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What happened in history on this day: January 17?
On January 17 in ...
- 395 - Theodosius I the Great, Spanish emperor of Rome, dies at age 49.
- 1103 - Frutolf German monk/musicologist/historian, dies.
- 1119 - Boudouin VII Hapkin count of Flanders, dies.
- 1229 - Albert bishop of Riga/founder (Sword Knights), dies at about age 68.
- 1342 - Birth of Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy.
- 1463 - Birth of Friedrich III (the Wise), Elector of Saxony in Torgau, Germany; protector of Martin Luther, patron of Albrecht Dürer, and Luchas Cranach the Elder, founded the University of Wittenberg in 1502.
- 1484 - Birth of Georg Spalatin (pseudonym of Georg Burkhardt) in Spalt, Germany (died 1545); close friend and collaborator of Martin Luther.
- 1501 - Birth of Leonhard Fuchs in Wemding, Germany; professor of medicine at the University of Tübingen, botanist.
- 1501 - Cesare Borgia returns in triumph to Rome from Romagna.
- 1504 - Birth of Pius V [Antonio Ghislieri] saint, pope (1566-72).
- 1517 - Birth of Antonio Scandello Italian composer (Passion of Johannes).
- 1536 - François Rabelais absolved of apostasy by Pope Paul III.
- 1549 - Thomas Seymour is arrested, sent to Tower prison of London, for plotting overthrow of English government.
- 1562 - Edict of Saint Germain recognizes the Huguenots in France.
- 1574 - Birth of Robert Fludd composer.
- 1584 - Bohemia adopts the Gregorian calendar.
- 1595 - French king Henri IV declares war on Spain.
- 1600 - Birth of Pedro Caldéron de la Barca Spanish poet/dramatist.
- 1601 - France gains Bresse, Bugey, Valromey and Gex in treaty with Spain.
- 1612 - Birth of Thomas Fairfax Lord Fairfax, English Parliamentary General.
- 1617 - Pieter C Bockenberg Dutch historian, dies at age 68.
- 1620 - Diego Alvarez de Paz Spanish missionary/writer (Peru), dies at about age 59.
- 1654 - Paul Potter Dutch painter, buried.
- 1656 - Brandenburg and Sweden sign Treaty of Königsberg.
- 1657 - Birth of Pieter van Bloemen [Standaart], Flemish painter, baptized.
- 1661 - Andres Malong, Philippines rebel leader, executed.
- 1676 - Pier Francesco Cavalli Italian opera composer, dies at age 73.
- 1706 - Birth of Benjamin Franklin in Boston, Massachusetts; published Poor Richard's Almanac under name Richard Saunders, founded Philadelphia Library, Postmaster of Philadelphia, discovered identity of lightning with electric fluid, member of Royal Society, signed Declaration of Independence, ambassador to France 1776-85, signed treaty ending Revolutionary War.
- 1718 - Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland; kills 53.
- 1732 - Birth of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski last king of Poland (1764-95).
- 1734 - Birth of François-Joseph Gossec Belgian-French composer (Les Pêcheurs, Mirza).
- 1736 - Death of Daniel Matthäus Pöppelmann in Dresden, Germany; state architect in Dresden, designer of the Zwinger and Elbe Bridge.
- 1746 - Battle of Falkirk, Scotland-Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated by Scots.
- 1750 - Tomaso Albinoni Italian composer (Adagio in G Minor), dies at age 78.
- 1757 - German Diet declares war on Prussia.
- 1771 - Birth of Charles Brockden Brown father of American novel (Wieland).
- 1773 - Captain James Cook becomes first to cross Antarctic Circle (66 degrees 33' S).
- 1775 - Nine old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests, Kalisk, Poland.
- 1775 - R B Sheridan's "Rivals" premieres in London.
- 1794 - Birth of Eilhardt Mitscherlich in Neuende, Germany; professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin, discovered selenic acid, the monoclinic crystal form of sulfur, and the first to synthesize nitrobenzene.
- 1812 - Birth of Ludwig Windthorst in Kaldenhof, Germany; leader of Catholic Center Party.
- 1814 - Birth of Ellen Wood; English author (East Lynne, Pomeroy Abbey).
