Events

Pre-1600

• 1327 The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.

• 1411 The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights (Prussia).

1601–1900

• 1662 The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.

• 1713 The Kalabalik or Skirmish at Bender results from the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.

• 1793 French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

• 1796 The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.

• 1814 Mayon in the Philippines erupts, killing around 1,200 people, which was the most devastating eruption of the volcano.

• 1835 Slavery is abolished in Mauritius.

• 1861 American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy a week later.

• 1864 Second Schleswig War: Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig, starting the war.

• 1865 President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

• 1884 The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.

• 1893 Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.

• 1895 Fountains Valley, Pretoria, the oldest nature reserve in Africa, is proclaimed by President Paul Kruger.

• 1896 La bohème premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio (Turin), conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini.

• 1897 Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul.

• 1900 Great Britain, defeated by Boers in key battles, names Lord Roberts commander of British forces in South Africa.

1901–present

• 1908 Lisbon Regicide: King Carlos I of Portugal and Infante Luis Filipe are shot dead in Lisbon.

• 1924 Russia–United Kingdom relations are restored, over six years after the Communist revolution.

• 1942 World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.

• 1942 World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.

• 1942 Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.

• 1942 Mao Zedong makes a speech on "Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature", which puts into motion the Yan'an Rectification Movement.

• 1946 Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.

• 1946 The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.

• 1950 The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.

• 1957 Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crashes on Rikers Island in New York City, killing 20 people and injuring 78 others.

• 1960 Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.

• 1964 The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

• 1968 Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.

• 1968 Canada's three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces.

• 1968 The New York Central Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad are merged to form Penn Central Transportation.

• 1972 Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

• 1974 A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.

• 1979 Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile.

• 1981 The Underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred when Trevor Chappell bowls underarm on the final delivery of a game between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

• 1982 The Intel 80286 is released, which introduced protected mode memory. The IBM PC/AT and its clones used this CPU.

• 1991 A runway collision between USAir Flight 1493 and SkyWest Flight 5569 at Los Angeles International Airport results in the deaths of 34 people, and injuries to 30 others.

• 1991 A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes the Hindu Kush region, killing at least 848 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and present-day Tajikistan.

• 1992 The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal disaster case.

• 1996 The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.

• 1998 Rear Admiral Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral.

• 2002 Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal, kidnapped on January 23, is beheaded and mutilated by his captors.

• 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

• 2004 Hajj pilgrimage stampede: In a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, 251 people are trampled to death and 244 injured.

• 2004 Double suicide attack in Erbil on the offices of Iraqi Kurdish political parties by members of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad

• 2005 King Gyanendra of Nepal carries out a coup d'état to capture the democracy, becoming Chairman of the Councils of ministers.

• 2007 The National Weather Service in the United States switches from the Fujita scale to the new Enhanced Fujita scale to measure the intensity and strength of tornadoes.

• 2009 The first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was formed in Iceland, making her the country's first female prime minister and the world's first openly gay head of government.

• 2012 Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.

• 2013 The Shard, the sixth-tallest building in Europe, opens its viewing gallery to the public.

• 2021 A coup d'état in Myanmar removes Aung San Suu Kyi from power and restores military rule.

• 2022 Five-year-old Moroccan boy Rayan Aourram falls into a 32-meter (105 feet) deep well in Ighran village in Tamorot commune, Chefchaouen Province, Morocco, but dies four days later, before rescue workers reached him.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1261 Walter de Stapledon, English bishop and politician, Lord High Treasurer (died 1326)

• 1435 Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (died 1472)

• 1447 Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg (died 1504)

• 1459 Conrad Celtes, German poet and scholar (died 1508)

• 1462 Johannes Trithemius, German lexicographer, historian, and cryptographer (died 1516)

• 1552 Edward Coke, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (died 1634)

• 1561 Henry Briggs, British mathematician (died 1630)

1601–1900

• 1635 Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and scholar (died 1689)

• 1648 Elkanah Settle, English poet and playwright (died 1724)

• 1659 Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (died 1729)

• 1663 Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, Filipino nun, founded the Religious of the Virgin Mary (died 1748)

• 1666 Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti and titular queen of Poland (died 1732)

• 1687 Johann Adam Birkenstock, German violinist and composer (died 1733)

• 1690 Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian violinist and composer (died 1768)

• 1701 Johan Agrell, Swedish-German pianist and composer (died 1765)

• 1761 Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, South African-French mycologist and academic (died 1836)

• 1763 Thomas Campbell, Irish minister and theologian (died 1854)

