Events

Pre-1600

• 537 The second Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is consecrated.

• 1512 The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World.

• 1521 The Zwickau prophets arrive in Wittenberg, disturbing the peace and preaching the Apocalypse.

1601–1900

• 1655 Second Northern War/the Deluge: Monks at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa are successful in fending off a month-long siege.

• 1657 The Flushing Remonstrance articulates for the first time in North American history that freedom of religion is a fundamental right.

• 1703 Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which allows Portugal to export wines to England on favorable trade terms.

• 1814 War of 1812: The destruction of the schooner brings to an end Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet, which fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

• 1831 Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard , during which he will begin to formulate his theory of evolution.

• 1836 The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing eight people.

• 1845 Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia.

• 1845 Having coined the phrase "manifest destiny" the previous July, journalist John L. O'Sullivan argued in his newspaper New York Morning News that the United States had the right to claim the entire Oregon Country.

1901–present

• 1911 "Jana Gana Mana", the national anthem of India, is first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

• 1918 The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.

• 1918 Ukrainian War of Independence: The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine occupies Yekaterinoslav and seizes seven airplanes from the UPRAF, establishing an Insurgent Air Fleet.

• 1922 becomes the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.

• 1927 Kern and Hammerstein's musical play Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.

• 1929 Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin orders the "liquidation of the kulaks as a class".

• 1932 Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation", opens in New York City.

• 1935 Regina Jonas is ordained as the first female rabbi in the history of Judaism.

• 1939 The 7.8 Erzincan earthquake shakes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). At least 32,700 people were killed.

• 1939 Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja.

• 1945 The International Monetary Fund is created with the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.

• 1949 Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence. End of the Dutch East Indies.

• 1966 The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, is discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

• 1968 Apollo program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending the first orbital crewed mission to the Moon.

• 1968 North Central Airlines Flight 458 crashes at O'Hare International Airport, killing 28.

• 1978 Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of fascist dictatorship.

• 1983 Pope John Paul II visits Mehmet Ali Ağca in Rebibbia's prison and personally forgives him for the 1981 attack on him in St. Peter's Square.

• 1985 Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside the airports of Rome, Italy, and Vienna, Austria.

• 1989 The Romanian Revolution concludes, as the last minor street confrontations and stray shootings abruptly end in the country's capital, Bucharest.

• 1991 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 crashes in Gottröra in the Norrtälje Municipality in Sweden, injuring 92.

• 1996 Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram Airfield which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul, Afghanistan.

• 1997 Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

• 1999 Burger King and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission order a recall of plastic Poké Ball containers after they are determined to be a choking hazard.

• 2002 Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia.

• 2004 Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.

• 2007 Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.

• 2007 Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.

• 2008 Operation Cast Lead: Israel launches three-week operation on Gaza.

• 2009 Iranian election protests: On the Day of Ashura in Tehran, Iran, government security forces fire upon demonstrators.

• 2019 Bek Air Flight 2100 crashes during takeoff from Almaty International Airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing 13.

• 2025 An estimated were stolen from a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1350 John I of Aragon (died 1395)

• 1390 Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (died 1411)

• 1459 John I Albert, King of Poland (died 1501)

• 1481 Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Margrave of Bayreuth (died 1527)

• 1493 Johann Pfeffinger, German theologian (died 1573)

• 1566 Jan Jesenius, Bohemian physician, politician and philosopher (died 1621)

• 1571 Johannes Kepler, German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer (died 1630)

• 1572 Johannes Vodnianus Campanus, Czech poet, playwright, and composer (died 1622)

• 1584 Philipp Julius, Duke of Pomerania (died 1625)

• 1595 Bohdan Khmelnytsky, hetman of Ukraine (died 1657)

1601–1900

• 1622 Teofil Rutka, Polish philosopher (died 1700)

• 1633 Jean de Lamberville, French missionary (died 1714)

• 1636 William Whitelock, English gentleman, Member of Parliament (died 1717)

• 1637 Petar Kanavelić, Venetian writer (died 1719)

• 1645 Giovanni Antonio Viscardi, Swiss architect (died 1713)

• 1655 Abstrupus Danby, English politician (died 1727)

• 1660 Veronica Giuliani, Italian Capuchin mystic (died 1727)

• 1663 Johann Melchior Roos, German painter (died 1731)