- 1818 - Birth of Antoine Dorion; joint premier of Canada (Liberal, 1858, 1863-64).
- 1820 - Birth of Anne Brontë in Thornton, Yorkshire, England; English novelist/poet (Agnes Grey, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall).
- 1821 - México permits Moses Austin and 300 US families to settle in Texas.
- 1827 - Duke of Wellington is appointed British supreme commander.
- 1828 - Birth of Lewis Addison Grant; US Brevet Major General (US volunteers) (dies 1918).
- 1832 - Johannes van den Bosch appointed Governor-General of Dutch-Indies.
- 1833 - James Ball Antyne, Scot founder (Ball Antyne Press), dies at about age 60.
- 1833 - William Rush, Indian sculptor (Spirit of the Schuylkill), dies.
- 1834 - Birth of August Weismann in Frankfurt am Main, Germany; professor of medicine at the University of Freiburg, developed a theory of cellular germ plasm, from which the modern understanding of DNA develops.
- 1842 - Birth of Anton G van Hamel; founder (Roman Philology in Netherlands).
- 1845 - Birth of Lucas Lindeboom; Dutch vicar/evangelist (Vredebond).
- 1852 - British recognize independence of Transvaal (in South Africa).
- 1853 - Birth of Alva Vanderbilt Beaumont; women's rights advocate and activist.
- 1857 - Birth of Eugene Augustin Lauste; developer (first sound-on-film recording).
- 1857 - Birth of Wilhelm Kienzl; Austrian composer (Evangelimann).
- 1858 - Birth of Tomas Carrasquilla; Colombian author (Frutos de mi Tierra).
- 1861 - Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper.
- 1863 - Birth of David Lloyd George; British politician (Labour-Prime Minister-Britain, 1916-22).
- 1863 - Birth of Konstantin S Stanislavski in Russia; director (Stanislavski Method).
- 1863 - US Congress authorizes another US$100 million in United States Notes.
- 1863 - Death of Muhammad Said Pasha at age 41 in his sleep; Egyptian viceroy.
- 1864 - Birth of Lucien Herr in France; scientist (Corresp entre Schiller et Schiller).
- 1871 - First cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie (begins service in 1873).
- 1874 - Armed Democrats seize Texas government ending Radical Reconstruction.
- 1874 - Chang and Eng Bunker, Chinese/Thai Siamese twins, die at age 62.
- 1878 - Birth of Oscar Apfel in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actor (Abraham Lincoln, Inspiration, Before Dawn).
- 1880 - Birth of Mack Sennett; movie creator (Keystone Kops).
- 1881 - Birth of Alfred R Radcliffe-Browne; British anthropologist (Andaman Islanders).
- 1881 - Chilean army enters Lima, Peru.
- 1882 - Birth of Noah Beery in Smithville, Arkansas, USA; actor (Story of Esther, Mark of Zorro, Sea Wolf) (dies 1946).
- 1885 - Birth of Joseph Arendt; Belgian worker's union leader.
- 1885 - British beat Mahdists at Battle of Abu Klea in the Sudan.
- 1886 - Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer (La Gioconda), dies at age 51.
- 1886 - Birth of Glenn Luther Martin; aviator (Collier Trophy-1933).
- 1886 - Birth of Ronald Firbank in London, England; novelist (The Flower Beneath the Foot).
- 1889 - Juan Montalvo, Ecuadorian author (Siete Tratados), dies at age 56.
- 1890 - Death of Salomon Sulzer in Vienna, Austria, at age 85; chief cantor in Vienna, composer, "the father of modern synagogue music".
- 1891 - Birth of Marjorie Gateson in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (One Man's Family).
- 1891 - Birth of Norman "Squab" Read; US aviator who lived to be 101.
- 1893 - Queen Liliuokalani is deposed, Kingdom of Hawaii becomes a republic.
- 1893 - Death of Rutherford B. Hayes in Fremont, Ohio, USA; brevet major general in 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (1861-65), Ohio Representative in Congress (1865-67), Governor of Ohio (1867-72, 1876), US President (1877-81).
- 1895 - French President Casimir-Perier resigns.
- 1895 - Félix Faure installed as President of France.
- 1896 - Birth of Harry Reser in Ohio, USA; orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show).
