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Contents

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

References

External links

Events

★ 1463 - Poet François Villon is banned from Paris.

★ 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.

★ 1500 - Duke Ludovico Sforza conquers Milan.

★ 1527 - Felix Manz, a leader of the Anabaptist congregation in Zürich, was executed by drowning.

★ 1554 - A great fire occurs in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

★ 1675 - Battle of Colmar: the French army beats Brandenburg.

★ 1757 - Louis XV of France survives the assassination attempt by Robert–François Damiens, the last person to be executed in France with the traditional and gruesome form of Capital punishment used for regicides.

★ 1759 - George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis.

★ 1781 - American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia, is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.

★ 1846 - The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom.

★ 1854 - The San Francisco steamer sinks, killing 300 people.

★ 1895 - Dreyfus Affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island.

★ 1896 - An Austrian newspaper reports that Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a type of radiation later known as X-rays.

★ 1900 - Irish leader John Edward Redmond calls for a revolt against British rule.

★ 1909 - Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.

★ 1911 - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. founded.

★ 1912 - Prague Party Conference.

★ 1914 - Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor.

★ 1919 - ''Free Committee for a German Workers Peace'' founded, which would become the Nazi party.

★ 1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first female governor in the United States.

★ 1933 - Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.

★ 1940 - FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time.

★ 1944 - The ''Daily Mail'' becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.

★ 1945 - The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland.

★ 1948 - Warner Brothers shows the first color newsreel (Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl).

★ 1957 - Major league baseball player Jackie Robinson retires.

★ 1964 - Pope Paul VI meets the Greek patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem: the first meeting of Catholic and Orthodox Christianity leaders since 1439.

★ 1968 - Alexander Dubček comes to power: "Prague Spring" begins in Czechoslovakia.

★ 1970 - Soap opera: ''All My Children'' premieres.

★ 1972 - President of the United States Richard Nixon orders the development of a space shuttle program.

★ 1974 - An earthquake in Lima, Peru, kills six people, and damages hundreds of houses.

★ 1975 - The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier ''Lake Illawarra'', killing twelve people.

★ 1976 - Cambodia is renamed Democratic Kampuchea by the Khmer Rouge.

★ 1984 - Richard Stallman starts developing GNU.

★ 1993 - The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.

★ 1993 - Washington state executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (the first legal hanging in America since 1965).

★ 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone.

★ 1997 - Russian forces withdraw from Chechnya.

★ 2000 - The first day of the 2000 Al Qaeda Summit.

★ 2005 - Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, was discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory.

★ 2006 - Independence Air ceases operations.

Births

★ 1209 - Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1272)

★ 1548 - Francisco Suarez, Spanish theologian (d. 1617)

★ 1587 - Xu Xiake, Chinese geographer (d. 1641)

★ 1592 - Shah Jahan, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1666)

★ 1614 - Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (d. 1662)

★ 1696 - Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect/painter (d. 1757)

★ 1717 - William Wildman Shute Barrington, British statesman (d. 1793)

★ 1762 - Constanze Weber, wife of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (d. 1842)

★ 1779 - Stephen Decatur, American naval officer (d. 1820)

★ 1779 - Zebulon Pike, American explorer (d. 1813)

★ 1838 - Camille Jordan, French mathematician (d. 1922)

★ 1846 - Rudolf Christoph Eucken, German writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1926)

★ 1855 - King Camp Gillette, American inventor (d. 1932)

★ 1864 - Bob Caruthers, baseball player (d. 1911)

★ 1864 - Byron B. Johnson, baseball executive (d. 1931)

★ 1865 - Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer (d. 1920)

★ 1874 - Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1965)

★ 1876 - Konrad Adenauer, German statesman (d. 1967)

★ 1879 - Hans Eppinger, Austrian physician (d. 1946)

★ 1880 - Nikolay Medtner, Russian composer (d. 1951)

★ 1893 - Zoltán Böszörmény, Hungarian Nazi politician (d. unknown)

★ 1893 - Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian guru (d. 1952)

★ 1895 - Elizabeth Cotten, American musician (d. 1987)

★ 1900 - Yves Tanguy, French painter (d. 1955)

★ 1902 - Stella Gibbons, English novelist (d. 1989)

★ 1904 - Jeane Dixon, American astrologer (d. 1997)

★ 1906 - Kathleen Kenyon, English archaeologist (d. 1978)