• 1683 Conyers Middleton, English priest and theologian (died 1750)

• 1689 Jacob August Franckenstein, Encyclopedia editor, professor (died 1733)

• (baptised) 1692 Francis Blake Delaval, British Royal Navy officer and Member of Parliament (died 1752)

• 1697 Sollom Emlyn, Irish legal writer (died 1754)

• 1705 Prince Frederick Henry Eugen of Anhalt-Dessau, German prince of the House of Ascania (died 1781)

• 1713 Giovanni Battista Borra, Italian architect and engineer (died 1770)

• 1714 George Whitefield, English preacher and saint (died 1770)

• 1715 Philippe de Noailles, French general (died 1794)

• 1721 François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher and author (died 1790)

• (baptised) 1761 Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Finland (died 1818)

• 1773 George Cayley, English engineer and politician (died 1857)

• 1776 Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (died 1811)

• 1797 Ghalib, Indian poet (died 1869)

• 1797 Charles Hodge, American theologian (died 1878)

• 1803 François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Canadian activist (died 1839)

• 1809 Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, Greek poet and politician, Foreign Minister of Greece (died 1892)

• 1822 Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (died 1895)

• 1823 Mackenzie Bowell, English-Canadian journalist and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1917)

• 1827 Stanisław Mieroszewski, Polish-born politician, writer, historian and member of the Imperial Council of Austria (died 1900)

• 1832 Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and philanthropist, founded the Tretyakov Gallery (died 1897)

• 1838 Lars Oftedal, Norwegian priest, social reformer, politician, and newspaper editor (died 1900)

• 1858 Juan Luis Sanfuentes, Chilean lawyer and politician, 17th President of Chile (died 1930)

• 1863 Louis Lincoln Emmerson, American lawyer and politician, 27th Governor of Illinois (died 1941)

• 1864 Hermann-Paul, French painter and illustrator (died 1940)

• 1878 Kalle Korhonen, Finnish politician (died 1938)

• 1879 Sydney Greenstreet, English-American actor (died 1954)

• 1882 Mina Loy, British modernist poet and artist (died 1966)

• 1883 Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist (died 1979)

• 1888 Thea von Harbou, German actress, director, and screenwriter (died 1954)

• 1892 Alfred Edwin McKay, Canadian captain and pilot (died 1917)

• 1896 Louis Bromfield, American author and theorist (died 1956)

• 1896 Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (died 1952)

• 1896 Carl Zuckmayer, German author and playwright (died 1977)

• 1898 Inejiro Asanuma, Japanese politician (died 1960)

• 1900 Hans Stuck, German racing driver (died 1978)

1901–present

• 1901 Marlene Dietrich, German-American actress and singer (died 1992)

• 1901 Irene Handl, English actress (died 1987)

• 1904 René Bonnet, French racing driver and engineer (died 1983)

• 1905 Cliff Arquette, American actor and comedian (died 1974)

• 1906 Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer, and actor (died 1972)

• 1907 Asaf Halet Çelebi, Turkish poet (died 1958)

• 1907 Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (died 1999)

• 1907 Mary Howard, English author (died 1991)

• 1907 Conrad L. Raiford, American baseball player and activist (died 2002)

• 1907 Willem van Otterloo, Dutch conductor and composer (died 1978)

• 1909 James Riddell, English skier and author (died 2000)

• 1910 Charles Olson, American poet and educator (died 1970)

• 1911 Anna Russell, English-Canadian singer and actress (died 2006)

• 1913 Elizabeth Smart, Canadian poet and novelist (died 1986)

• 1915 William Masters, American gynecologist, author, and academic (died 2001)

• 1915 Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian-Cypriot footballer and manager (died 1999)

• 1916 Werner Baumbach, German pilot (died 1953)

• 1916 Cathy Lewis, American actress (died 1968)

• 1917 Buddy Boudreaux, American saxophonist and clarinet player (died 2015)

• 1917 T. Nadaraja, Sri Lankan lawyer and academic (died 2004)

• 1917 Onni Palaste, Finnish soldier and author (died 2009)

• 1918 John Celardo, American captain and illustrator (died 2012)

• 1919 Charles Sweeney, American general and pilot (died 2004)

• 1920 Bruce Hobbs, American jockey and trainer (died 2005)

• 1921 John Whitworth, English countertenor (died 2013)