- 1897 - Birth of Nils Asther in Malmö, Sweden; actor (Bluebeard, Night Monster).
- 1899 - Birth of Al Capone in Italy; gangster (Chicago bootlegging).
- 1899 - Birth of Nevil Shute (Norway) in London, England; novelist (On the Beach, Town Like Alice).
- 1899 - Birth of Roel [Martinus F] Houwink; Dutch literary (One Man Without Character).
- 1899 - US takes possession of Wake Island in Pacific.
- 1902 - Birth of Geoffrey W Lloyd; British minister of Brandstoffen/Energy (1951-55).
- 1902 - Gideon Scheepers, South African Boer leader, is executed.
- 1903 - Birth of Warren Hull in Gasport, New York, USA; actor (Strike it Rich, Who in the World).
- 1904 - Birth of Grant Withers in Pueblo, Colorado, USA; actor (Oklahoma, Annie).
- 1904 - Birth of Patsy Ruth Miller; actress (Québec, Wide Open, Sap, Twin Beds).
- 1905 - Birth of Franz Schmid in Germany; ascended northside of Matterhorn (1931).
- 1905 - Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer and C G Scannell, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- 1907 - Birth of Henk H Badings in Bandung, Indonesia; Dutch opera composer (Orestes).
- 1908 - Ferdinand IV, ruler of Toscane, dies at age 72.
- 1910 - Birth of Edith S Green; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Oregon).
- 1910 - Thomas Crapper, inventor (flush toilet), dies.
- 1910 - Wilhelm F Kohlrausch, German physicist (Additiviteitsregel), dies at age 69.
- 1911 - Birth of Hermann Pfrogner in Austria; musicologist (Zerrissene Orpheus).
- 1911 - Birth of Luis W Alvarez; US physicist (sub atomic, Nobel Prize 1968).
- 1911 - Failed assassination attempt on premier Aristide Briand in French Assembly.
- 1913 - Birth of Werenfried [Flip] van Straaten; founder (Oostpriesterhulp).
- 1913 - Birth of Yuvraj of Patiala; cricket player (scored 24 and 60 in only Test India versus England).
- 1913 - Birth of Claude Coats in San Francisco, California, USA; artist at Walt Disney Company 1935-89 for films, displays at Disneyland attractions, named a Disney Legend 1988.
- 1913 - Raymond Poincaré elected President of France.
- 1915 - Russia occupies Bukovina and Western Ukraine.
- 1916 - First PGA Championship: Jim Barnes at Siwanoy Country Club, Bronxville, New York; Professional Golfer Association (PGA) forms.
- 1916 - Birth of Joel Herron in Chicago, Illinois, USA; orchestra leader (Jaye P Morgan Show).
- 1918 - Birth of Joseph Walker Barr; banker/politician, US Treasury Secretary.
- 1920 - Paul Deschanel elected President of France.
- 1921 - Birth of Dehl Berti in Pueblo, Colorado, USA; actor (John Taylor - Guns of Paradise).
- 1922 - Birth of Betty White in Oak Park, Illinois, USA; actress (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls, Boston Legal).
- 1922 - Birth of Luis Echeverría Alvarez; President of Mexico.
- 1923 - Belgian Working People Party protests against occupied Ruhrgebied.
- 1923 - Birth of Onno Molenkamp; Dutch actor (Lifespan, Broken Mirrors, The Lift).
- 1924 - Birth of Jewel Plummer Cobb; educator/president (California State University at Fullerton).
- 1925 - Birth of A H Kardar; cricket player (Pakistani first Test captain, previously played for India).
- 1925 - Birth of Annie Delorie; Dutch opera singer (Scenes and Arias).
- 1926 - Birth of Clyde Walcott; cricket player (one of the three W's, later ICC chairman).
- 1926 - Birth of Moira Shearer in Dunfermline, Scotland; ballerina (Red Shoes).
- 1927 - Birth of Ignatz Bubis in Wroclaw, Germany; head of the Central Council of German Jews (dies 1999).
- 1927 - Birth of Eartha Kitt in South Carolina, USA; singer/actress (Catwoman - Batman).
- 1928 - First fully automatic photographic film developing machine patented.
- 1928 - Birth of Ken Archer; cricket player (Australian batsman, five Tests early 50s).
