text:
January 15

Pre-1600

 * 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
 * 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".
 * 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England and Ireland in Westminster Abbey, London.
 * 1582 – Truce of Yam-Zapolsky: Russia cedes Livonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

1601–1900

 * 1759 – The British Museum opens to the public.
 * 1777 – American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present-day Vermont) declares its independence.
 * 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris addresses the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
 * 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President (1800), commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.
 * 1818 – A paper by David Brewster is read to the Royal Society, belatedly announcing his discovery of what we now call the biaxial class of doubly-refracting crystals. On the same day, Augustin-Jean Fresnel signs a "supplement" (submitted four days later) on reflection of polarized light.
 * 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.
 * 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
 * 1867 – Forty people die when ice covering the boating lake at Regent's Park, London, collapses.
 * 1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).
 * 1876 – The first newspaper in Afrikaans, Die Afrikaanse Patriot, is published in Paarl.
 * 1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta.
 * 1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.

1901–present

 * 1908 – The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.
 * 1910 – Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft.
 * 1911 – Palestinian Arabic-language Falastin newspaper founded.
 * 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent communists in Germany, are clubbed and then shot to death by members of the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.
 * 1919  – Great Molasses Flood: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.
 * 1934 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing an estimated 6,000–10,700 people.
 * 1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
 * 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republicans both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.
 * 1943 – World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.
 * 1943  – The Pentagon is dedicated in Arlington County, Virginia.
 * 1947 – The Black Dahlia murder: The dismembered corpse of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles.
 * 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist government.
 * 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
 * 1962  – Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.
 * 1966 – The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d'état.
 * 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
 * 1969 – The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.
 * 1970 – Nigerian Civil War: Biafran rebels surrender following an unsuccessful 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria.
 * 1970  – Muammar Gaddafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.
 * 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
 * 1975 – The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.
 * 1976 – Gerald Ford's would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.
 * 1977 – Linjeflyg Flight 618 crashes in Kälvesta near Stockholm Bromma Airport in Stockholm, Sweden, killing 22 people.
 * 1981 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from the Polish trade union Solidarity at the Vatican led by Lech Wałęsa.
 * 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
 * 1991  – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
 * 2001 – Wikipedia, a free wiki content encyclopedia, is launched.
 * 2005 – ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.
 * 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 ditches safely in the Hudson River after the plane collides with birds less than two minutes after take-off. This becomes known as "The Miracle on the Hudson" as all 155 people on board were rescued.
 * 2013 – A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.
 * 2015 – The Swiss National Bank abandons the cap on the Swiss franc's value relative to the euro, causing turmoil in international financial markets.
 * 2016 – The Kenyan Army suffers its worst defeat ever in a battle with Al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents in El-Adde, Somalia. An estimated 150 Kenyan soldiers are killed in the battle.
 * 2018 – British multinational construction and facilities management services company Carillion went into liquidation – officially, "the largest ever trading liquidation in the UK"
 * 2019 – Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.
 * 2019  – Theresa May's UK government suffers the biggest government defeat in modern times, when 432 MPs voting against the proposed European Union withdrawal agreement, giving her opponents a majority of 230.
 * 2020  – The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirms the first case of COVID-19 in Japan.
 * 2021 – A 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia's Sulawesi island killing at least 105 and injuring 3,369 people.
 * 2022 – The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupts, cutting off communications with Tonga and causing a tsunami across the Pacific.
 * 2023 – Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashes near Pokhara International Airport, killing all 72 people on board.

Pre-1600

 * 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
 * 1462 – Edzard I, Count of East Frisia, German noble (d. 1528)
 * 1481 – Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shōgun (d. 1511)
 * 1538 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (d. 1599)
 * 1595 – Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth, English politician (d. 1661)

1601–1900

 * 1622 – Molière, French actor and playwright (d. 1673)
 * 1623 – Algernon Sidney, British philosopher (probable) (d. 1683)
 * 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English archaeologist and historian (d. 1704)
 * 1716 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1778)
 * 1747 – John Aikin, English surgeon and author (d. 1822)
 * 1754 – Richard Martin, Irish activist and politician, co-founded the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (d. 1834)
 * 1791 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1872)
 * 1795 – Alexander Griboyedov, Russian playwright, composer, and poet (d. 1829)
 * 1803 – Marjorie Fleming, Scottish poet and author (d. 1811)
 * 1809 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French economist and politician (d. 1865)
 * 1812 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (d. 1885)
 * 1815 – William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, third President of the Church of Jesus Christ (d. 1905)
 * 1834 – Samuel Arza Davenport, American lawyer and politician (d. 1911)
 * 1841 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, sixth Governor General of Canada (d. 1908)
 * 1842 – Josef Breuer, Austrian physician and psychiatrist (d. 1925)
 * 1842  – Mary MacKillop, Australian nun and saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (d. 1909)
 * 1850 – Leonard Darwin, English soldier, eugenicist, and politician (d. 1943)
 * 1850  – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1889)
 * 1850  – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian-Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)
 * 1855 – Jacques Damala, Greek-French soldier and actor (d. 1889)
 * 1858 – Giovanni Segantini, Italian painter (d. 1899)
 * 1859 – Archibald Peake, English-Australian politician, 25th Premier of South Australia (d. 1920)
 * 1863 – Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1946)
 * 1866 – Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, historian, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
 * 1869 – Ruby Laffoon, American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of Kentucky (d. 1941)
 * 1869  – Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish poet, playwright, and painter (d. 1907)
 * 1870 – Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1954)
 * 1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author and translator (d. 1944)
 * 1875 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter, coach, and journalist (d. 1929)
 * 1877 – Lewis Terman, American psychologist, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1956)
 * 1878 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (d. 1941)
 * 1879 – Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1961)
 * 1879  – Ernest Thesiger, English actor (d. 1961)
 * 1882 – Henry Burr, Canadian singer, radio performer, and producer (d. 1941)
 * 1882  – Princess Margaret of Connaught (d. 1920)
 * 1885 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and author (d. 1973)
 * 1885  – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (d. 1968)
 * 1890 – Michiaki Kamada, Japanese admiral (d. 1947)
 * 1891 – Ray Chapman, American baseball player (d. 1920)
 * 1893 – Rex Ingram, Irish film director, producer, writer, and actor (d. 1950)
 * 1893  – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1951)
 * 1895 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
 * 1896 – Marjorie Bennett, Australian-American actress (d. 1982)