• 1923 Bruno Bobak, Polish-Canadian painter and educator (died 2012)

• 1923 Lucas Mangope, South African politician (died 2018)

• 1924 Jean Bartik, American computer scientist and engineer (died 2011)

• 1924 James A. McClure, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (died 2011)

• 1925 Michel Piccoli, French actor, singer, director, and producer (died 2020)

• 1926 Jerome Courtland, American actor, director, and producer (died 2012)

• 1927 Antony Gardner, English engineer and politician (died 2011)

• 1927 Nityanand Swami, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (died 2012)

• 1927 Audrey Wagner, American baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist (died 1984)

• 1930 Marshall Sahlins, American anthropologist and academic (died 2021)

• 1930 Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American novelist and essayist (died 2011)

• 1931 Scotty Moore, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2016)

• 1933 Dave Marr, American golfer (died 1997)

• 1934 Larisa Latynina, Ukrainian gymnast and coach

• 1934 Jeffrey Sterling, Baron Sterling of Plaistow, English businessman

• 1935 Michael Turnbull, English bishop

• 1936 James Harrison, Australian blood plasma donor (died 2025)

• 1936 Phil Sharpe, English cricketer (died 2014)

• 1936 Eve Uusmees, Estonian swimmer and coach (died 2026)

• 1939 John Amos, American actor (died 2024)

• 1940 David Shepherd, English cricketer and umpire (died 2009)

• 1941 Miles Aiken, American basketball player and coach

• 1941 Mike Pinder, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player (died 2024)

• 1941 Nolan Richardson, American basketball player and coach

• 1942 Byron Browne, American baseball player

• 1942 Thomas Menino, American politician, 53rd Mayor of Boston (died 2014)

• 1942 Ron Rothstein, American basketball player and coach

• 1943 Cokie Roberts, American journalist and author (died 2019)

• 1943 Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1943 Peter Sinfield, English songwriter and producer (died 2024)

• 1943 Roy White, American baseball player and coach

• 1944 Mick Jones, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1946 Lenny Kaye, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1946 Joe Kinnear, Irish footballer and manager (died 2024)

• 1946 Janet Street-Porter, English journalist and producer

• 1946 Polly Toynbee, English journalist and author

• 1947 Bill Eadie, American wrestler and coach

• 1947 Doug Livermore, English footballer and manager

• 1947 Willy Polleunis, Belgian runner

• 1948 Gérard Depardieu, French-Russian actor

• 1949 Terry Ito, Japanese director, producer, and critic

• 1950 Haris Alexiou, Greek singer-songwriter

• 1950 Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer and manager

• 1950 Terry Bozzio, American drummer and songwriter

• 1951 Karla Bonoff, American singer-songwriter

• 1951 Ernesto Zedillo, Mexican economist and politician, 54th President of Mexico

• 1952 Jay Hill, Canadian farmer and politician

• 1952 David Knopfler, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

• 1954 Kent Benson, American basketball player

• 1954 Mandie Fletcher, English director, producer, and production manager

• 1954 Teo Chee Hean, Singaporean politician and 5th Senior Minister of Singapore

• 1955 Brad Murphey, American race car driver

• 1955 Barbara Olson, American journalist and author (died 2001)

• 1956 Doina Melinte, Romanian runner

• 1958 Steve Jones, American golfer

• 1959 Gerina Dunwich, American astrologer, historian, and author

• 1959 Andre Tippett, American football player and coach

• 1960 Maryam d'Abo, English actress

• 1960 Donald Nally, American conductor and academic

• 1960 Terry Price, Australian golfer

• 1961 Guido Westerwelle, German lawyer and politician, 15th Vice-Chancellor of Germany (died 2016)

• 1962 Mark Few, American basketball player and coach

• 1962 John Kampfner, Singaporean journalist and author

• 1962 Bill Self, American basketball player and coach

• 1962 Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer

• 1963 Gaspar Noé, Argentine-French director and screenwriter

• 1964 Ian Gomez, American actor

• 1964 Theresa Randle, American actress

• 1965 Salman Khan, Indian film actor and producer

• 1966 Marianne Elliott, English director and producer

• 1966 Bill Goldberg, American football player, wrestler and actor

• 1966 Eva LaRue, American model and actress

• 1969 Jean-Christophe Boullion, French racing driver

• 1969 Chyna, American professional wrestler and actress (died 2016)