- 1928 - Birth of Vidal Sassoon in London, England; hair stylist/CEO (Vidal Sassoon).
- 1929 - Birth of Jacques "Jake the Snake" Plante in Québec, Canada; NHL goaltender (number 1).
- 1929 - Popeye makes first appearance, in comic strip Thimble Theatre.
- 1930 - Birth of Bill Benyon; English large landowner/Conservative Lower house leader.
- 1930 - Birth of Thomas P Stafford in Oklahoma, USA; astronaut (Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10).
- 1931 - Birth of James Earl Jones in Mississippi, USA; actor (Darth Vader - Star Wars, Exorcist II, Soul Man, Roots: The Next Generations).
- 1931 - Birth of L Douglas Wilder; American politician (Governor-Democrat-Virginia).
- 1933 - Birth of Aga Khan; religious leader (Muslims).
- 1933 - Birth of Bruno Schroder; British baron/banker/multi-millionaire.
- 1933 - Birth of Sheree North [Dawn Bethel] in Louisiana, USA; actress (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Breakout, Madigan).
- 1933 - Birth of Yolande Christina Dalida in Cairo, Egypt; actress/singer, Miss Egypt (The 6th Day).
- 1933 - John Hodges, cricket player (6 wickets in Australia's first two Tests), dies.
- 1934 - Birth of Shari Lewis in Bronx, New York, USA; ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop).
- 1934 - Electric Home and Farm Authority incorporated.
- 1934 - New York Giants reward National League Most Valuable Player pitcher Carl Hubbell with $18,000 contract.
- 1935 - Birth of Jimmy Powell in Dallas, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (1990 Southwestern Bell Classic).
- 1935 - Birth of Paul O[sborne] Williams; American sci-fi author (Ends of the Circle).
- 1936 - Birth of Jerry Fogel in Rochester, New York, USA; actor (Jerry - Mothers-in-Law, White Shadow).
- 1938 - Birth of John Bellairs; American sci-fi author (Chessmen of Doom).
- 1938 - Supreme Soviet elects Michail Kalinin as presidium chairman.
- 1938 - William H Pickering, astronomer (predicted planet Pluto), dies at age 79.
- 1939 - Birth of Antao D'Souza; cricket player (Pakistani pace bowler in six Tests 1959-62).
- 1939 - Birth of Toini Gustafson in Sweden; 5km/10km cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1968).
- 1939 - Ed Barrow is elected New York Yankees president succeeding deceased J Ruppert.
- 1940 - Birth of H Kipchoge "Kip" Keino in Kenya; 1500m runner (Olympics-gold-1968, 1972).
- 1940 - Birth of Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali; South African poet (Fireflames).
- 1941 - José Leite de Vasconcelos, Portuguese scholar (Etnografia), dies at age 82.
- 1941 - (morning) French forces with one old light cruiser and four old gunboats, attack Siam along the Koh-Chang island anchorage. They sink the new battleship Dhonburi, force the new battleship Ayuthia to run aground, and sink three small destroyers.
- 1942 - Birth of Cassius Marcellus Clay AKA Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Kentucky, USA; heavyweight champion boxer (1964-67, 1974-78).
- 1942 - Birth of Randy Boone in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA; actor (Cimarron Strip, Virginian).
- 1943 - Birth of Daniel Charles Brandenstein in Watertown, Wisconsin, USA; astronaut (STS 8, 51-G, 32, 49).
- 1944 - Corvette Violet sinks German submarine U-641 in Atlantic Ocean.
- 1945 - Auschwitz concentration camp begins evacuation.
- 1945 - Birth of William Hart; US singer (Four Gents, The Delfonics - "I'm Sorry").
- 1945 - Gilbert Dodds, record miler (4:05.3), retires to do gospel work.
- 1945 - Soviet forces liberate Warsaw, Poland.
- 1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg leaves Budapest with his driver and three Russian officers for a pre-approved meeting with Soviet commanders in Debrecen, east of Budapest, to discuss his humanitarian work with Jews.
- 1946 - United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting.
- 1946 - In Niemodlin, Lower Silesia, the bodies of 40,000 murdered Allied prisoners are found in a mass grave. The prisoners were killed in the Lambinowice concentration camp.