1901–present

 * 1902 – Nâzım Hikmet, Greek-Turkish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1963)
 * 1902  – Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
 * 1903 – Paul A. Dever, American lieutenant and politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
 * 1905 – Torin Thatcher, British actor (d. 1981)
 * 1907 – Janusz Kusociński, Polish runner and soldier (d. 1940)
 * 1908 – Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (d. 2003)
 * 1909 – Jean Bugatti, German-French engineer (d. 1939)
 * 1909  – Gene Krupa, American drummer, composer, and actor (d. 1973)
 * 1912 – Michel Debré, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1996)
 * 1913 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (d. 2002)
 * 1913  – Lloyd Bridges, American actor (d. 1998)
 * 1913  – Miriam Hyde, Australian pianist and composer (d. 2005)
 * 1913  – Alexander Marinesko, Ukrainian-Russian lieutenant (d. 1963)
 * 1914 – Stefan Bałuk, Polish general (d. 2014)
 * 1914  – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian and academic (d. 2003)
 * 1917 – K. A. Thangavelu, Indian film actor and comedian (d. 1994)
 * 1918 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian general and politician, 30th President of Brazil (d. 1999)
 * 1918  – Édouard Gagnon, Canadian cardinal (d. 2007)
 * 1918  – Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian colonel and politician, second President of Egypt (d. 1970)
 * 1919 – Maurice Herzog, French mountaineer and politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (d. 2012)
 * 1919  – George Cadle Price, Belizean politician, first Prime Minister of Belize (d. 2011)
 * 1920 – Bob Davies, American basketball player and coach (d. 1990)
 * 1920  – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (d. 2002)
 * 1920  – John O'Connor, American cardinal (d. 2000)
 * 1921 – Cliff Barker, American basketball player (d. 1998)
 * 1921  – Babasaheb Bhosale, Indian lawyer and politician, eighth Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2007)
 * 1921  – Frank Thornton, English actor (d. 2013)
 * 1922 – Sylvia Lawler, English geneticist (d. 1996)
 * 1922  – Eric Willis, Australian sergeant and politician, 34th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1999)
 * 1923 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish pianist, songwriter, and poet (d. 2006)
 * 1923  – Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese economist and politician, fourth President of the Republic of China (d. 2020)
 * 1924 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (d. 2013)
 * 1925 – Ruth Slenczynska, American pianist and composer
 * 1925  – Ignacio López Tarso, Mexican actor (d. 2023)
 * 1926 – Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress (d. 2005)
 * 1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress (d. 2023)
 * 1928 – Joanne Linville, American actress (d. 2021)
 * 1928  – W. R. Mitchell, English journalist and author (d. 2015)
 * 1929 – Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970)
 * 1929  – Martin Luther King Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
 * 1930 – Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter (d. 1985)
 * 1931 – Lee Bontecou, American painter and sculptor (d. 2022)
 * 1931  – Derek Meddings, British special effects designer (d. 1995)
 * 1932 – Lou Jones, American sprinter (d. 2006)
 * 1933 – Frank Bough, English journalist and radio host (d. 2020)
 * 1933  – Ernest J. Gaines, American author and academic (d. 2019)
 * 1933  – Peter Maitlis, English chemist and academic (d. 2022)
 * 1934 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian civil servant and politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013)
 * 1935 – Robert Silverberg, American author and editor
 * 1936 – Richard Franklin, English actor, writer, director and political activist (d. 2023)
 * 1937 – Margaret O'Brien, American actress and singer
 * 1938 – Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
 * 1938  – Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler (d. 2021)
 * 1938  – Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer (d. 2020)
 * 1939 – Per Ahlmark, Swedish journalist and politician, first Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 2018)
 * 1939  – Tony Bullimore, English sailor (d. 2018)
 * 1941 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter, musician, and artist (d. 2010)
 * 1942 – Frank Joseph Polozola, American academic and judge (d. 2013)
 * 1943 – George Ambrum, Australian rugby league player (d. 1986)
 * 1943  – Margaret Beckett, English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
 * 1943  – Stuart E. Eizenstat, American lawyer and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the European Union
 * 1943  – Mike Marshall, American baseball player (d. 2021)
 * 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, English author
 * 1945 – Ko Chun-hsiung, Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (d. 2015)
 * 1945  – Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (d. 1993)
 * 1945  – William R. Higgins, American colonel (d. 1990)
 * 1945  – Princess Michael of Kent
 * 1945  – David Pleat, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
 * 1946 – Charles Brown, American actor (d. 2004)
 * 1947 – Mary Hogg, English lawyer and judge
 * 1947  – Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress, singer, and screenwriter
 * 1948 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (d. 1977)
 * 1949 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (d. 2001)
 * 1949  – Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012)
 * 1949  – Ian Stewart, Scottish runner
 * 1949  – Howard Twitty, American golfer
 * 1950 – Marius Trésor, French footballer and coach
 * 1951 – Ernie DiGregorio, American basketball player
 * 1952 – Boris Blank, Swiss singer-songwriter
 * 1952  – Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer (d. 2018)
 * 1952  – Muhammad Wakkas, Bangladeshi teacher and parliamentarian (d. 2021)
 * 1953 – Randy White, American football player
 * 1954 – Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter
 * 1955 – Nigel Benson, English author and illustrator
 * 1955  – Andreas Gursky, German photographer
 * 1955  – Khalid Islambouli, Egyptian lieutenant (d. 1982)
 * 1956 – Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect
 * 1956  – Mayawati, Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
 * 1956  – Marc Trestman, American football player and coach
 * 1957 – David Ige, American politician
 * 1957  – Marty Lyons, American football player and sportscaster
 * 1957  – Andrew Tyrie, English journalist and politician
 * 1957  – Mario Van Peebles, Mexican-American actor and director
 * 1958 – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (d. 2016)
 * 1958  – Boris Tadić, Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia
 * 1959 – Greg Dowling, Australian rugby league player
 * 1959  – Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008)
 * 1961 – Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer and coach
 * 1961  – Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director
 * 1963 – Craig Fairbrass, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer
 * 1965 – Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist
 * 1965  – Bernard Hopkins, American boxer and coach
 * 1965  – Adam Jones, American musician and songwriter
 * 1965  – James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor
 * 1967 – Ted Tryba, American golfer
 * 1968 – Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer
 * 1969 – Delino DeShields, American baseball player and manager
 * 1970 – Michele Granger, American softball player
 * 1970  – Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman
 * 1971 – Regina King, American actress
 * 1972 – Shelia Burrell, American heptathlete
 * 1972  – Christos Kostis, Greek footballer
 * 1972  – Claudia Winkleman, English journalist and critic
 * 1973 – Essam El Hadary, Egyptian footballer
 * 1974 – Séverine Deneulin, international development academic
 * 1975 – Mary Pierce, Canadian-American tennis player and coach
 * 1975  – Martin Štrbák, Slovak ice hockey player
 * 1976 – Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster
 * 1976  – Alexander Korolyuk, Russian ice hockey player
 * 1976  – Iryna Lishchynska, Ukrainian runner
 * 1976  – Dorian Missick, American actor
 * 1976  – Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player
 * 1976  – Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer and manager
 * 1978 – Eddie Cahill, American actor
 * 1978  – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist
 * 1978  – Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer
 * 1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
 * 1979  – Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer
 * 1979  – Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
 * 1980 – Matt Holliday, American baseball player
 * 1981 – Dylan Armstrong, Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower
 * 1981  – Vanessa Henke, German tennis player
 * 1981  – Pitbull, American rapper and producer
 * 1981  – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer
 * 1982 – Armando Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
 * 1982  – Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer
 * 1983 – Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer
 * 1983  – Jermaine Pennant, English footballer
 * 1984 – Ben Shapiro, American author and commentator
 * 1985 – René Adler, German footballer
 * 1985  – Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer
 * 1985  – Pavel Podkolzin, Russian basketball player
 * 1985  – Victor Rasuk, American actor
 * 1986 – Jessy Schram, American actress and model
 * 1987 – Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player
 * 1987  – Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner
 * 1987  – Kelly Kelly, American wrestler and model
 * 1987  – David Knight, English footballer
 * 1987  – Kelleigh Ryan, Canadian fencer
 * 1988 – Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer
 * 1988  – Skrillex, American DJ and producer
 * 1988  – Donald Sloan, American basketball player
 * 1989 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
 * 1989  – Nicole Ross, American Olympic foil fencer
 * 1989  – Martin Dúbravka, Slovakian footballer
 * 1990 – Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer
 * 1990  – Slava Voynov, Russian ice hockey player
 * 1990  – Chris Warren, American actor
 * 1991 – Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
 * 1991  – Matt Duffy, American baseball player
 * 1991  – Mitch Garver, American baseball player
 * 1991  – Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
 * 1991  – Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
 * 1991  – James Mitchell, Australian basketball player
 * 1992 – Joël Veltman, Dutch footballer
 * 1992   – Joshua King, Norwegian footballer
 * 1993 – Kadeem Allen, American basketball player
 * 1994 – Eric Dier, English footballer
 * 1996 – Dove Cameron, American actress and singer
 * 1996  – Deebo Samuel, American football player
 * 1998 – Alexandra Eade, Australian artistic gymnast
 * 1998 – Ben Godfrey, English footballer
 * 2000 – Triston Casas, American baseball player
 * 2002 – Tim Stützle, German ice hockey player
 * 2004 – Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter

Pre-1600

 * 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
 * 378 – Chak Tok Ich'aak I, Mayan ruler
 * 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
 * 849 – Theophylact, Byzantine emperor (b. 793)
 * 936 – Rudolph of France (b. 880)
 * 950 – Wang Jingchong, Chinese general
 * 1149 – Berengaria of Barcelona, queen consort of Castile (b. 1116)
 * 1477 – Adriana of Nassau-Siegen, German countess (b. 1449)
 * 1568 – Nicolaus Olahus, Romanian archbishop (b. 1493)
 * 1569 – Catherine Carey, lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I of England (b. 1524)
 * 1584 – Martha Leijonhufvud, Swedish noblewoman (b. 1520)

1601–1900

 * 1623 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian lawyer, historian, and scholar (b. 1552)
 * 1672 – John Cosin, English bishop and academic (b. 1594)
 * 1683 – Philip Warwick, English politician (b. 1609)
 * 1775 – Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Italian organist and composer (b. 1700)
 * 1783 - Lord Stirling, American Revolutionary War Major General (b. 1726)
 * 1790 – John Landen, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1719)
 * 1804 – Dru Drury, English entomologist and author (b. 1725)
 * 1813 – Anton Bernolák, Slovak linguist and priest (b. 1762)
 * 1815 – Emma, Lady Hamilton, English-French mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (b. 1761)
 * 1854 – Jiang Zhongyuan, Chinese scholar and soldier (b. 1812)
 * 1855 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (b. 1780)
 * 1864 – Isaac Nathan, English-Australian composer and journalist (b. 1792)
 * 1866 – Massimo d'Azeglio, Piedmontese-Italian statesman, novelist and painter (b. 1798)
 * 1876 – Eliza McCardle Johnson, American wife of Andrew Johnson, 18th First Lady of the United States (b. 1810)
 * 1880 – Carl Georg von Wächter, German jurist (b. 1797)
 * 1893 – Fanny Kemble, English actress (b. 1809)
 * 1896 – Mathew Brady, American photographer and journalist (b. 1822)