• 1969 Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist

• 1970 Lorenzo Neal, American football player and radio host

• 1970 Naoko Yamazaki, Japanese pilot and astronaut

• 1971 Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer and coach

• 1971 Guthrie Govan, English guitarist and educator

• 1971 Savannah Guthrie, American television journalist

• 1971 Bryan Smolinski, American ice hockey player

• 1972 Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player and coach

• 1972 Kevin Ollie, American basketball player and coach

• 1972 Matt Slocum, American guitarist and songwriter

• 1973 Wilson Cruz, American actor

• 1973 Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch pianist and composer

• 1974 Tomáš Janků, Czech high jumper

• 1974 Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor and visual effects designer

• 1974 Fumiko Orikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer

• 1974 Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player and coach

• 1975 Aigars Fadejevs, Latvian race walker and therapist

• 1975 Heather O'Rourke, American actress (died 1988)

• 1976 Nikolaos Georgeas, Greek footballer

• 1976 Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (died 2009)

• 1976 Daimí Pernía, Cuban basketball player and hurdler

• 1976 Fernando Pisani, Canadian-Italian ice hockey player

• 1977 Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress

• 1977 Chris Tate, English footballer

• 1978 Deuce McAllister, American football player

• 1978 Lisa Jakub, Canadian actress

• 1979 Pascale Dorcelus, Canadian weightlifter

• 1979 David Dunn, English footballer and manager

• 1979 Carson Palmer, American football player

• 1980 Bernard Berrian, American football player

• 1980 Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler

• 1980 Dahntay Jones, American basketball player

• 1980 Meelis Kompus, Estonian journalist

• 1981 David Aardsma, American baseball player

• 1981 Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress

• 1981 Jay Ellis, American actor

• 1981 Moise Joseph, American-Haitian runner

• 1981 Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1982 Erin E. Stead, American illustrator

• 1983 Anthony Boric, New Zealand rugby union player

• 1983 Cole Hamels, American baseball player

• 1983 Jesse Williams, American high jumper

• 1984 Andrejs Perepļotkins, Ukrainian-Latvian footballer

• 1984 Gilles Simon, French tennis player

• 1985 Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer

• 1985 Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Belgian racing driver

• 1985 Adil Rami, French footballer

• 1985 Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player

• 1986 Torah Bright, Australian snowboarder

• 1986 Jamaal Charles, American football player

• 1986 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican sprinter

• 1987 Lily Cole, English model

• 1988 Jorge Gutiérrez, Mexican basketball player

• 1988 Hera Hilmar, Icelandic actress

• 1988 Zavon Hines, Jamaican-English footballer

• 1988 Ok Taec-yeon, South Korean singer and actor

• 1988 Rick Porcello, American baseball player

• 1988 Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter

• 1989 Ingrid Várgas Calvo, Peruvian tennis player

• 1990 Max Lindholm, Finnish figure skater

• 1990 Jonathan Marchessault, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1990 Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player

• 1990 Zelina Vega, American wrestler

• 1991 Chloe Bridges, American actress

• 1991 Michael Morgan, Australian rugby league player

• 1991 Beth Potter, Scottish triathlete and long-distance runner

• 1991 Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer

• 1992 Joel Indermitte, Estonian footballer

• 1992 Maicel Uibo, Estonian decathlete

• 1993 Olivia Cooke, English actress

• 1994 Isi Palazón, Spanish footballer

• 1995 Timothée Chalamet, French-American actor

• 1995 Nick Chubb, American football player

• 1995 Ghislain Konan, Ivorian footballer

• 1995 Mark Lapidus, Estonian chess player

• 1997 Mads Juel Andersen, Danish footballer

• 1997 Vachirawit Chivaaree, Thai actor and singer

• 1997 Ana Konjuh, Croatian tennis player

• 1997 Jang Gyu-ri, South Korean actress

• 1998 Luka Garza, American basketball player

• 1999 Brock Purdy, American football player

• 2001 Ander Barrenetxea, Spanish footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 683 Gaozong of Tang, 3rd emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty (born 628)

• 870 Aeneas of Paris, Frankish bishop

• 975 Balderic, bishop of Utrecht (born 897)

• 1003 Emma of Blois, French duchess and regent

• 1005 Nilus the Younger, Byzantine abbot (born 910)

• 1076 Sviatoslav II, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1027)