- 1946 - In Nikolayev, Russia, seven Germans are hanged for the killing of 105,000 Russians during the war. Two others are sentenced to twenty years in prison.
- 1947 - Birth of Jane Elliot in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Baby Boom, General Hospital, Knots Landing).
- 1947 - Birth of Todd Susman in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; actor (Goodnight Beantown).
- 1947 - Muiden Netherlands ammunition factory explodes, 16 die.
- 1948 - Birth of Alexander "Alec" Erwin; South African worker's union leader.
- 1948 - Birth of Mick Taylor; rock bassist (Rolling Stones - "Brown Sugar").
- 1948 - Netherlands and Indonesia agree to a cease fire.
- 1949 - Birth of Andy Kaufman in New York City, New York, USA; comedian/actor (Latka Gravas - Taxi).
- 1949 - Birth of Debbie Watson in La Mirada, California, USA; actress (Karen, Tammy).
- 1950 - Eleven men rob Brinks Armored Car depot office in Boston of US$1.2 million cash and US$1.5 million securities. The robbers are caught in January 1956.
- 1951 - Birth of Rolando Thoeni in Italy; slalom (Olympics-bronze-1972).
- 1951 - China refuses cease-fire in Korea.
- 1952 - Birth of Ryuichi Sakamoto in Japan; rocker (Academy Award 1988, Yellow Magic Orchestra).
- 1952 - Walter O "Spike" Briggs, owner (Detroit Tigers), dies at age 74.
- 1953 - The General Motors Motorama opens to the general public in New York City. The prototype Chevrolet Corvette "Dream Car" is displayed to the public for the first time. The roadster is white with red interior, fiberglass body, 235-cid straight-6 engine, and two-speed automatic. Also on display at the Motorama: Buick fiberglass-bodied two-passenger Wildcat, Oldsmobile fiberglass-bodied four-passenger convertible Starfire, Cadillac fiberglass-bodied two-passenger roadster Le Mans.
- 1953 - Birth of Sheila Hutchinson; singer (The Emotions).
- 1954 - Birth of Janet Dykman in Monterey Park, California, USA; archer (Olympics-1996).
- 1954 - Birth of Robert F Kennedy Junior; attorney (Natural Resources Defense Council).
- 1954 - Jacques Cousteau's first network telecast airs on Omnibus (CBS).
- 1954 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 20-9.
- 1954 - Suggs Louise wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open (Cloister).
- 1955 - Birth of Steve Earle in San Antonio, Texas, USA; country singer ("Guitar Town").
- 1955 - Joannes A Veraart, Dutch judge/Member of Parliament, (Jews in Netherlands), dies at age 68.
- 1955 - In Kirkland, Washington, USA two iron meteorites break through an amateur astronomer's observatory dome; one sets a fire.
- 1955 - Submarine USS Nautilus begins first nuclear-powered test voyage.
- 1956 - Birth of Mitch Vogel in Alhambra, California, USA; actor (Jamie - Bonanza).
- 1956 - Birth of Paul Young; rock vocalist/keyboardist ("Every Time You Go Away").
- 1957 - Birth of Donna Stone in New Jersey, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996).
- 1958 - Birth of Jez Strode; rocker (Kajagoogoo).
- 1959 - Birth of Susanna Hoffs; actress, singer (The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian").
- 1959 - The Federation of Mali is founded, from the bRepublic of Senegal and French Sudan.
- 1959 - Abdul Aziz, cricket player, dies at age 17 struck by ball in fc match for Karachi.
- 1960 - Birth of Chili Davis in Kingston, Jamaica; outfielder (California Angels).
- 1960 - Birth of John Crawford in Palo Alto, California, USA; bass (Berlin - "Take My Breath Away").
- 1960 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Sea Island Women's Golf Invitational.
- 1960 - NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 38-21.
- 1961 - Birth of Maia Chiburdanidze in Kutaisi, USSR; women's world chess champ.
- 1961 - Death of Patrice Lumumba by firing squad in Katanga, Congo; prime minister.
- 1962 - Birth of Jim Carrey in Ontario, Canada; actor (In Living Color, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, Skip - Duck Factory).
- 1962 - Gerrit Achterberg, Dutch poet (Dead End), dies at age 56.