1901–present

 * 1905 – George Thorn, Australian politician, sixth Premier of Queensland (b. 1838)
 * 1909 – Arnold Janssen, German priest and missionary (b. 1837)
 * 1916 – Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian playwright and translator (b. 1850)
 * 1919 – Karl Liebknecht, German politician (b. 1871)
 * 1919  – Rosa Luxemburg, German economist, theorist, and philosopher (b. 1871)
 * 1926 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1883)
 * 1929 – George Cope, American painter (b. 1855)
 * 1936 – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, English cricketer and politician, seventh Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866)
 * 1937 – Anton Holban, Romanian author, theoretician, and educator (b. 1902)
 * 1939 – Kullervo Manner, Finnish Speaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister of the FSWR and the Supreme Commander of the Red Guards (b. 1880)
 * 1945 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (b. 1865)
 * 1948 – Josephus Daniels, American publisher and diplomat, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1862)
 * 1950 – Henry H. Arnold, American general (b. 1886)
 * 1951 – Ernest Swinton, British Army officer (b. 1868)
 * 1951  – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian-Russian captain and sailor (b. 1887)
 * 1952 – Ned Hanlon, Australian sergeant and politician, 26th Premier of Queensland (b. 1887)
 * 1955 – Yves Tanguy, French-American painter (b. 1900)
 * 1959 – Regina Margareten, Hungarian businesswoman (b. 1863)
 * 1964 – Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombonist (b. 1905)
 * 1967 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (b. 1882)
 * 1968 – Bill Masterton, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1938)
 * 1970 – Frank Clement, English race car driver (b. 1886)
 * 1970  – William T. Piper, American engineer and businessman, founded Piper Aircraft (b. 1881)
 * 1972 – Daisy Ashford, English author (b. 1881)
 * 1973 – Coleman Francis, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1919)
 * 1973  – Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1901)
 * 1974 – Harold D. Cooley, American lawyer and politician (b. 1897)
 * 1981 – Graham Whitehead, English race car driver (b. 1922)
 * 1982 – Red Smith, American journalist (b. 1905)
 * 1983 – Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (b. 1898)
 * 1983  – Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907)
 * 1984 – Fazıl Küçük, Cypriot journalist and politician (b. 1906)
 * 1987 – Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904)
 * 1988 – Seán MacBride, Irish republican activist and politician, Minister for External Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
 * 1990 – Gordon Jackson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1923)
 * 1990  – Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910)
 * 1993 – Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
 * 1994 – Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist and composer (b. 1921)
 * 1994  – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
 * 1994  – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (b. 1916)
 * 1996 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
 * 1996  – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
 * 1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898)
 * 1998 – Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (b. 1934)
 * 1999 – Betty Box, English film producer (b. 1915)
 * 2000 – Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
 * 2001 – Leo Marks, English cryptographer, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
 * 2002 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
 * 2002  – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913)
 * 2002  – Jeanne Voltz, American food journalist and cookbook writer (b. 1920)
 * 2003 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915)
 * 2004 – Olivia Goldsmith, American author (b. 1949)
 * 2005 – Victoria de los Ángeles, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1923)
 * 2005  – Walter Ernsting, German author (b. 1920)
 * 2005  – Elizabeth Janeway, American author and critic (b. 1913)
 * 2005  – Ruth Warrick, American actress (b. 1916)
 * 2006 – Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1926)
 * 2007 – Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi lawyer and judge (b. 1945)
 * 2007  – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi intelligence officer (b. 1951)
 * 2007  – James Hillier, Canadian-American computer scientist and academic, co-invented the electron microscope (b. 1915)
 * 2007  – Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino educator and diplomat (b. 1905)
 * 2007  – Bo Yibo, Chinese commander and politician, Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (b. 1908)
 * 2008 – Robert V. Bruce, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1923)
 * 2008  – Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
 * 2009 – Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
 * 2011 – Nat Lofthouse, English footballer and manager (b. 1925)
 * 2011  – Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, French soldier, race car driver, and businessman (b. 1908)
 * 2011  – Susannah York, English actress and activist (b. 1939)
 * 2012 – Ed Derwinski, American soldier and politician, first United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (b. 1926)
 * 2012  – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish lawyer and politician, third President of the Xunta of Galicia (b. 1922)
 * 2012  – Carlo Fruttero, Italian journalist and author (b. 1926)
 * 2012  – Samuel Jaskilka, American general (b. 1919)
 * 2012  – Ib Spang Olsen, Danish author and illustrator (b. 1921)
 * 2012  – Hulett C. Smith, American lieutenant and politician, 27th Governor of West Virginia (b. 1918)
 * 2013 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
 * 2013  – John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941)
 * 2014 – Curtis Bray, American football player and coach (b. 1970)
 * 2014  – John Dobson, Chinese-American astronomer and author (b. 1915)
 * 2014  – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (b. 1944)
 * 2015 – Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (b. 1919)
 * 2015  – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1939)
 * 2015  – Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
 * 2016 – Francisco X. Alarcón, American poet and educator (b. 1954)
 * 2016  – Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1958)
 * 2016  – Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (b. 1943)
 * 2017 – Jimmy Snuka, Fijian professional wrestler (b. 1943)
 * 2018 – Dolores O'Riordan, Irish pop singer (b. 1971)
 * 2019 – Carol Channing, American actress (b. 1921)
 * 2019  – Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (b. 1936)
 * 2020 – Rocky Johnson, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1944)
 * 2020  – Lloyd Cowan, British athlete and coach (b. 1962)
 * 2022 – Alexa McDonough, first female politician to lead a major provincial political party in Canada, former leader of the federal New Democratic Party. (b. 1944)

Holidays and observances

 * Arbor Day (Egypt)
 * Armed Forces Remembrance Day (Nigeria)
 * Army Day (India)
 * Christian feast day:
 * Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
 * Arnold Janssen
 * Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China)
 * Ita
 * Our Lady of the Poor
 * Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)
 * Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict)
 * Paul the Hermit
 * January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Earliest day on which Martin Luther King Jr. Day can fall (the 15th being his birthday), while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
 * Earliest day on which Sinulog Festival can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in January. (Philippines)
 * John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
 * Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
 * Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)
 * Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. (Kamakura, Japan)
 * Teacher's Day (Venezuela)
 * Black Christ of Esquipulas day
 * The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14):
 * Thai Pongal, Tamil harvest festival

title: January 15


text:
January 26

Pre-1600

 * 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
 * 1531 – The 6.4–7.1 Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
 * 1564 – The Council of Trent establishes an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
 * 1564 – The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Tsardom of Russia in the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War.

1601–1900

 * 1699 – For the first time, the Ottoman Empire permanently cedes territory to the Christian powers.
 * 1700 – The 8.7–9.2 Cascadia earthquake takes place off the west coast of North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
 * 1788 – The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia. Commemorated as Australia Day.
 * 1808 – The Rum Rebellion is the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in New South Wales.
 * 1837 – Michigan is admitted as the 26th U.S. state.
 * 1841 – James Bremer takes formal possession of Hong Kong Island at what is now Possession Point, establishing British Hong Kong.
 * 1855 – Point No Point Treaty is signed in Washington Territory.
 * 1856 – First Battle of Seattle: Marines from the USS Decatur (1839) drive off American Indian attackers after all-day battle with settlers.
 * 1861 – American Civil War: The state of Louisiana secedes from the Union.
 * 1863 – American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.
 * 1863  – American Civil War: Governor of Massachusetts John Albion Andrew receives permission from the Secretary of War to raise a militia organization for men of African descent.
 * 1870 – Reconstruction Era: Virginia is readmitted to the Union.
 * 1885 – Troops loyal to The Mahdi conquer Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.

1901–present

 * 1905 – The world's largest diamond ever, the Cullinan, which weighs 3106.75 carat, is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
 * 1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of the U.S. Congress.
 * 1918 – Finnish Civil War: A group of Red Guards hangs a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the war.
 * 1926 – The first demonstration of the television by John Logie Baird.
 * 1930 – The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day or as the day for Poorna Swaraj ("Complete Independence") which occurred 17 years later.
 * 1934 – The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
 * 1934  – German–Polish declaration of non-aggression is signed.
 * 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Italy take Barcelona.
 * 1942 – World War II: The first United States forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.
 * 1945 – World War II: Audie Murphy displays valor and bravery in action for which he will later be awarded the Medal of Honor.
 * 1949 – The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory sees first light under the direction of Edwin Hubble, becoming the largest aperture optical telescope (until BTA-6 is built in 1976).
 * 1950 – The Constitution of India comes into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as the first President of India. Observed as Republic Day in India.
 * 1952 – Black Saturday in Egypt: rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
 * 1956 – Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
 * 1959 – The 41 acre Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.
 * 1962 – Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
 * 1966 – The three Beaumont children disappear from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations.
 * 1972 – JAT Flight 367 is destroyed by a terrorist bomb, killing 27 of the 28 people on board the DC-9. Flight attendant Vesna Vulović survives with critical injuries.
 * 1974 – Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashes during takeoff from Izmir Cumaovası Airport (now İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport), killing 66 of the 73 people on board the Fokker F28 Fellowship.
 * 1986 – The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
 * 1991 – Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.
 * 1998 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
 * 2001 – The 7.7 Gujarat earthquake shakes Western India, leaving 13,805–20,023 dead and about 166,800 injured.
 * 2001  – Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach, is killed in a dog attack in San Francisco. The resulting court case clarified the meaning of implied malice murder.
 * 2009 – Rioting breaks out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that will result in the replacement of President Marc Ravalomanana with Andry Rajoelina.
 * 2009 – Nadya Suleman gives birth to the world's first surviving octuplets.
 * 2015 – An aircraft crashes at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.
 * 2015  – Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) recaptures the city of Kobanî from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), marking a turning point in the Siege of Kobanî.
 * 2020 – A Sikorsky S-76B flying from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport crashes in Calabasas, 30 miles west of Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board, including former five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.
 * 2021 – Protesters and farmers storm the Red Fort near Delhi, clashing with police. One protester is killed and more than 80 police officers are injured.