• 1087 Bertha of Savoy, Holy Roman Empress (born 1051)

• 1381 Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician (born 1352)

• 1518 Mahmood Shah Bahmani II, sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate (born c. 1470)

• 1543 George, margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (born 1484)

• 1548 Francesco Spiera, Italian lawyer and jurist (born 1502)

1601–1900

• 1603 Thomas Cartwright, English minister and theologian (born 1535)

• 1637 Vincenzo Giustiniani, Italian banker (born 1564)

• 1641 Francis van Aarssens, Dutch diplomat (born 1572)

• 1642 Herman op den Graeff, Dutch bishop (born 1585)

• 1656 Andrew White, English Jesuit missionary (born 1579)

• 1660 Hervey Bagot, English politician (born 1591)

• 1663 Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy (born 1606)

• 1672 Jacques Rohault, French philosopher (born 1618)

• 1683 Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen consort of Portugal (born 1646)

• 1689 Gervase Bryan, English clergyman (born 1622)

• 1693 Henri de Villars, French prelate (born 1621)

• 1694 Henrik Span, naval officer in the Dutch (born 1634)

• 1704 Hans Albrecht von Barfus, Prussian field marshal and politician (born 1635)

• 1707 Jean Mabillon, French monk and scholar (born 1632)

• 1707 Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale, English earl, politician (born 1654)

• 1737 William Bowyer, English printer (born 1663)

• 1743 Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (born 1659)

• 1771 Henri Pitot, French engineer, invented the Pitot tube (born 1695)

• 1776 Johann Rall, Hessian colonel (born )

• 1782 Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish judge and philosopher (born 1697)

• 1800 Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (born 1718)

• 1812 Joanna Southcott, English religious leader (born 1750)

• 1834 Charles Lamb, English essayist and poet (born 1775)

• 1836 Stephen F. Austin, American soldier and politician (born 1793)

• 1858 Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French pianist and composer (born 1785)

• 1895 Eivind Astrup, Norwegian explorer (born 1871)

• 1896 John Brown, English businessman and politician (born 1816)

• 1900 William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, English engineer and businessman, founded Armstrong Whitworth (born 1810)

1901–present

• 1914 Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and engineer (born 1863)

• 1919 Achilles Alferaki, Russian-Greek composer and politician, Governor of Taganrog (born 1846)

• 1923 Gustave Eiffel, French architect and engineer, co-designed the Eiffel Tower (born 1832)

• 1924 Agda Meyerson, Swedish nurse and healthcare activist (born 1866)

• 1936 Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish poet, academic, and politician (born 1873)

• 1938 Calvin Bridges, American geneticist and academic (born 1889)

• 1938 Osip Mandelstam, Polish-Russian poet and critic (born 1891)

• 1938 Zona Gale, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (born 1874)

• 1939 Rinaldo Cuneo, American painter (born 1877)

• 1943 Ants Kurvits, Estonian general and politician, 10th Estonian Minister of War (born 1887)

• 1950 Max Beckmann, German-American painter and sculptor (born 1884)

• 1952 Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian priest, author, and educator (born 1878)

• 1953 Şükrü Saracoğlu, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1887)

• 1953 Julian Tuwim, Polish poet and author (born 1894)

• 1955 Alfred Carpenter, English admiral, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1881)

• 1956 Lambert McKenna, Irish priest and lexicographer (born 1870)

• 1965 Edgar Ende, German painter (born 1901)

• 1972 Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1897)

• 1974 Vladimir Fock, Russian physicist and mathematician (born 1898)

• 1974 Amy Vanderbilt, American author (born 1908)

• 1978 Chris Bell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1951)

• 1978 Houari Boumediene, Algerian colonel and politician, 2nd President of Algeria (born 1932)

• 1978 Bob Luman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1937)

• 1979 Hafizullah Amin, Afghan educator and politician, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (born 1929)

• 1981 Hoagy Carmichael, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (born 1899)

• 1982 Jack Swigert, American pilot, astronaut, and politician (born 1931)

• 1985 Jean Rondeau, French racing driver (born 1946)

• 1986 George Dangerfield, English-American historian and journalist (born 1904)

• 1986 Dumas Malone, American historian and author (born 1892)

• 1987 Rewi Alley, New Zealand writer and political activist (born 1897)

• 1988 Hal Ashby, American director and producer (born 1929)