• 1796 Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Swiss minister, poet, and educator (died 1865)

• 1801 Émile Littré, French lexicographer and philosopher (died 1881)

• 1820 George Hendric Houghton, American clergyman and theologian (died 1897)

• 1836 Emil Hartmann, Danish organist and composer (died 1898)

• 1844 G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist and academic (died 1924)

• 1851 Durham Stevens, American lawyer and diplomat (died 1908)

• 1858 Ignacio Bonillas, Mexican diplomat (died 1942)

• 1859 Victor Herbert, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor (died 1924)

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

• 1868 Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (died 1917)

• 1870 Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish physician (died 1949)

• 1872 Clara Butt, English opera singer (died 1936)

• 1872 Jerome F. Donovan, American lawyer and politician (died 1949)

• 1873 John Barry, Irish soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1901)

• 1874 Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (died 1929)

• 1878 Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer and architect, designed the Grand Hotel Aranybika (died 1955)

• 1878 Milan Hodža, Slovak journalist and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (died 1944)

• 1881 Tip Snooke, South African cricketer (died 1966)

• 1882 Vladimir Dimitrov, Bulgarian artist (died 1960)

• 1882 Louis St. Laurent, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Canada (died 1973)

• 1884 Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian journalist and author (died 1937)

• 1884 Candy Jim Taylor, American baseball player (died 1948)

• 1887 Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant, pilot, and author (died 1947)

• 1890 Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (died 1942)

• 1894 John Ford, American director and producer (died 1973)

• 1894 James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (died 1955)

• 1895 Conn Smythe, Canadian businessman (died 1980)

• 1897 Denise Robins, English journalist and author (died 1985)

• 1898 Leila Denmark, American pediatrician and author (died 2012)

1901–present

• 1901 Frank Buckles, American soldier (died 2011)

• 1901 Clark Gable, American actor (died 1960)

• 1902 Therese Brandl, German concentration camp guard (died 1947)

• 1902 Langston Hughes, American poet, social activist, novelist, and playwright (died 1967)

• 1904 S. J. Perelman, American humorist and screenwriter (died 1979)

• 1905 Emilio Segrè, Italian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1989)

• 1906 Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (died 1993)

• 1907 Günter Eich, German author and songwriter (died 1972)

• 1907 Camargo Guarnieri, Brazilian pianist and composer (died 1993)

• 1908 George Pal, Hungarian-American animator and producer (died 1980)

• 1908 Louis Rasminsky, Canadian economist and banker (died 1998)

• 1909 George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (died 2013)

• 1910 Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Chinese general and politician (died 2009)

• 1915 Stanley Matthews, English footballer and manager (died 2000)

• 1917 José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (died 2013)

• 1917 Eiji Sawamura, Japanese baseball player and soldier (died 1944)

• 1918 Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist (died 2006)

• 1918 Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (died 2012)

• 1920 Zao Wou-Ki, Chinese-French painter (died 2013)

• 1921 Teresa Mattei, Italian feminist partisan and politician (died 2013)

• 1922 Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano and actress (died 2004)

• 1923 Ben Weider, Canadian businessman, co-founded the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (died 2008)

• 1924 Emmanuel Scheffer, German-Israeli footballer, coach, and manager (died 2012)

• 1926 Vivian Maier, American street photographer (died 2009)

• 1927 Galway Kinnell, American poet and academic (died 2014)

• 1928 Sam Edwards, Welsh physicist and academic (died 2015)

• 1928 Tom Lantos, Hungarian-American academic and politician (died 2008)

• 1928 Stuart Whitman, American actor (died 2020)

• 1930 Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi judge and politician, 12th President of Bangladesh (died 2022)

• 1930 Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Bangladeshi general and politician, 10th President of Bangladesh (died 2019)

• 1931 Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (died 2007)

• 1932 John Nott, British politician (died 2024)

• 1932 Hassan al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (died 2016)

• 1934 Marina Kondratyeva, Russian ballet dancer (died 2024)

• 1936 Tuncel Kurtiz, Turkish actor, playwright, and director (died 2013)

• 1937 Don Everly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2021)

• 1937 Garrett Morris, American actor and comedian

• 1938 Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer (died 2008)

• 1938 Sherman Hemsley, American actor and singer (died 2012)

• 1939 Fritjof Capra, Austrian physicist, author, and academic

• 1939 Claude François, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and dancer (died 1978)

• 1939 Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina (died 2009)

• 1939 Joe Sample, American pianist and composer (died 2014)

• 1942 Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (died 1996)

• 1942 Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2020)