Pre-1600

 * 183 – Lady Zhen, wife of Cao Pi (d. 221)
 * 1541 – Florent Chrestien, French poet and translator (d. 1596)
 * 1549 – Jakob Ebert, German theologian (d. 1614)
 * 1582 – Giovanni Lanfranco, Italian painter (d. 1647)

1601–1900

 * 1657 – William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1737)
 * 1714 – Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, French sculptor and educator (d. 1785)
 * 1715 – Claude Adrien Helvétius, French philosopher (d. 1771)
 * 1716 – George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1785)
 * 1722 – Alexander Carlyle, Scottish minister and author (d. 1805)
 * 1763 – Charles XIV John of Sweden (d. 1844)
 * 1781 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet and author (d. 1831)
 * 1813 – Juan Pablo Duarte, Dominican philosopher and poet, founding father of the Dominican Republic (d. 1876)
 * 1824 – Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist (d. 1888)
 * 1832 – George Shiras, Jr., American lawyer and Supreme Court justice (d. 1924)
 * 1842 – François Coppée, French poet and author (d. 1908)
 * 1852 – Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Italian-French explorer (d. 1905)
 * 1861 – Louis Anquetin, French painter (d. 1932)
 * 1863 – Charles Wade, Australian politician, 17th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1922)
 * 1864 – József Pusztai, Slovene-Hungarian poet and journalist (d. 1934)
 * 1866 – John Cady, American golfer (d. 1933)
 * 1877 – Kees van Dongen, Dutch painter (d. 1968)
 * 1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
 * 1885 – Michael Considine, Irish-Australian politician (d. 1959)
 * 1885  – Harry Ricardo, English engineer and academic (d. 1974)
 * 1885  – Per Thorén, Swedish figure skater (d. 1962)
 * 1887 – François Faber, French-Luxembourgian cyclist (d. 1915)
 * 1887  – Marc Mitscher, American admiral and pilot (d. 1947)
 * 1887  – Dimitris Pikionis, Greek architect and academic (d. 1968)
 * 1891 – Frank Costello, Italian-American mob boss (d. 1973)
 * 1891  – August Froehlich, German priest and martyr (d. 1942)
 * 1891  – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian neurosurgeon and academic (d. 1976)
 * 1892 – Bessie Coleman, American pilot (d. 1926)
 * 1893 – Giuseppe Genco Russo, Italian mob boss (d. 1976)
 * 1899 – Günther Reindorff, Russian-Estonian graphic designer and illustrator (d. 1974)
 * 1900 – Karl Ristenpart, German conductor (d. 1967)

1901–present

 * 1902 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch author (d. 1940)
 * 1904 – Ancel Keys, American physiologist and nutritionist (d. 2004)
 * 1904  – Seán MacBride, Irish lawyer and politician, Irish Minister for External Affairs Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
 * 1905 – Charles Lane, American actor and singer (d. 2007)
 * 1905  – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (d. 1987)
 * 1907 – Rex Connor, Australian politician (d. 1977)
 * 1907  – Dimitrios Holevas, Greek priest and philologist (d. 2001)
 * 1908 – Jill Esmond, English actress (d. 1990)
 * 1908  – Rupprecht Geiger, German painter and sculptor (d. 2009)
 * 1908  – Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist (d. 1997)
 * 1908  – Robert Halperin, American yachtsman (d. 1985)
 * 1910 – Jean Image, Hungarian-French animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 1989)
 * 1911 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
 * 1911  – Norbert Schultze, German composer and conductor (d. 2002)
 * 1913 – Jimmy Van Heusen, American pianist and composer (d. 1990)
 * 1914 – Dürrüşehvar Sultan, Imperial Princess of the Ottoman Empire (d. 2006)
 * 1915 – William Hopper, American actor (d. 1970)
 * 1917 – Louis Zamperini, American runner and captain (d. 2014)
 * 1918 – Philip José Farmer, American author (d. 2009)
 * 1919 – Valentino Mazzola, Italian footballer (d. 1949)
 * 1919  – Bill Nicholson, English footballer and manager (d. 2004)
 * 1919  – Hyun Soong-jong, South Korean politician, 24th Prime Minister of South Korea  (d. 2020)
 * 1920 – Hans Holzer, Austrian-American paranormal researcher and author (d. 2009)
 * 1921 – Eddie Barclay, French record producer, founded Barclay Records (d. 2005)
 * 1921  – Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (d. 1999)
 * 1921  – Veikko Uusimäki, Finnish actor and theater councilor (d. 2008)
 * 1922 – Michael Bentine, English actor and screenwriter (d. 1996)
 * 1922  – Seán Flanagan, Irish footballer and politician, 7th Irish Minister for Health (d. 1993)
 * 1922  – Gil Merrick, English footballer (d. 2010)
 * 1923 – Patrick J. Hannifin, American admiral (d. 2014)
 * 1923  – Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer (d. 2017)
 * 1924 – Alice Babs, Swedish singer and actress (d. 2014)
 * 1924  – Annette Strauss, American philanthropist and politician, Mayor of Dallas (d. 1998)
 * 1925 – David Jenkins, English bishop and theologian (d. 2016)
 * 1925  – Joan Leslie, American actress (d. 2015)
 * 1925  – Paul Newman, American actor, activist, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own (d. 2008)
 * 1925  – Ben Pucci, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2013)
 * 1925  – Claude Ryan, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2004)
 * 1926 – Farman Fatehpuri, Pakistani linguist and scholar (d. 2013)
 * 1926  – Joseph Bacon Fraser, Jr., American architect and businessman, co-founded the Sea Pines Company (d. 2014)
 * 1927 – José Azcona del Hoyo, Honduran businessman and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2005)
 * 1927  – Bob Nieman, American baseball player and scout (d. 1985)
 * 1927  – Hubert Schieth, German footballer and manager (d. 2013)
 * 1928 – Roger Vadim, French actor and director (d. 2000)
 * 1929 – Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and educator
 * 1933 – Donald Sarason, American mathematician (d. 2017)
 * 1934 – Roger Landry, Canadian businessman and publisher (d. 2020)
 * 1934  – Charles Marowitz, American director, playwright, and critic (d. 2014)
 * 1934  – Huey "Piano" Smith, American pianist and songwriter (d. 2023)
 * 1934  – Bob Uecker, American baseball player, sportscaster and actor
 * 1935 – Corrado Augias, Italian journalist and politician
 * 1935  – Henry Jordan, American football player (d. 1977)
 * 1935  – Paula Rego, Portuguese-born British visual artist (d. 2022)
 * 1936 – Sal Buscema, American illustrator
 * 1937 – Joseph Saidu Momoh, Sierra Leonean soldier and politician, 2nd President of Sierra Leone (d. 2003)
 * 1938 – Henry Jaglom, English-American director and screenwriter
 * 1940 – Séamus Hegarty, Irish bishop (d. 2019)
 * 1940  – Frank Large, English footballer and cricketer (d. 2003)
 * 1943 – César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player and manager (d. 2005)
 * 1943  – Jack Warner, Trinidadian businessman and politician
 * 1944 – Angela Davis, American activist, academic, and author
 * 1944  – Jerry Sandusky, American football coach and criminal
 * 1945 – Jacqueline du Pré, English cellist (d. 1987)
 * 1945  – David Purley, English race car driver (d. 1985)
 * 1946 – Susan Friedlander, American mathematician
 * 1946  – Christopher Hampton, Portuguese-English director, screenwriter, and playwright
 * 1946  – Gene Siskel, American journalist and film critic (d. 1999)
 * 1947 – Patrick Dewaere, French actor and composer (d. 1982)
 * 1947  – Les Ebdon, English chemist and academic
 * 1947  – Redmond Morris, 4th Baron Killanin, Irish director, producer, and production manager
 * 1947  – Richard Portnow, American actor
 * 1947  – Michel Sardou, French singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1948 – Alda Facio, Costa Rican jurist, writer and teacher
 * 1948  – Corky Laing, Canadian rock drummer
 * 1949 – Jonathan Carroll, American author
 * 1949  – David Strathairn, American actor
 * 1950 – Jörg Haider, Austrian lawyer and politician, Governor of Carinthia (d. 2008)
 * 1950  – Ivan Hlinka, Czech ice hockey player and coach (d. 2004)
 * 1950  – Jack Youngblood, American football player
 * 1951 – David Briggs, Australian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
 * 1951  – Andy Hummel, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2010)
 * 1951  – Anne Mills, English economist and academic
 * 1952 – Tom Henderson, American basketball player
 * 1953 – Alik L. Alik, Micronesian politician, 7th Vice President of the Federated States of Micronesia
 * 1953  – Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish politician and diplomat, 39th Prime Minister of Denmark
 * 1953  – Lucinda Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1954 – Kim Hughes, Australian cricketer
 * 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (d. 2020)
 * 1957 – Road Warrior Hawk, American wrestler (d. 2003)
 * 1958 – Anita Baker, American singer-songwriter
 * 1958  – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, actress, and talk show host
 * 1960 – Charlie Gillingham, American musician
 * 1961 – Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1961  – Tom Keifer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1962 – Guo Jian, Chinese-Australian painter, sculptor, and photographer
 * 1962  – Tim May, Australian cricketer
 * 1962  – Oscar Ruggeri, Argentinian footballer and manager
 * 1963 – Jazzie B, British DJ and music producer
 * 1963  – José Mourinho, Portuguese footballer and manager
 * 1963  – Simon O'Donnell, Australian footballer, cricketer, and sportscaster
 * 1963  – Tony Parks, English footballer and manager
 * 1963  – Andrew Ridgeley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1964 – Adam Crozier, Scottish businessman
 * 1964  – Paul Johansson, American-Canadian actor
 * 1965 – Kevin McCarthy, American politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
 * 1965  – Thomas Östros, Swedish businessman and politician
 * 1965  – Natalia Yurchenko, Russian gymnast and coach
 * 1966 – Kazushige Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and sportscaster
 * 1967 – Bryan Callen, American comedian, actor, and writer
 * 1967  – Anatoly Komm, Russian chef and businessman
 * 1967  – Col Needham, English businessman, co-founded Internet Movie Database
 * 1968 – Jupiter Apple, Brazilian singer-songwriter, film director, and actor (d. 2015)
 * 1969 – George Dikeoulakos, Greek-Romanian basketball player and coach
 * 1970 – Kirk Franklin, American singer-songwriter and producer
 * 1972 – Nate Mooney, American actor
 * 1973 – Jennifer Crystal Foley, American actress
 * 1973  – Larissa Lowing, Canadian artistic gymnast
 * 1973  – Melvil Poupaud, French actor, director, and screenwriter
 * 1973  – Brendan Rodgers, Northern Irish footballer and manager
 * 1973  – Mayu Shinjo, Japanese author and illustrator
 * 1976 – Gilles Marini, French actor
 * 1977 – Vince Carter, American basketball player
 * 1977  – Justin Gimelstob, American tennis player and coach
 * 1978 – Esteban Germán, Dominican baseball player
 * 1978  – Corina Morariu, American tennis player and sportscaster
 * 1978  – Sara Rue, American actress
 * 1978  – Andrés Torres, American baseball player
 * 1981 – José de Jesús Corona, Mexican footballer
 * 1981  – Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan violinist, composer, and conductor
 * 1981  – Juan José Haedo, Argentinian cyclist
 * 1981  – Colin O'Donoghue, Irish actor
 * 1983 – Petri Oravainen, Finnish footballer
 * 1983  – Eric Werner, American ice hockey player
 * 1984 – Ryan Hoffman, Australian rugby league player
 * 1984  – Iain Turner, Scottish footballer
 * 1984  – Luo Xuejuan, Chinese swimmer
 * 1985 – Heather Stanning, English rower
 * 1986 – Gerald Green, American basketball player
 * 1986  – Kim Jae-joong, South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, and director
 * 1986  – Mustapha Yatabaré, French-Malian footballer
 * 1987 – Sebastian Giovinco, Italian footballer
 * 1987  – Héctor Noesí, Dominican baseball player
 * 1988 – Dan Bailey, American football player
 * 1988  – Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Greek high jumper
 * 1989 – MarShon Brooks, American basketball player
 * 1989  – Emily Hughes, American figure skater
 * 1989  – Torrey Smith, American football player
 * 1990 – Brandon Bolden, American football player
 * 1990  – Sergio Pérez, Mexican race car driver
 * 1990  – Peter Sagan, Slovak professional cyclist
 * 1991 – Nicolò Melli, Italian-American basketball player
 * 1991  – Manti Te'o, American football player
 * 1992 – Sasha Banks, American wrestler
 * 1993 – Lana Clelland, Scottish footballer
 * 1993  – Kevin Pangos, Canadian-Slovenian basketball player
 * 1993  – Alice Powell, British racing driver
 * 1993  – Florian Thauvin, French footballer
 * 1994 – Montrezl Harrell, American basketball player
 * 1995 – Jean-Charles Castelletto, Cameroonian footballer
 * 1995  – Sione Katoa, New Zealand rugby league player
 * 1997 – Gedion Zelalem, German-born American soccer player
 * 1998 – Moonbin, South Korean singer and actor. (d. 2023)
 * 1999 – Travis Etienne, American football player
 * 2000 – Ester Expósito, Spanish actress
 * 2000  – Darius Garland, American basketball player
 * 2001 – Latalia Bevan, Welsh artistic gymnast
 * 2001  – Isaac Okoro, American basketball player
 * 2002 – Darya Astakhova, Russian tennis player
 * 2009 – YaYa Gosselin, American actress
 * 2009  – The Suleman octuplets