- 1963 - Joe Walker takes X-15 to altitude of 82 km.
- 1963 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA San Francisco Warriors scores 67 points versus Los Angeles Lakers.
- 1964 - Birth of Jeff Tabaka; US baseball pitcher (San Diego Padres).
- 1964 - Terence Hanbury White, novelist (England Have My Bones), dies at age 57.
- 1966 - Birth of Don Myrah in Oakland, California, USA; cyclist (Olympics-20th-1996).
- 1966 - Birth of Karissa Rushing in Benton, Arkansas, USA; Miss America-Arkansas (1990).
- 1966 - Birth of Rexton Gordon "Shabba Ranks"; Jamaican disc-jockey/rapper (Extra Naked).
- 1966 - Birth of Trish Johnson in Bristol, England; LPGA golfer (1993 Las Vegas).
- 1966 - Martin Luther King Junior opens campaign in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1966 - US Air Force B-52 carrying four unarmed hydrogen bombs crashes on Spanish coast at Palomares, seven die.
- 1966 - Vincent J Donehue, director (Lonelyhearts), dies of Hodgkin's at age 50.
- 1967 - Birth of Gregory Caccia in Bayshore, New York, USA; team handball right back (Olympics-1996).
- 1967 - Birth of William Michael Heinen Junior in Rayne, Louisiana, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Shell Houston).
- 1967 - Evelyn Nesbit, actress (Redemption), dies at age 82.
- 1968 - Julis Deutsch, Austrian politician/General Spanish republican army, dies at age 83.
- 1968 - Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 complete first docking of two manned spacecraft.
- 1969 - The Beatles' album Yellow Submarine released in the United Kingdom.
- 1969 - Debut album of rock music group Led Zeppelin is released in the US.
- 1969 - United States attorney general Ramsey Clark charges IBM with unlawful monopolization of the computer industry, and requests the federal courts break it up.
- 1970 - 357 baseball players are available in the free-agent draft.
- 1970 - AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 26-3.
- 1970 - Death of Billy Stewart at age 32 from a car crash off a bridge over the River Neuse in North Carolina, USA; singer ("I Do Love You", "Summertime").
- 1970 - Birth of Candace Murray in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; softball shortstop (Olympics-1996).
- 1970 - Birth of Darnell Walker; NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers).
- 1970 - Birth of Jeremy Roenick in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NHL center (Team USA, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes).
- 1970 - John M Burgess installed as bishop of Protestant Episcopals (Massachusetts).
- 1970 - Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s.
- 1971 - Birth of Derek Plante in Cloquet, Minnesota, USA; NHL center (Buffalo Sabres).
- 1971 - Birth of Peter Winter; Australian decathlete (Olympics-1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Tyler Houston; US baseball catcher (Atlanta Braves).
- 1971 - Super Bowl V: Baltimore Colts-16, Dallas Cowboys-13 in Miami, Florida; Most Valuable Player: Chuck Howley, Dallas, Linebacker.
- 1972 - Birth of Rohn Meyer; Canadian Football League offensive linebacker (Calgary Stampeders).
- 1972 - Birth of Wendall Gaines; NFL tight end (Arizona Cardinals).
- 1972 - Rochelle Hudson, actress (That's My Boy, Curly Top), dies from pneumonia at age 55.
- 1972 - Section of Memphis, Tennessee, Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.
- 1973 - Birth of Amanda Elizabeth Spivey in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA; Miss South Carolina-America (1995).
- 1973 - City of Amsterdam decides to support Hanoi, Vietnam.
- 1973 - Fred Essler, actor (Unsinkable Molly Brown), dies at age 77.
- 1973 - New Philippine constitution names Marcos president for life.
- 1974 - Birth of Derrick Mason; wide receiver (Tennessee Oilers).
- 1974 - Birth of Guillermo Mercedes; Dominican/US baseball infielder (Texas Rangers).
- 1974 - Birth of Marcus Spriggs; offensive tackle (Buffalo Bills).
- 1974 - Birth of Sharon Marie Ferris in New Zealand; yachter (Olympics-1996).
- 1975 - ABC debuts TV show Baretta, starring Robert Blake.
- 1976 - "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow hits #1.
- 1976 - Hermes rocket launched by European Space Agency.
