, the Birdman of Alcatraz (d. 1963)
- 1891 - Bill Doak, American baseball player (d. 1954)
- 1892 - Ernst Lubitsch, German-born film director (d. 1947)
- 1897 - Valentin Kataev, Russian writer (d. 1986)
- 1899 - Elias Simojoki, Finnish clergyman and politician (d. 1940)
- 1903 - Aleksander Kamiński, Polish writer (d. 1978)
- 1908 - Paul Misraki, French composer and songwriter (d. 1998)
- 1910 - John Banner, Austrian actor (d. 1973)
- 1910 - Arnold Moss, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1912 - Jackson Pollock, American painter (d. 1956)
- 1918 - Harry Corbett, English puppeteer (Sooty) (d. 1989)
- 1919 - Francis Gabreski, American fighter pilot (d. 2002)
- 1922 - Robert W. Holley, American biochemist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1993)
- 1927 - Ronnie Scott, British jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner (d. 1996)
- 1927 - Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director (d. 2001)
- 1929 - Acker Bilk, English jazz clarinetist
- 1929 - Claes Oldenburg, Swedish-born artist
- 1933 - Jack Hill, American film director
- 1934 - Juan Manuel Bordeu, Argentine racing driver (d. 1990)
- 1934 - Mitr Chaibancha, Thai actor (d. 1970)
- 1935 - David Lodge, English author
- 1936 - Ismail Kadare, Albanian writer
- 1936 - Alan Alda, American actor, writer, and director
- 1938 - Leonid Zhabotynsky, Ukrainian weightlifter
- 1941 - Joel Crothers, American actor (d. 1985)
- 1943 - Paul Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1944 - Susan Howard, American actress
- 1944 - John Tavener, English composer
- 1945 - Robert Wyatt, English musician
- 1948 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian dancer
- 1948 - Charles Taylor, President of Liberia
- 1950 - Barbi Benton, American actress
- 1950 - Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah, King of Bahrain
- 1951 - Brian Bilbray, American politician
- 1951 - Leonid Kadeniuk, Ukrainian cosmonaut
- 1953 - Colin Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player and executive
- 1953 - Chris Carter, English musician (Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey)
- 1954 - Rick Warren, American pastor and author
- 1955 - Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France
- 1957 - Mark Napier, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1959 - Frank Darabont, American filmmaker
- 1959 - Randi Rhodes, Air America radio personality
- 1959 - Dave Sharp, Welsh guitarist (The Alarm)
- 1960 - Robert von Dassanowsky, American cultural historian, writer, and producer
- 1961 - Normand Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1962 - Sam Phillips, American singer
- 1963 - Dan Spitz, American musician, guitarist for Anthrax
- 1965 - Lynda Boyd, American actress
- 1968 - Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer and songwriter
- 1968 - DJ Muggs, American musician (Cypress Hill)
- 1968 - Rakim, born William Michael Griffin Jr., American rapper
- 1969 - Kathryn Morris, American actress
- 1969 - Mo Rocca, American writer and comedian
- 1969 - Linda Sanchez, American politician
- 1971 - Anthony Hamilton, American soul singer
- 1972 - Nicky Southall, English footballer
- 1974 - Tony Delk, American basketball player
- 1974 - Jermaine Dye, American baseball player
- 1974 - Magglio Ordóñez, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1975 - David Zingler, American writer
- 1975 - Anne Montminy, Canadian Olympic diver
- 1975 - Lee Latchford-Evans, English singer
- 1975 - Junior Spivey, American baseball player
- 1975 - Terri Colombino, American Actress
- 1976 - Mark Madsen, American basketball player
- 1976 - Jarrod Montague, American drummer (Taproot)
- 1976 - Lee Ingleby, British actor
- 1976 - Miltiadis Sapanis, Greek footballer
- 1976 - Emiko Kado, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 1999)
- 1977 - Daunte Culpepper, American football player
- 1977 - Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC)
- 1977 - Matt DeVries, American guitarist (Chimaira)
- 1977 - Takuma Sato, Japanese Formula One driver
- 1977 - Lyle Overbay, American baseball player
- 1978 - Gianluigi Buffon, Italian footballer
- 1978 - Jamie Carragher, English footballer
- 1978 - Papa Bouba Diop, Senegalese footballer
- 1979 - Pixie, English model
- 1979 - Ali Boulala, Swedish skateboarder
- 1980 - Nick Carter, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- 1980 - Jesse James Hollywood, American drug dealer and fugitive
- 1981 - Rick Razzano, American football player
- 1981 - Elijah Wood, American actor