Pre-1600

 * 738 – John of Dailam, Syrian monk and saint (b. 660)
 * 1390 – Adolph IX, Count of Holstein-Kiel (b.c 1327)
 * 1567 – Nicholas Wotton, English courtier and diplomat (b. 1497)

1601–1900

 * 1620 – Amar Singh I, ruler of Mewar (b. 1559)
 * 1630 – Henry Briggs, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1556)
 * 1641 – Lawrence Hyde, English lawyer (b. 1562)
 * 1697 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and theorist (b. 1640)
 * 1744 – Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller, Austrian field marshal (b. 1683)
 * 1750 – Albert Schultens, Dutch philologist and academic (b. 1686)
 * 1795 – Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, German harpsichord player and composer (b. 1732)
 * 1799 – Gabriel Christie, Scottish general (b. 1722)
 * 1814 – Manuel do Cenáculo, Portuguese prelate and antiquarian (b. 1724)
 * 1823 – Edward Jenner, English physician and immunologist, creator of the smallpox vaccine (b. 1749)
 * 1824 – Théodore Géricault, French painter and lithographer (b. 1791)
 * 1830 – Filippo Castagna, Maltese politician (b. 1765)
 * 1849 – Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet, playwright, and physician (b. 1803)
 * 1855 – Gérard de Nerval, French poet and translator (b. 1808)
 * 1860 – Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, opera singer (b. 1804)
 * 1869 – Duncan Gordon Boyes, English soldier; Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1846)
 * 1885 – Edward Davy, English-Australian physician and engineer (b. 1806)
 * 1885  – Charles George Gordon, English general and politician (b. 1833)
 * 1886 – David Rice Atchison, American general and politician (b. 1807)
 * 1887 – Anandi Gopal Joshi, one of the first female Indian physicians (b. 1865)
 * 1891 – Nicolaus Otto, German engineer, invented the Internal combustion engine (b. 1833)
 * 1893 – Abner Doubleday, American general (b. 1819)
 * 1895 – Arthur Cayley, English mathematician and academic (b. 1825)
 * 1896 – James Edwin Campbell, American educator, school administrator, newspaper editor, poet, and essayist (b. 1867)

1901–present

 * 1904 – Whitaker Wright, English businessman (b. 1846)
 * 1920 – Jeanne Hébuterne, French painter and author (b. 1898)
 * 1932 – William Wrigley, Jr., American businessman, founded the Wrigley Company (b. 1861)
 * 1943 – Harry H. Laughlin, American sociologist and eugenicist (b. 1880)
 * 1943  – Nikolai Vavilov, Russian botanist and geneticist (b. 1887)
 * 1946 – Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer and academic (b. 1884)
 * 1947 – Grace Moore, American soprano and actress (b. 1898)
 * 1947 – India adopted its constitution and transitioned into a republic on this day.
 * 1948 – Fred Conrad Koch, American biochemist and endocrinologist (b. 1876)
 * 1953 – Athanase David, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1882)
 * 1962 – Lucky Luciano, Italian-American mob boss (b. 1897)
 * 1968 – Merrill C. Meigs, American publisher (b. 1883)
 * 1973 – Edward G. Robinson, Romanian-American actor (b. 1893)
 * 1976 – João Branco Núncio, Portuguese bullfighter (b. 1901)
 * 1977 – Dietrich von Hildebrand, German Catholic philosopher and author (b. 1889)
 * 1979 – Nelson Rockefeller, American businessman and politician, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
 * 1983 – Bear Bryant, American football player and coach (b. 1913)
 * 1985 – Kenny Clarke, American jazz drummer and bandleader (b. 1914)
 * 1986 – Ruben Nirvi, Finnish linguist and professor (b. 1905)
 * 1990 – Lewis Mumford, American sociologist and historian (b. 1895)
 * 1992 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican-American actor (b. 1912)
 * 1993 – Jan Gies, Dutch businessman and humanitarian (b. 1905)
 * 1993  – Jeanne Sauvé, Canadian journalist and politician, Governor General of Canada (b. 1922)
 * 1996 – Harold Brodkey, American author and academic (b. 1930)
 * 1996  – Frank Howard, American football player and coach (b. 1909)
 * 1996  – Henry Lewis, American bassist and conductor (b. 1932)
 * 1997 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer and psychic (b. 1904)
 * 2000 – Don Budge, American tennis player and coach (b. 1915)
 * 2000  – Kathleen Hale, English author and illustrator (b. 1898)
 * 2000  – A. E. van Vogt, Canadian-American author (b. 1912)
 * 2001 – Al McGuire, American basketball player and coach (b. 1928)
 * 2003 – Valeriy Brumel, Russian high jumper (b. 1942)
 * 2003  – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian and academic (b. 1917)
 * 2003  – George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, Scottish banker and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1931)
 * 2004 – Fred Haas, American golfer (b. 1916)
 * 2006 – Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Pakistani politician (b. 1917)
 * 2007 – Gump Worsley, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
 * 2008 – Viktor Schreckengost, American sculptor and designer (b. 1906)
 * 2008  – George Habash, Palestinian politician, founder of the PFLP (b. 1926)
 * 2010 – Louis Auchincloss, American novelist and essayist (b. 1917)
 * 2011 – David Kato Kisule, Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist, considered a father of Uganda's gay rights movement (b. 1964)
 * 2011  – Charlie Louvin, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1927)
 * 2012 – Roberto Mieres, Argentinian race car driver (b. 1924)
 * 2013 – Christine M. Jones, American educator and politician (b. 1929)
 * 2013 – Stefan Kudelski, Polish-Swiss engineer, inventor of the Nagra (b. 1929)
 * 2013  – Padma Kant Shukla, Indian physicist and academic (b. 1950)
 * 2013  – Shōtarō Yasuoka, Japanese author (b. 1920)
 * 2014 – Tom Gola, American basketball player, coach, and politician (b. 1933)
 * 2014 – Paula Gruden, Slovenian-Australian poet and translator (b. 1921)
 * 2014 – José Emilio Pacheco, Mexican poet and author (b. 1939)
 * 2015 – Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau, American art director and cartoonist (b. 1932)
 * 2015 – Tom Uren, Australian politician (b. 1921)
 * 2016 – Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani military leader, foreign minister, and diplomat (b. 1920)
 * 2016 – Abe Vigoda, American actor (b. 1921)
 * 2017 – Mike Connors, American actor (b. 1925)
 * 2017 – Tam Dalyell, Scottish politician (b. 1932)
 * 2017 – Lindy Delapenha, Jamaican footballer and sports journalist (b. 1927)
 * 2017 – Barbara Hale, American actress (b. 1922)
 * 2017 – Barbara Howard, Canadian sprinter and educator (b. 1920)
 * 2020 – John Altobelli, American college baseball coach (b. 1963)
 * 2020 – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (b. 1978)