- 1977 - 7th AFC-NFC pro bowl, AFC wins 24-14.
- 1977 - Birth of Ali el Kattabi; soccer player (Sparta).
- 1977 - Gary Gilmore executed by firing squad in Utah, first US execution since 1967.
- 1977 - Kansas City Royals release Tommy Davis, ends an 18-year career with ten teams.
- 1977 - Zaire President Mobutu visits Belgium.
- 1978 - Birth of Irina A Borisova; Miss Ukraine-Universe (1996).
- 1979 - USSR performs underground nuclear test.
- 1980 - NASA launches Fltsatcom-3.
- 1980 - Birth of Zooey Deschanel; American actress.
- 1980 - Birth of Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Ukrainian dance champion, choreographer, and instructor.
- 1980 - Barbara Britton, actress (Pamela - Mr and Mrs North), dies at age 59.
- 1981 - Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos lifts Martial Law.
- 1982 - Birth of Amanda Wilkinson; country singer (The Wilkinsons).
- 1982 - Birth of Alex Varkatzas; Greek-American lead vocalist (Atreyu).
- 1983 - Doodles Weaver, actor/comedian (Ring of Fire), shoots himself at age 71.
- 1983 - Nigeria expels two million illegal aliens, mostly Ghanaians.
- 1983 - Alabama Governor George C Wallace becomes governor for record fourth time.
- 1983 - PBS begins airing the TV series Frontline.
- 1984 - US Supreme Court rules (5-4) private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws.
- 1985 - Birth of Kang-In; Korean singer (Super Junior).
- 1985 - British Telecom announces it is going to phase out its famous red telephone boxes.
- 1985 - Azharuddin scores second Test century in second Test (versus England).
- 1986 - Tim Witherspoon beats Tony Tubbs in 15 to regain WBA heavyweight title.
- 1987 - US President Ronald Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran.
- 1988 - Leslie Manigay elected President of Haiti.
- 1989 - Al Arbour wins his 600th NHL game as coach.
- 1989 - Patrick Edward Purdy kills five children, wounds 30 and then shoots himself in Stockton, California.
- 1989 - Phoenix Suns cancel game at Miami Heat, due to racial unrest in Miami, Florida.
- 1989 - Sterling A Brown, US poet/critic (Southern Road), dies at age 87.
- 1989 - Victoria Murden and Shirley Metz are first women to reach South Pole overland (on skis).
- 1990 - Charles Hernu, French minister of Defense (1981-85), dies.
- 1990 - Dave Stewart signs record US$3,500,000 per year Oakland Athletics contract.
- 1990 - The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Four Seasons, Four Tops, Hank Ballard, Platters and Kinks inducted into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 1991 - (2:38AM Iraq local time) Operation Desert Storm begins - US and 27 allies attack Iraq for occupying Kuwait.
- 1991 - Helmut Kohl is formally elected chancellor of united Germany by the Bundestag. He receives 378 yes votes, 257 no votes and 9 abstain.
- 1991 - Mountie Jacques Rougeau beats Hart for WWF intercontinental title.
- 1991 - Death of King Olav V of Norway (born 1903).
- 1991 - Harald V of Norway becomes king on the death of his father.
- 1992 - Bill Walker, actor (Big Mo, Mask, Harlem Globetrotters), dies at age 95.
- 1992 - Charlie Ventura, jazz sax (Bop for the people), dies of cancer at age 75.
- 1992 - Dorothy Alison, actress (Maggie, Third Key, Long Arm), dies.
- 1993 - Ger ter Horst, Dutch soccer trainer (Sparta), dies.
- 1993 - Russian Irina Privalova cycles world record 300m indoor (35.45 seconds).
- 1994 - In Northridge, California, a magnitude 6.6-6.8 earthquake occurs. Sixty people are killed, more than 7,000 injured, 20,000 homeless and more than 40,000 buildings damaged in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Severe damage occurred in the San Fernando Valley. Collapsed overpasses close sections of the Santa Monica Freeway, the Antelope Valley Freeway, the Simi Valley Freeway and the Golden State Freeway. Cracks in weld joints are reported in over 100 steelframed buildings. Total damage: US$30 billion.