• 1944 Burkhard Ziese, German footballer and manager (died 2010)

• 1944 – Paul Blair, American baseball player and coach (died 2013)

• 1945 Serge Joyal, Canadian lawyer and politician, 50th Secretary of State for Canada

• 1945 Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (died 2013)

• 1945 Mary Jane Reoch, American cyclist (died 1993)

• 1946 Karen Krantzcke, Australian tennis player (died 1977)

• 1946 Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (died 2011)

• 1947 Normie Rowe, Australian singer-songwriter and actor

• 1947 Jessica Savitch, American journalist (died 1983)

• 1948 Rick James, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2004)

• 1949 Lex Marinos, Australian actor (died 2024)

• 1950 Mike Campbell, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1950 Ali Haydar Konca, Turkish politician, 4th Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs

• 1950 Rich Williams, American guitarist and songwriter

• 1951 Sonny Landreth, American guitarist and songwriter

• 1952 Owoye Andrew Azazi, Nigerian general (died 2012)

• 1954 Chuck Dukowski, American singer-songwriter and bass player

• 1954 Bill Mumy, American actor, writer, and musician

• 1955 T. R. Dunn, American basketball player and coach

• 1956 Exene Cervenka, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1958 Luther Blissett, Jamaican-English footballer and manager

• 1958 Eleanor Laing, Scottish lawyer and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland

• 1959 Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (died 2019)

• 1961 Volker Fried, German field hockey player and coach

• 1961 Kaduvetti Guru, Indian politician (died 2018)

• 1961 Daniel M. Tani, American engineer and astronaut

• 1962 José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer (died 2004)

• 1962 Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1962 Takashi Murakami, Japanese painter and sculptor

• 1964 Jani Lane, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2011)

• 1964 Eli Ohana, Israeli football player, and club chairman

• 1964 Linus Roache, English actor

• 1965 Sherilyn Fenn, American actress

• 1965 Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (died 1993)

• 1965 Stéphanie of Monaco

• 1966 Michelle Akers, American soccer player

• 1967 Meg Cabot, American author and screenwriter

• 1968 Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress (died 2023)

• 1968 Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

• 1968 Pauly Shore, American actor and comedian

• 1969 Gabriel Batistuta, Argentinian footballer

• 1969 Andrew Breitbart, American journalist, author, and publisher (died 2012)

• 1969 Brian Krause, American actor

• 1969 Joshua Redman, American musician and composer

• 1969 Franklyn Rose, Jamaican cricketer

• 1969 Patrick Wilson, American musician and songwriter

• 1970 Yasuyuki Kazama, Japanese racing driver

• 1970 Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (died 2000)

• 1971 Michael C. Hall, American actor and producer

• 1971 Tommy Salo, Swedish ice hockey player

• 1972 Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist

• 1972 Christian Ziege, German footballer

• 1972 – Geoff Sanderson, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1973 Andrew DeClercq, American basketball player and coach

• 1973 Óscar Pérez, Mexican footballer

• 1974 Walter McCarty, American basketball player and coach

• 1975 Big Boi, American rapper

• 1975 Martijn Reuser, Dutch footballer

• 1975 Tomáš Vlasák, Czech ice hockey player

• 1976 Mat Rogers, Australian rugby player

• 1977 Phil Ivey, American poker player

• 1977 Robert Traylor, American basketball player (died 2011)

• 1978 Tim Harding, Australian singer and actor

• 1979 Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer-songwriter (died 2006)

• 1979 Jason Isbell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1979 Juan, Brazilian footballer