Holidays and observances

 * Christian feast day:
 * Saint Alberic of Cîteaux
 * Blessed Gabriele Allegra
 * Saint Paula of Rome
 * Saint Timothy and Saint Titus
 * January 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Australia Day (Australia)
 * Duarte Day (Dominican Republic)
 * Engineer's Day (Panama)
 * Liberation Day (Uganda)
 * Republic Day (India)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: January 26


text:
January 28

Pre-1600

 * 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany.
 * 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession of his son Louis the Pious as ruler of the Frankish Empire.
 * 1069 – Robert de Comines, appointed Earl of Northumbria by William the Conqueror, rides into Durham, England, where he is defeated and killed by rebels. This incident leads to the Harrying of the North.
 * 1077 – Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, is lifted after he humbles himself before Pope Gregory VII at Canossa in Italy.
 * 1521 – The Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25.
 * 1547 – Edward VI, the nine-year-old son of Henry VIII, becomes King of England on his father's death.
 * 1568 – The Edict of Torda prohibits the persecution of individuals on religious grounds in John Sigismund Zápolya's Eastern Hungarian Kingdom.
 * 1573 – Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland.
 * 1591 – Execution of Agnes Sampson, accused of witchcraft in Edinburgh.

1601–1900

 * 1624 – Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the island of Saint Kitts.
 * 1671 – Original city of Panama (founded in 1519) is destroyed by a fire when privateer Henry Morgan sacks and sets fire to it. The site of the previously devastated city is still in ruins (see Panama Viejo).
 * 1724 – The Russian Academy of Sciences is founded in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Peter the Great, and implemented by Senate decree. It is called the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917.
 * 1754 – Sir Horace Walpole coins the word serendipity in a letter to a friend.
 * 1813 – Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom.
 * 1846 – The Battle of Aliwal, India, is won by British troops commanded by Sir Harry Smith.
 * 1851 – Northwestern University becomes the first chartered university in Illinois.
 * 1855 – A locomotive on the Panama Canal Railway runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
 * 1871 – Franco-Prussian War: The Siege of Paris ends in French defeat and an armistice.
 * 1878 – Yale Daily News becomes the first independent daily college newspaper in the United States.
 * 1896 – Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, becomes the first person to be convicted of speeding. He was fined one shilling, plus costs, for speeding at 8 mph, thereby exceeding the contemporary speed limit of 2 mph.

1901–present

 * 1902 – The Carnegie Institution of Washington is founded in Washington, D.C., with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.
 * 1908 – Members of the Portuguese Republican Party fail in their attempted coup d'état against the administrative dictatorship of Prime Minister João Franco.
 * 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 as a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
 * 1916 – The Canadian province of Manitoba grants women the right to vote and run for office in provincial elections (although still excluding women of Indigenous or Asian heritage), marking the first time women in Canada are granted voting rights.
 * 1918 – Finnish Civil War: The Red Guard rebels seize control of the capital, Helsinki; members of the Senate of Finland go underground.
 * 1919 – The Order of the White Rose of Finland is established by Baron Gustaf Mannerheim, the regent of the Kingdom of Finland.
 * 1920 – Foundation of the Spanish Legion.
 * 1922 – Knickerbocker Storm: Washington, D.C.'s biggest snowfall, causes a disaster when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre collapses, killing over 100 people.
 * 1932 – Japanese forces attack Shanghai.
 * 1933 – The name Pakistan is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali Khan and is accepted by Indian Muslims who then thereby adopted it further for the Pakistan Movement seeking independence.
 * 1935 – Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion.
 * 1938 – The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen at a speed of 432.7 km/h.
 * 1941 – Franco-Thai War: Final air battle of the conflict. A Japanese-mediated armistice goes into effect later in the day.
 * 1945 – World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
 * 1956 – Elvis Presley makes his first national television appearance.
 * 1958 – The Lego company patents the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today.
 * 1960 – The National Football League announces expansion teams for Dallas to start in the 1960 NFL season and Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 1961 NFL season.
 * 1964 – An unarmed United States Air Force T-39 Sabreliner on a training mission is shot down over Erfurt, East Germany, by a Soviet MiG-19.
 * 1965 – The current design of the Flag of Canada is chosen by an act of Parliament.
 * 1977 – The first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977, which dumps 10 ft of snow in one day in Upstate New York. Buffalo, Syracuse, Watertown, and surrounding areas are most affected.
 * 1980 – USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa, 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 from captivity by the Red Brigades.
 * 1984 – Tropical Storm Domoina makes landfall in southern Mozambique, eventually causing 214 deaths and some of the most severe flooding so far recorded in the region.
 * 1985 – Supergroup USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa) records the hit single We Are the World, to help raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.
 * 1986 – Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission: Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board.
 * 1988 – In R v Morgentaler the Supreme Court of Canada strikes down all anti-abortion laws.
 * 2002 – TAME Flight 120, a Boeing 727-100, crashes in the Andes mountains in southern Colombia, killing 94.
 * 2006 – The roof of one of the buildings at the Katowice International Fair in Poland collapses due to the weight of snow, killing 65 and injuring more than 170 others.
 * 2021 – A nitrogen leak at a poultry food processing facility in Gainesville, Georgia kills six and injures at least ten.
 * 2023 – Protests begin after police beat and kill Tyre Nichols.

Pre-1600

 * 598 – Taizong, emperor of the Tang dynasty (d. 649)
 * 1312 – Joan II, queen of Navarre (d. 1349)
 * 1368 – Razadarit, king of Hanthawaddy (d. 1421)
 * 1457 – Henry VII, king of England (d. 1509)
 * 1533 – Paul Luther, German scientist (d. 1593)
 * 1540 – Ludolph van Ceulen, German-Dutch mathematician and academic (d. 1610)
 * 1582 – John Barclay, French-Scottish poet and author (d. 1621)
 * 1600 – Clement IX, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1669)

1601–1900

 * 1608 – Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Italian physiologist and physicist (d. 1679)
 * 1611 – Johannes Hevelius, Polish astronomer and politician (d. 1687)
 * 1622 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer and instrument maker (d. 1691)
 * 1693 – Gregor Werner, Austrian composer (d. 1766)
 * 1701 – Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (d. 1774)
 * 1706 – John Baskerville, English printer and typographer (d. 1775)
 * 1712 – Tokugawa Ieshige, Japanese shōgun (d. 1761)
 * 1717 – Mustafa III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1774)
 * 1719 – Johann Elias Schlegel, German poet and critic (d. 1749)
 * 1726  – Christian Felix Weiße, German poet and playwright (d. 1802)
 * 1755 – Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring, Polish-German physician, anthropologist, and paleontologist (d. 1830)
 * 1784 – George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1860)
 * 1797 – Charles Gray Round, English lawyer and politician (d. 1867)
 * 1818 – George S. Boutwell, American lawyer and politician, 28th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1905)
 * 1822 – Alexander Mackenzie, Scottish-Canadian politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1892)
 * 1833 – Charles George Gordon, English general and politician (d. 1885)
 * 1853 – José Martí, Cuban journalist, poet, and theorist (d. 1895)
 * 1853  – Vladimir Solovyov, Russian philosopher, poet, and critic (d. 1900)
 * 1855 – William Seward Burroughs I, American businessman, founded the Burroughs Corporation (d. 1898)
 * 1858 – Tannatt William Edgeworth David, Welsh-Australian geologist and explorer (d. 1934)
 * 1861 – Julián Felipe, Filipino composer and educator (d. 1944)
 * 1863 – Ernest William Christmas, Australian-American painter (d. 1918)
 * 1864 – Charles W. Nash, American businessman, founded Nash Motors (d. 1948)
 * 1865 – Lala Lajpat Rai, Indian author and politician (d. 1928)
 * 1865  – Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, Finnish lawyer, judge, and politician, 1st President of Finland (d. 1952)
 * 1873 – Colette, French novelist and journalist (d. 1954)
 * 1873  – Monty Noble, Australian cricketer (d. 1940)
 * 1874 – Alex Smith, Scottish golfer (d. 1930)
 * 1875 – Julián Carrillo, Mexican violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1965)
 * 1878 – Walter Kollo, German composer and conductor (d. 1940)
 * 1880 – Herbert Strudwick, English cricketer and coach (d. 1970)
 * 1884 – Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist and explorer (d. 1962)
 * 1885 – Vahan Terian, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1920)
 * 1886 – Marthe Bibesco, Romanian-French author and poet (d. 1973)
 * 1886  – Hidetsugu Yagi, Japanese engineer and academic (d. 1976)
 * 1887 – Arthur Rubinstein, Polish-American pianist and educator (d. 1982)
 * 1897 – Valentin Kataev, Russian author and playwright (d. 1986)
 * 1900 – Alice Neel, American painter (d. 1984)