• 1992 Kay Boyle, American novelist, poet, and educator (born 1902)

• 1993 Feliks Kibbermann, Estonian chess player and philologist (born 1902)

• 1993 Evald Mikson, Estonian footballer (born 1911)

• 1993 André Pilette, Belgian racing driver (born 1918)

• 1994 Fanny Cradock, English author and critic (born 1909)

• 1994 J. B. L. Reyes, Filipino lawyer and jurist (born 1902)

• 1995 Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian-American pianist (born 1909)

• 1995 Genrikh Kasparyan, Armenian chess player and composer (born 1910)

• 1997 Brendan Gill, American journalist and essayist (born 1914)

• 1997 Billy Wright, Northern Irish loyalist leader (born 1960)

• 1999 Michael McDowell, American author and screenwriter (born 1950)

• 2002 George Roy Hill, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)

• 2003 Alan Bates, English actor (born 1934)

• 2003 Iván Calderón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (born 1962)

• 2004 Hank Garland, American guitarist (born 1930)

• 2007 Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani politician, Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1953)

• 2007 Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish director and screenwriter (born 1922)

• 2007 Jaan Kross, Estonian author and poet (born 1920)

• 2008 Delaney Bramlett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1939)

• 2008 Robert Graham, Mexican-American sculptor (born 1938)

• 2009 Isaac Schwartz, Ukrainian-Russian composer and educator (born 1923)

• 2011 Catê, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1973)

• 2011 Michael Dummett, English soldier, philosopher, and academic (born 1925)

• 2011 Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and educator (born 1928)

• 2011 Johnny Wilson, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1929)

• 2012 Harry Carey, Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)

• 2012 Lloyd Charmers, Jamaican singer, keyboard player, and producer (born 1938)

• 2012 Tingye Li, Chinese-American physicist and engineer (born 1931)

• 2012 Archie Roy, Scottish astronomer and academic (born 1924)

• 2012 Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., American general and engineer (born 1934)

• 2012 Salt Walther, American race car driver (born 1947)

• 2013 Richard Ambler, English-Scottish biologist and academic (born 1933)

• 2013 Mohamad Chatah, Lebanese economist and politician, Lebanese Minister of Finance (born 1951)

• 2013 Gianna D'Angelo, American soprano and educator (born 1929)

• 2013 John Matheson, Canadian colonel, lawyer, and politician (born 1917)

• 2013 Farooq Sheikh, Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter (born 1948)

• 2014 Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, American-Israeli religious leader, founded the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem (born 1939)

• 2014 Ulises Estrella, Ecuadorian poet and academic (born 1939)

• 2014 Ronald Li, Hong Kong accountant and businessman (born 1929)

• 2014 Karel Poma, Belgian bacteriologist and politician (born 1920)

• 2015 Stein Eriksen, Norwegian-American skier (born 1927)

• 2015 Dave Henderson, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1958)

• 2015 Ellsworth Kelly, American painter and sculptor (born 1923)

• 2015 Meadowlark Lemon, American basketball player and minister (born 1932)

• 2015 Alfredo Pacheco, Salvadoran footballer (born 1982)

• 2015 Stevie Wright, English-Australian singer-songwriter (born 1947)

• 2016 Carrie Fisher, American actress, screenwriter, author, producer, and speaker (born 1956)

• 2016 Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Sri Lankan politician (born 1933)

• 2018 Frank Blaichman, Polish resistance fighter (born 1922)

• 2019 Maria Creveling, American League of Legends player (born 1995)

• 2023 Lee Sun-kyun, South Korean actor (born 1975)

• 2023 Gaston Glock, Austrian firearm engineer and founder of Glock (born 1929)

• 2024 Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster (born 1946)

• 2024 Olivia Hussey, Argentinian-English actress (born 1951)

• 2024 Charles Shyer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1941)

Holidays and observances

Christian feast day:

• Blessed Francesco Spoto

• Blessed Sára Salkaházi

• Fabiola

• John the Apostle

• Pope Maximus of Alexandria

• Nicarete

• Theodorus and Theophanes

• December 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Constitution Day (North Korea)

• Emergency Rescuer's Day (Russia)

• Saint Stephen's Day (Eastern Orthodox Church; a public holiday in Romania)

• The third of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)

References

External links

• BBC: On This Day

• Historical Events on December 27