• 1980 Héctor Luna, Dominican baseball player

• 1981 Hins Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter

• 1981 Christian Giménez, Argentinian footballer

• 1981 Graeme Smith, South African cricketer

• 1982 Gavin Henson, Welsh rugby player

• 1982 Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer

• 1983 Kevin Martin, American basketball player

• 1983 Jurgen Van den Broeck, Belgian cyclist

• 1983 Andrew VanWyngarden, American singer-songwriter and musician

• 1984 Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer

• 1985 Dean Shiels, Irish footballer

• 1986 Jorrit Bergsma, Dutch speed skater

• 1986 Lauren Conrad, American fashion designer and author

• 1986 Ladislav Šmíd, Czech ice hockey player

• 1987 Sebastian Boenisch, Polish footballer

• 1987 Moises Henriques, Portuguese-Australian cricketer

• 1987 Austin Jackson, American baseball player

• 1987 Heather Morris, American actress, singer, and dancer

• 1987 Giuseppe Rossi, Italian footballer

• 1987 Ronda Rousey, American mixed martial artist, wrestler and actress

• 1988 Brett Anderson, American baseball player

• 1989 Ricky Pinheiro, Portuguese footballer

• 1990 Tyler Myers, American-Canadian ice hockey player

• 1991 Blake Austin, Australian rugby league player

• 1991 – Kyle Palmieri, American ice hockey player

• 1992 Sean Manaea, American baseball player

• 1993 Diego Mella, Italian footballer

• 1994 Anna-Lena Friedsam, German tennis player

• 1994 Julia Garner, American actress

• 1994 Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor

• 1996 Ahmad Abughaush, Jordanian taekwondo athlete

• 1996 Doyoung, South Korean singer

• 1996 – Azurá Stevens, American basketball player

• 1997 Drew Eubanks, American basketball player

• 1997 Jihyo, South Korean singer

• 1998 – Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bahamian baseball player

• 1999 Mohamed Abdelmonem, Egyptian footballer

• 2000 Talanoa Hufanga, American football player

• 2001 – Egor Chinakhov, Russian ice hockey player

• 2002 Brian Brobbey, Dutch footballer

• 2002 – Seth Jarvis, Canadian ice hockey player

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 583 Kan Bahlam I, ruler of Palenque (born 524)

• 772 Pope Stephen III (born 720)

• 850 Ramiro I, king of Asturias

• 1222 Alexios Megas Komnenos, first Emperor of Trebizond

• 1248 Henry II, Duke of Brabant (born 1207)

• 1328 Charles IV of France (born 1294)

• 1501 Sigismund of Bavaria (born 1439)

• 1542 Girolamo Aleandro, Italian cardinal (born 1480)

• 1563 Menas of Ethiopia

• 1590 Lawrence Humphrey, English theologian and academic (born 1527)

1601–1900

• 1691 Pope Alexander VIII (born 1610)

• 1718 Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician, Lord High Treasurer (born 1660)

• 1733 Augustus II the Strong, Polish king (born 1670)

• 1734 John Floyer, English physician and author (born 1649)

• 1743 Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (born 1657)

• 1750 Bakar of Kartli (born 1700)

• 1761 Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French priest and historian (born 1682)

• 1768 Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, English field marshal and politician (born 1685)

• 1793 William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1717)

• 1803 Anders Chydenius, Finnish economist, philosopher and Lutheran priest (born 1729)

• 1832 Archibald Murphey, American judge and politician (born 1777)

• 1851 Mary Shelley, English novelist and playwright (born 1797)

• 1871 Alexander Serov, Russian composer and critic (born 1820)

• 1893 George Henry Sanderson, American lawyer and politician, 22nd Mayor of San Francisco (born 1824)

• 1897 Constantin von Ettingshausen, Austrian geologist and botanist (born 1826)

1901–present

• 1903 Sir George Stokes, Anglo-Irish physicist, mathematician, and politician (born 1819)

• 1907 Léon Serpollet, French businessman (born 1858)

• 1908 Carlos I of Portugal (born 1863)

• 1916 James Boucaut, English-Australian politician, 11th Premier of South Australia (born 1831)

• 1917 Georg Andreas Bull, Norwegian architect (born 1829)

• 1922 William Desmond Taylor, American actor and director (born 1872)

• 1924 Maurice Prendergast, American painter (born 1858)

• 1928 Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (born 1869)

• 1936 Georgios Kondylis, Greek general and politician, 128th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1878)

• 1940 Philip Francis Nowlan, American author, created Buck Rogers (born 1888)

• 1940 Zacharias Papantoniou, Greek journalist and critic (born 1877)

• 1944 Piet Mondrian, Dutch-American painter (born 1872)

• 1949 Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, Romanian journalist, author, and activist (born 1880)

• 1949 Herbert Stothart, American conductor and composer (born 1885)

• 1957 Friedrich Paulus, German general (born 1890)

• 1958 Clinton Davisson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1888)

• 1959 Madame Sul-Te-Wan, American actress (born 1873)

• 1965 Johan Scharffenberg, Norwegian psychiatrist (born 1869)

• 1966 Hedda Hopper, American actress and journalist (born 1885)

• 1966 Buster Keaton, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1895)

• 1968 Echol Cole and Robert Walker - sparking the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike

• 1970 Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and academic (born 1921)

• 1976 Werner Heisenberg, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1901)

• 1976 George Whipple, American physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1878)

• 1979 Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and activist (born 1929)

• 1980 Yolanda González (activist), Basque activist (born1961)