1901–present

 * 1903 – Aleksander Kamiński, Polish author and educator (d. 1978)
 * 1903  – Kathleen Lonsdale, Irish crystallographer and 1st female FRS (d. 1971)
 * 1906 – Pat O'Callaghan, Irish athlete (d. 1991)
 * 1906  – Markos Vafiadis, Greek general and politician (d. 1992)
 * 1908 – Paul Misraki, Turkish-French composer and historian (d. 1998)
 * 1909 – John Thomson, Scottish footballer (d. 1931)
 * 1910 – John Banner, Austrian actor (d. 1973)
 * 1911 – Johan van Hulst, Dutch politician, academic and author, Yad Vashem recipient (d. 2018)
 * 1912 – Jackson Pollock, American painter (d. 1956)
 * 1918 – Harry Corbett, English puppeteer, actor, and screenwriter (d. 1989)
 * 1918  – Trevor Skeet, New Zealand-English lawyer and politician (d. 2004)
 * 1919 – Gabby Gabreski, American colonel and pilot (d. 2002)
 * 1920 – Lewis Wilson, American actor (d. 2000)
 * 1921 – Vytautas Norkus, Lithuanian–American basketball player (d. 2014)
 * 1922 – Anna Gordy Gaye, American songwriter and producer, co-founded Anna Records (d. 2014)
 * 1922  – Robert W. Holley, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)
 * 1924 – Marcel Broodthaers, Belgian painter and poet (d. 1976)
 * 1925 – Raja Ramanna, Indian physicist and politician (d. 2004)
 * 1926 – Jimmy Bryan, American race car driver (d. 1960)
 * 1927 – Per Oscarsson, Swedish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
 * 1927  – Ronnie Scott, English saxophonist (d. 1996)
 * 1927  – Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2001)
 * 1927  – Vera Williams, American author and illustrator (d. 2015)
 * 1929 – Acker Bilk, English singer and clarinet player (d. 2014)
 * 1929  – Edith M. Flanigen, American chemist
 * 1929  – Nikolai Parshin, Russian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
 * 1929  – Claes Oldenburg, Swedish-American sculptor and illustrator (d. 2022)
 * 1930 – Kurt Biedenkopf, German academic and politician, 54th President of the German Bundesrat (d. 2021)
 * 1930  – Roy Clarke, English screenwriter, comedian and soldier
 * 1933 – Jack Hill, American director and screenwriter
 * 1934 – Juan Manuel Bordeu, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1990)
 * 1935 – David Lodge, English author and critic
 * 1935  – Nicholas Pryor, American actor
 * 1936 – Alan Alda, American actor, director, and writer
 * 1936  – Ismail Kadare, Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, and playwright (d. 2024)
 * 1937 – Karel Čáslavský, Czech historian and television host (d. 2013)
 * 1937  – John Normington, English actor (d. 2007)
 * 1938 – Tomas Lindahl, Swedish-English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
 * 1938  – Leonid Zhabotinsky, Ukrainian weightlifter and coach (d. 2016)
 * 1939 – John M. Fabian, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
 * 1940 – Carlos Slim, Mexican businessman and philanthropist, founded Grupo Carso
 * 1941 – Joel Crothers, American actor (d. 1985)
 * 1942 – Sjoukje Dijkstra, Dutch figure skater (d. 2024)
 * 1942  – Erkki Pohjanheimo, Finnish director and producer
 * 1943 – Paul Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player and author
 * 1943  – Dick Taylor, English guitarist and songwriter
 * 1944 – Susan Howard, American actress and writer
 * 1944  – Rosalía Mera, Spanish businesswoman, co-founded Inditex and Zara (d. 2013)
 * 1944  – John Tavener, English composer (d. 2013)
 * 1945 – Marthe Keller, Swiss actress and director
 * 1947 – Jeanne Shaheen, American educator and politician, 78th Governor of New Hampshire
 * 1948 – Ilkka Kanerva, Finnish politician (d. 2022)
 * 1948  – Bob Moses, American drummer
 * 1948  – Charles Taylor, Liberian politician, 22nd President of Liberia
 * 1949 – Mike Moore, New Zealand union leader and politician, 34th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 2020)
 * 1949  – Gregg Popovich, American basketball player and coach
 * 1949  – Jim Wong-Chu, Canadian poet (d. 2017)
 * 1950 – Barbi Benton, American actress, singer and model
 * 1950  – Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahraini king
 * 1950  – David C. Hilmers, American colonel, physician, and astronaut
 * 1950  – Naila Kabeer, Bangladeshi-English economist and academic
 * 1951 – Brian Bilbray, American politician
 * 1951  – Leonid Kadeniuk, Ukrainian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2018)
 * 1951  – Billy Bass Nelson, American R&B/funk bass player
 * 1952 – Richard Glatzer, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
 * 1953 – Colin Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1954 – Peter Lampe, German theologian and historian
 * 1954  – Bruno Metsu, French footballer and manager (d. 2013)
 * 1954  – Rick Warren, American pastor and author
 * 1955 – Vinod Khosla, Indian-American businessman, co-founded Sun Microsystems
 * 1955  – Nicolas Sarkozy, French lawyer and politician, 23rd President of France
 * 1956 – Richard Danielpour, American composer and educator
 * 1956  – Peter Schilling, German singer-songwriter
 * 1957 – Mark Napier, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
 * 1957  – Nick Price, Zimbabwean-South African golfer
 * 1957  – Frank Skinner, English comedian, actor, and author
 * 1959 – Frank Darabont, American director and producer
 * 1960 – Loren Legarda, Filipino journalist and politician
 * 1961 – Mike Holoway, British musician and actor
 * 1961  – Normand Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1962 – Michael Cage, American basketball player and broadcaster
 * 1962  – Keith Hamilton Cobb, American actor
 * 1962  – Sam Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1963 – Dan Spitz, American musician and songwriter
 * 1964 – David Lawrence, English cricketer
 * 1966 – Seiji Mizushima, Japanese director and producer
 * 1966  – Michal Pivoňka, Czech ice hockey player
 * 1967 – Billy Brownless, Australian footballer and sportscaster
 * 1968 – Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
 * 1968  – DJ Muggs, American DJ and producer
 * 1968  – Rakim, American rapper
 * 1969 – Giorgio Lamberti, Italian swimmer
 * 1969  – Kathryn Morris, American actress
 * 1969  – Mo Rocca, American comedian and television journalist
 * 1969  – Linda Sánchez, American lawyer and politician
 * 1971 – Anthony Hamilton, American singer-songwriter and producer
 * 1972 – Elena Baranova, Russian basketball player
 * 1972  – Amy Coney Barrett, American jurist, academic, attorney, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
 * 1972  – Mark Regan, English rugby player
 * 1972  – Nicky Southall, English footballer and manager
 * 1972  – Léon van Bon, Dutch cyclist
 * 1972  – Gillian Vigman, American actress and comedian
 * 1974 – Tony Delk, American basketball player and coach
 * 1974  – Jermaine Dye, American baseball player
 * 1974  – Ramsey Nasr, Dutch author and poet
 * 1974  – Magglio Ordóñez, Venezuelan baseball player and politician
 * 1975 – Pedro Pinto, Portuguese-American journalist
 * 1975  – Junior Spivey, American baseball player and coach
 * 1976 – Sireli Bobo, Fijian rugby player
 * 1976  – Mark Madsen, American basketball player and coach
 * 1976  – Rick Ross, American rapper and producer
 * 1976  – Miltiadis Sapanis, Greek footballer
 * 1977 – Sandis Buškevics, Latvian basketball player and coach
 * 1977  – Daunte Culpepper, American football player
 * 1977  – Joey Fatone, American singer, dancer, and television personality
 * 1977  – Takuma Sato, Japanese race car driver
 * 1978 – Gianluigi Buffon, Italian footballer
 * 1978  – Jamie Carragher, English footballer and sportscaster
 * 1978  – Papa Bouba Diop, Senegalese footballer (d. 2020)
 * 1978  – Big Freedia, American musician
 * 1978  – Sheamus, Irish wrestler
 * 1979 – Angelique Cabral, American actress
 * 1980 – Nick Carter, American singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1980  – Yasuhito Endō, Japanese footballer
 * 1980  – Brian Fallon, American singer-songwriter
 * 1980  – Michael Hastings, American journalist and author (d. 2013)
 * 1981 – Elijah Wood, American actor and producer
 * 1982 – Chad Aull, American politician
 * 1982  – Omar Cook, American-Montenegrin basketball player and coach
 * 1984 – Ben Clucas, English race car driver
 * 1984  – Stephen Gostkowski, American football player
 * 1984  – Andre Iguodala, American basketball player
 * 1984  – Anne Panter, English field hockey player
 * 1985 – Daniel Carcillo, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1985  – J. Cole, American rapper
 * 1985  – Lauris Dārziņš, Latvian ice hockey player
 * 1985  – Tom Hopper, English actor
 * 1985  – Arnold Mvuemba, French footballer
 * 1985  – Libby Trickett, Australian swimmer
 * 1986 – Jessica Ennis-Hill, English heptathlete and hurdler
 * 1986  – Nathan Outteridge, Australian sailor
 * 1986  – Asad Shafiq, Pakistani cricketer
 * 1988 – Paul Henry, English footballer
 * 1988  – Alexandra Krosney, American actress
 * 1988  – Sanada, Japanese wrestler
 * 1989 – Siem de Jong, Dutch footballer
 * 1991 – Carl Klingberg, Swedish ice hockey player
 * 1992 – Sergio Araujo, Argentinian footballer
 * 1993 – Will Poulter, English actor
 * 1993  – Alan Williams, American basketball player
 * 1994 – Joel Bolomboy, Russian-American basketball player
 * 1994  – Lin Zhu, Chinese tennis player
 * 1994  – Maluma, Colombian singer-songwriter, rapper, and actor
 * 1995 – Mimi-Isabella Cesar, British rhythmic gymnast
 * 1998 – Payton Pritchard, American basketball player
 * 1998  – Ariel Winter, American actress
 * 2000 – Dušan Vlahović, Serbian footballer
 * 2004 – Emoni Bates, American basketball player
 * 2004  – Liam Öhgren, Swedish ice hockey player