- 1994 - Allan G Odell, ad executive (Burma Shave), dies at age 90.
- 1994 - Chung Il Kwon, Prime Minister of South Korea (1964-70), dies.
- 1994 - Han Jansen, Dutch journalist (Volkskrant), dies at age 61.
- 1994 - Klaas Peereboom, Dutch sports reporter (Het Parool), dies at age 77.
- 1994 - Death of Helen Stephens, American runner (born 1918).
- 1995 - A magnitude 6.9-7.2 earthquake occurs near Kobe, Japan, the Hinshin Great Earthquake. 5502 people killed, 36,896 injured, over 200,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Over 90 percent of the casualties occurred along the southern coast of Honshu between Kobe and Nishinomiya. Maximum ground speed 1.04m/s, max displacement 270mm, highest ever recorded for an earthquake.
- 1995 - Australia beats Australia A 2-0 to win the World Series Cup.
- 1995 - Isador Caplan, lawyer/Aldeburgh Festival pioneer, dies at age 82.
- 1995 - Los Angeles Rams announce that they are moving to Saint Louis, Missouri.
- 1995 - Urias Nooteboom, Dutch journalist/critic (The Time), dies at age 54.
- 1996 - 9-year-old Amber Hagerman is found dead four days after kidnapping in Arlington, Texas, USA.
- 1997 - Andrea Fisher, artist, dies at age 21.
- 1997 - Asfa Wossen [Amha Selassie], crown emperor of Ethiopia in exile, dies.
- 1997 - Death of Clyde William Tombaugh, American astronomer (discovered Pluto), at age 90 (born 1906).
- 1997 - NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely, fines him $25,000 for kicking cameraman.
- 1997 - A Delta II rocket carrying a military GPS payload explodes, shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral.
- 1998 - Emil Sitka, actor (The Three Stooges), dies of stroke at age 82.
- 2001 - Impeachment proceedings against Philippine President Joseph Estrada end prematurely after the second envelope, which allegedly holds proof that the accused has committed plunder, remains unopened by majority vote of the senator-judges. Those senators who voted for the opening of the envelope walk out of the courtroom along with the people watching inside. This event, covered on several Philippine television channels, and the resulting SMS/text messages encouraging everyone to go to EDSA and shout for the removal or resignation of Estrada from office, triggers the second EDSA People Power Revolution or People Power II.
- 2002 - Jermaine Dye agrees to a three-year extension worth $32 million to stay with the Oakland Athletics.
- 2002 - Death of Camilo José Cela, Spanish writer (born 1916).
- 2002 - The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaces an estimated 400,000 people.
- 2003 - Torii Hunter agrees to four-year, US$32 million deal to stay with the Minnesota Twins.
- 2003 - Death of Richard Crenna of pancreatic cancer at age 76; radio actor (Our Miss Brooks, A Date with Judy, The Great Gildersleeve), TV actor (Our Miss Brooks, The Real McCoys, Slattery's People, Judging Amy, The Rape of Richard Beck (Emmy award)).
- 2005 - Death of Zhao Ziyang, Premier of the People's Republic of China (born 1919).
- 2006 - In Scottsdale, Arizona, the 30th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction is held, over six days. The #003 1953 Corvette sells for US$1 million; this is the first existing production Corvette. A 1967 convertible, with 427 ci 435 hp engine sells for US$350,000.
- 2006 - Alex Rodriguez announces he will be a member of the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.
- 2008 - Israel closes the border with Gaza due to a rise in Qassam rockets hitting towns.
- 2008 - Death of Bobby Fischer, American former world champion chess-player, at age 64 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
- 2009 - At Gooding's Scottsdale Auction, a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Trans Am sells for US$407,000.
- 2009 - Joannie Rochette defends her Canadian figure skating championship, as she wins her fifth-straight national title.
- 2010 - Sebastian Pinera is elected Chile's new president.
- 2022 - Death of Yvette Mimieux at age 80 at home in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (The Time Machine movie).
- 2023 - Death of Sister André AKA Lucile Randon at age 118 in Toulon, France; French nun, world's oldest known person.
- 2023 - Death of Chris Ford at age 74 of a heart attack in Philadelphia, USA; basketball player (NBA Boston Celtics), coach (Boston Celtics).
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