• 1981 Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American engineer and businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (born 1892)

• 1981 Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian pianist and composer (born 1908)

• 1986 Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902)

• 1987 Alessandro Blasetti, Italian director and screenwriter (born 1900)

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

• 1989 Elaine de Kooning, American painter and academic (born 1918)

• 1989 Eduardo Franco, Uruguayan lead singer of the band "Los Iracundos" (born 1945)

• 1991 Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur Attar, Saudi Arabian writer and journalist (born 1916)

• 1992 Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (born 1909)

• 1993 Sven Thofelt, Swedish modern pentathlete and épée fencer (born 1904)

• 1996 Ray Crawford, American race car driver, pilot, and businessman (born 1915)

• 1997 Herb Caen, American journalist and author (born 1916)

• 1999 Paul Mellon, American art collector and philanthropist (born 1907)

• 2001 André D'Allemagne, Canadian political scientist and academic (born 1929)

• 2002 Aykut Barka, Turkish geologist and academic (born 1951)

• 2002 Hildegard Knef, German actress and singer (born 1925)

2003 Space Shuttle Columbia crew

• Michael P. Anderson, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (born 1959)

• David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (born 1956)

• Kalpana Chawla, Indian-American engineer and astronaut (born 1961)

• Laurel Clark, American captain, surgeon, and astronaut (born 1961)

• Rick Husband, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (born 1957)

• William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (born 1961)

• Ilan Ramon, Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut (born 1954)

• 2003 Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer and bandleader (born 1922)

• 2004 Suha Arın, Turkish director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1942)

• 2005 John Vernon, Canadian-American actor (born 1932)

• 2007 Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian-American playwright and composer (born 1911)

• 2008 Beto Carrero, Brazilian actor and businessman (born 1937)

• 2010 Jack Brisco, American professional wrestler (born 1941)

• 2012 Don Cornelius, American television host and producer (born 1936)

• 2012 Wisława Szymborska, Polish poet and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1923)

• 2013 Helene Hale, American politician (born 1918)

• 2013 Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (born 1924)

• 2013 Shanu Lahiri, Indian painter and educator (born 1928)

• 2013 Cecil Womack, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1947)

• 2014 Luis Aragonés, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1938)

• 2014 Vasily Petrov, Russian marshal (born 1917)

• 2014 Rene Ricard, American poet, painter, and critic (born 1946)

• 2014 Maximilian Schell, Austrian-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1930)

• 2015 Aldo Ciccolini, Italian-French pianist (born 1925)

• 2015 Udo Lattek, German footballer, manager, and sportscaster (born 1935)

• 2015 Monty Oum, American animator, director, and screenwriter (born 1981)

• 2016 Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores, Guatemalan general and politician, 27th President of Guatemala (born 1930)

• 2017 Desmond Carrington, British actor and broadcaster (born 1926)

• 2018 Barys Kit, Belarusian rocket scientist (born 1910)

• 2018 Mowzey Radio, Ugandan singer and songwriter (born 1985)

• 2019 Jeremy Hardy, English comedian, radio host and panelist (born 1961)

• 2019 Clive Swift, English actor (born 1936)

• 2019 Wade Wilson, American football player and coach (born 1959)

• 2021 Dustin Diamond, American actor, director, stand-up comedian, and musician (born 1977)

• 2021 Temur Tsiklauri, Georgian pop singer and actor (born 1946)

• 2022 Remi De Roo, Canadian bishop of the Catholic Church (born 1924)

• 2025 Horst Köhler, Polish-German economist and politician, 9th President of Germany (born 1943)

• 2025 Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman, 8th Commissioner of Baseball (born 1938)

Holidays and observances

• Abolition of Slavery Day (Mauritius)

• Air Force Day (Nicaragua)

Christian feast day:

• Blessed Candelaria of San José

• Brigid of Ireland (Saint Brigid's Day)

• Verdiana

• February 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

  Earliest day on which Constitution Day can fall, while February 7 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday in February. (Mexico)

• Federal Territory Day (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, Malaysia)

• Foundation Day (of the Ryukyu Kingdom, celebrated in Okinawa Prefecture)

• Heroes Day (Rwanda)

• Saint Brigid's Day/Imbolc (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some Neopagan groups in the Northern hemisphere)

• Memorial Day of the Republic (Hungary)

• National Freedom Day (United States)

• The start of Black History Month (United States and Canada)

• World Hijab Day

International Border Change

Every year on February 1, Pheasant Island is transferred from to .

References

External links

• BBC: On This Day

• Historical Events on February 1