Pre-1600

 * 724 – Yazid II, Umayyad caliph (b. 687)
 * 814 – Charlemagne, Holy Roman emperor (b. 742)
 * 919 – Zhou Dewei, Chinese general
 * 929 – Gao Jixing, founder of Chinese Jingnan (b. 858)
 * 947 – Jing Yanguang, Chinese general (b. 892)
 * 1061 – Spytihněv II, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1031)
 * 1142 – Yue Fei, Chinese general (b. 1103)
 * 1256 – William II, Count of Holland, King of Germany (b. 1227)
 * 1271 – Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France (b. 1247)
 * 1290 – Dervorguilla of Galloway, Scottish noble, mother of king John Balliol of Scotland (b. c. 1210)
 * 1443 – Robert le Maçon, French diplomat (b. 1365)
 * 1501 – John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham, English baron and Lord High Treasurer (b. 1433)
 * 1547 – Henry VIII, king of England (b. 1491)

1601–1900

 * 1613 – Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and scholar, founded the Bodleian Library (b. 1545)
 * 1621 – Pope Paul V (b. 1550)
 * 1666 – Tommaso Dingli, Maltese architect and sculptor (b. 1591)
 * 1672 – Pierre Séguier, French politician, Lord Chancellor of France (b. 1588)
 * 1681 – Richard Allestree, English priest and academic (b. 1619)
 * 1687 – Johannes Hevelius, Polish astronomer and politician (b. 1611)
 * 1688 – Ferdinand Verbiest, Flemish Jesuit missionary in China (b. 1623)
 * 1697 – Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet, English general and politician (b. 1645)
 * 1754 – Ludvig Holberg, Norwegian-Danish historian and philosopher (b. 1684)
 * 1782 – Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville, French geographer and cartographer (b. 1697)
 * 1832 – Augustin Daniel Belliard, French general (b. 1769)
 * 1859 – F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1782)
 * 1864 – Émile Clapeyron, French physicist and engineer (b. 1799)
 * 1873 – John Hart, English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of South Australia (b. 1809)

1901–present

 * 1903 – Augusta Holmès, French pianist and composer (b. 1847)
 * 1912 – Gustave de Molinari, Belgian economist and theorist (b. 1819).
 * 1912  – Eloy Alfaro, former president of Ecuador (b. 1842)
 * 1918 – John McCrae, Canadian soldier, physician, and author (b. 1872)
 * 1921 – Mustafa Suphi, Turkish journalist and politician (b. 1883)
 * 1930 – Emmy Destinn, Czech soprano and poet (b. 1878)
 * 1935 – Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Russian composer and conductor (b. 1859)
 * 1937 – Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect and target shooter (b. 1862)
 * 1938 – Bernd Rosemeyer, German race car driver (b. 1909)
 * 1939 – W. B. Yeats, Irish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
 * 1942 – Edward Siegler, American gymnast and triathlete (b. 1881)
 * 1945 – Roza Shanina, Russian sergeant and sniper (b. 1924)
 * 1947 – Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan-French composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1875)
 * 1948 – Hans Aumeier, German SS officer (b. 1906)
 * 1949 – Jean-Pierre Wimille, French race car driver (b. 1908)
 * 1950 – Nikolai Luzin, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1883)
 * 1953 – James Scullin, Australian journalist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1876)
 * 1953  – Neyzen Tevfik, Turkish philosopher and poet (b. 1879)
 * 1959 – Walter Beall, American baseball player (b. 1899)
 * 1960 – Zora Neale Hurston, American novelist, short story writer, and folklorist (b. 1891)
 * 1963 – Gustave Garrigou, French cyclist (b. 1884)
 * 1965 – Tich Freeman, English cricketer (b. 1888)
 * 1965  – Maxime Weygand, Belgian-French general (b. 1867)
 * 1971 – Donald Winnicott, English paediatrician and psychoanalyst (b. 1896)
 * 1973 – John Banner, Austrian actor (b. 1910)
 * 1976 – Marcel Broodthaers, Belgian painter and poet (b. 1924)
 * 1978 – Ward Moore, American author (b. 1903)
 * 1983 – Billy Fury. English pop star (b. 1940)
 * 1983  – Frank Forde, Australian educator and politician, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1890)
 * 1986 – Space Shuttle Challenger crew
 * Gregory Jarvis, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1944)
 * Christa McAuliffe, American educator and astronaut (b. 1948)
 * Ronald McNair, American physicist and astronaut (b. 1950)
 * Ellison Onizuka, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1946)
 * Judith Resnik, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1949)
 * Dick Scobee, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1939)
 * Michael J. Smith, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1945)
 * 1988 – Klaus Fuchs, German physicist and politician (b. 1911)
 * 1989 – Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama (b. 1938)
 * 1993 – Helen Sawyer Hogg, Canadian astronomer and academic (b. 1905)
 * 1996 – Joseph Brodsky, Russian-American poet and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1940)
 * 1996  – Burne Hogarth, American cartoonist and author (b. 1911)
 * 1996  – Jerry Siegel, American author and illustrator, co-created Superman (b. 1914)
 * 1998 – Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese author and illustrator (b. 1938)
 * 1999 – Valery Gavrilin, Russian composer (b. 1939)
 * 2001 – Ranko Marinković, Croatian author and playwright (b. 1913)
 * 2002 – Gustaaf Deloor, Belgian cyclist and soldier (b. 1913)
 * 2002  – Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author and screenwriter (b. 1907)
 * 2002  – Ayşe Nur Zarakolu, Turkish author and activist (b. 1946)
 * 2003 – Mieke Pullen, Dutch runner (b. 1957)
 * 2004 – Lloyd M. Bucher, American captain (b. 1927)
 * 2005 – Jim Capaldi, English singer-songwriter and drummer (b. 1944)
 * 2007 – Carlo Clerici, Swiss cyclist (b. 1929)
 * 2007  – Robert Drinan, American priest, lawyer, and politician (b. 1920)
 * 2007  – Yelena Romanova, Russian runner (b. 1963)
 * 2007  – Karel Svoboda, Czech composer (b. 1938)
 * 2009 – Werner Flume, German jurist (b. 1908)
 * 2009  – Billy Powell, American keyboard player and songwriter (b. 1952)
 * 2012 – Roman Juszkiewicz, Polish astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1952)
 * 2012  – Don Starkell, Canadian adventurer and author (b. 1932)
 * 2013 – Florentino Fernández, Cuban-American boxer and coach (b. 1936)
 * 2013  – Hattie N. Harrison, American educator and politician (b. 1928)
 * 2013  – Oldřich Kulhánek, Czech painter, illustrator, and stage designer (b. 1940)
 * 2014 – John Cacavas, American composer and conductor (b. 1930)
 * 2014  – Harry Gamble, American football player, coach, and manager (b. 1930)
 * 2014  – Dwight Gustafson, American composer and conductor (b. 1930)
 * 2014  – Nigel Jenkins, Welsh poet, journalist, and geographer (b. 1949)
 * 2014  – Jorge Obeid, Argentinian engineer and politician, Governor of Santa Fe (b. 1947)
 * 2015 – Suraj Abdurrahman, Nigerian general, architect, and engineer (b. 1954)
 * 2015  – Yves Chauvin, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930)
 * 2015  – Lionel Gilbert, Australian historian, author, and academic (b. 1924)
 * 2016 – Signe Toly Anderson, American singer (b. 1941)
 * 2016  – Paul Kantner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1941)
 * 2016  – Franklin Gene Bissell, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
 * 2016  – Buddy Cianci, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Mayor of Providence (b. 1941)
 * 2016  – Bob Tizard, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 6th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1924)
 * 2017 – Alexander Chancellor, British journalist (b. 1940)
 * 2017  – Geoff Nicholls, British musician (b. 1948)
 * 2019 – Pepe Smith, Filipino rock musician (b. 1947)
 * 2021 – Cicely Tyson, American actress (b. 1924)

Holidays and observances

 * Christian feast day:
 * Joseph Freinademetz
 * Julian of Cuenca
 * Thomas Aquinas
 * January 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Army Day (Armenia)
 * Data Privacy Day

title: January 28