- 1984 - Andre Iguodala, American basketball player
- 1985 - Arnold Mvuemba, French footballer
- 1986 - Jessica Ennis, English heptathlete
- 1986 - Shruti Haasan, Indian actress
- 1988 - Henry Mortensen (actor), American actor
Deaths
- 814 - Charlemagne (b. 742)
- 1061 - Duke Spytihněv II of Bohemia (b. 1031)
- 1271 - Isabella of Aragon, queen of Philip III of France (b. 1247)
- 1443 - Robert le Maçon, Chancellor of France
- 1547 - King Henry VIII of England (b. 1491)
- 1596 - Sir Francis Drake, English explorer and soldier
- 1599 - Cristofano Malvezzi, Italian composer (b. 1547)
- 1613 - Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and library founder (b. 1545)
- 1621 - Pope Paul V (b. 1550)
- 1681 - Richard Allestree, English royalist churchman (b. 1619)
- 1672 - Pierre Séguier, Chancellor of France (b. 1588)
- 1687 - Johannes Hevelius, Polish astronomer (b. 1611)
- 1697 - John Fenwick, English conspirator
- 1725 (O.S.) - Tsar Peter I of Russia, (b. 1672)
- 1754 - Ludvig Holberg, Norwegian historian and writer (b. 1684)
- 1832 - Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (b. 1769)
- 1859 - Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1782)
- 1864 - Émile Clapeyron, French engineer and physicist (b. 1799)
- 1903 - Augusta Holmès, French composer (b. 1847)
- 1912 - Gustave de Molinari, Belgian economist (b. 1819)
- 1915 - Nikolay Umov, Russian physicist (b. 1846)
- 1918 - John McCrae, Canadian poet (b. 1872)
- 1935 - Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer (b. 1859)
- 1937 - Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect and shooter (b. 1862)
- 1938 - Bernd Rosemeyer, German racecar driver (b. 1909)
- 1939 - William Butler Yeats, Irish writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1865)
- 1947 - Reynaldo Hahn, French composer (b. 1875)
- 1949 - Jean-Pierre Wimille, French race car driver (b. 1908)
- 1950 - Nikolai Luzin, Russian mathematician (b. 1883)
- 1951 - Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, president of Finland (b.1867)
- 1953 - James Scullin, 9th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1876)
- 1953 - Derek Bentley (b. 1933) (executed)
- 1960 - Zora Neale Hurston, American author (b. 1891)
- 1963 - Gustave Garrigou, French cyclist (b. 1884)
- 1965 - Tich Freeman, English cricketer (b. 1888)
- 1965 - Maxime Weygand, French soldier (b. 1867)
- 1971 - Donald Winnicott, British psychoanalyst (b. 1896)
- 1973 - John Banner, Austrian actor (b. 1910)
- 1983 - Billy Fury, British singer (b. 1940)
- 1983 - Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1890)
- 1986 - Crew of Space Shuttle Challenger:
- Greg Jarvis (b. 1944)
- Christa McAuliffe (b. 1948)
- Ronald McNair (b. 1950)
- Ellison Onizuka (b. 1946)
- Judith Resnik (b. 1949)
- Francis R. Scobee (b. 1939)
- Michael J. Smith (b. 1945)
- 1988 - Klaus Fuchs, German physicist (b. 1911)
- 1991 - Red Grange, American football player (b. 1903)
- 1994 - Hal Smith, American actor (b. 1916)
- 1996 - Joseph Brodsky, Russian-born poet, Nobel Laureate (b. 1940)
- 1996 - Jerry Siegel, American cartoonist (b. 1914)
- 1996 - Burne Hogarth, American cartoonist (b. 1911)
- 1999 - Markey Robinson, Irish painter (b. 1918)
- 1999 - Torgny T:son Segerstedt, Swedish sociologist and philosopher (b. 1908)
- 2001 - Curt Blefary, American baseball player (b. 1943)
- 2002 - Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author (b. 1907)
- 2004 - Lloyd M. Bucher, U.S. Navy officer (b. 1927)
- 2004 - Don Cholito, Puerto Rican radio host (b. 1923)
- 2004 - Elroy Hirsch, American football player (b. 1923)
- 2004 - Don Stansauk, American professional wrestler (b. 1936)
- 2004 - Joe Viterelli, American actor (b. 1937)
- 2005 - Jim Capaldi, English singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
- 2005 - Karen Lancaume, French actress (suicide) (b. 1973)
- 2005 - Jacques Villeret, French actor (b. 1951)
- 2006 - Yitzchak Kaduri, rabbi (b. around 1900)
- 2006 - Henry McGee, English comedian (b. 1929)
- 2007 - Carlo Clerici, Swiss professional road racing cyclist (b. 1929)
- 2007 - Father Robert Drinan, Roman Catholic Priest and American politician (b. 1920)
- 2007 - Karel Svoboda, Czech composer of popular music (b. 1938)
- 2007 - Hsu Wei Lun, Taiwanese actress (b. 1978)
- 2007 - Yelena Romanova, Russian athlete (b. 1963)
- 2007 - Emma Tillman, the world's oldest living person from January 24-28, 2007
Holidays and Observances
- Catholicism - Feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas
- World Leprosy Day
- January 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Ashura