★ 1908 - George Dolenz, American actor (d. 1963)

★ 1909 - Stephen Kleene, American mathematician (d. 1994)

★ 1910 - Hugh Brannum, American actor (d. 1987)

★ 1910 - Jack Lovelock, New Zealand athlete (d. 1949)

★ 1911 - Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor (d. 2001)

★ 1914 - George Reeves, American actor (d. 1959)

★ 1914 - Nicolas de Staël, French-Russian painter (d. 1955)

★ 1915 - Arthur H. Robinson, Canadian-born cartographer (d. 2004)

★ 1917 - Jane Wyman, American actress

★ 1920 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (d. 1995)

★ 1921 - Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss writer (d. 1990)

★ 1921 - Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

★ 1923 - Sam Phillips, American music producer (d. 2003)

★ 1926 - William De Witt Snodgrass, American poet

★ 1926 - Hosea Williams, American activist (d. 2000)

★ 1928 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani statesman (d. 1979)

★ 1928 - Walter Mondale, American politician

★ 1929 - Wilbert Harrison, American singer (d. 1994)

★ 1931 - Alvin Ailey, American choreographer (d. 1989)

★ 1931 - Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist

★ 1931 - Robert Duvall, American actor

★ 1932 - Umberto Eco, Italian writer

★ 1932 - Chuck Noll, American football coach

★ 1934 - William Bendeck, Bolivian rally driver (d. 1971)

★ 1936 - Florence King, American humorist

★ 1938 - King Juan Carlos I of Spain

★ 1938 - Jim Otto, American football player

★ 1938 - Ngugi wa Thiongo, Kenyan writer

★ 1940 - Michael O'Donoghue, American writer (d. 1994)

★ 1940 - Yuri Ershov, Russian mathematician

★ 1941 - Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese film maker

★ 1941 - Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian cricketer

★ 1942 - Maurizio Pollini, Italian pianist

★ 1942 - Jan Leeming, British television presenter and newsreader

★ 1942 - Charlie Rose, American talk show host

★ 1942 - Terenci Moix, Spanish writer (d. 2003)

★ 1945 - Roger Spottiswoode, Canadian-born film director

★ 1946 - Diane Keaton, American actress

★ 1948 - Ted Lange, American actor

★ 1949 - George Brown, American drummer (Kool & The Gang)

★ 1950 - Chris Stein, American guitarist (Blondie)

★ 1950 - John Manley, Canadian politician

★ 1950 - Ioan Petru Culianu, Romanian-born professor (d. 1991)

★ 1950 - Charlie Richmond, Canadian entrepreneur

★ 1951 - Steve Arnold, English footballer

★ 1953 - Steve Archer, Contemporary Christian singer (The Archers)

★ 1953 - Pamela Sue Martin, American actress

★ 1954 - Alex English, American basketball player

★ 1956 - Chen Kenichi, Japanese-born chef

★ 1957 - Kevin Hastings, Australian Rugby League Player

★ 1959 - Clancy Brown, American actor

★ 1960 - Glenn Strömberg, Swedish footballer

★ 1960 - Phil Thornalley, English bass guitarist (The Cure)

★ 1960 - Steve Jones, British aviator (Red Bull Air Race World Series)

★ 1962 - Suzy Amis, American actress

★ 1962 - Danny Jackson, American baseball player

★ 1963 - Jeff Fassero, American baseball player

★ 1964 - Grant Young, American drummer (Soul Asylum)

★ 1965 - Vinnie Jones, British actor

★ 1966 - Kate Schellenbach, American drummer (Luscious Jackson)

★ 1967 - Joe Flanigan, American actor

★ 1968 - Andrew Golota, Polish boxer

★ 1968 - Ricky Paull Goldin, American actor

★ 1968 - Carrie Ann Inaba, American dancer and choreographer

★ 1968 - Joé Juneau, Canadian ice hockey player

★ 1968 - DJ Bobo, Swiss Singer

★ 1969 - Marilyn Manson, American singer

★ 1969 - Paul McGillion, Scottish actor.

★ 1971 - Mayuko Takata, Japanese actress.

★ 1972 - Sakis Rouvas, Greek singer.

★ 1973 - Phil Joel, Australian bassist (Newsboys).

★ 1975 - Kylie Bax, New Zealand model.

★ 1975 - Bradley Cooper, American actor.

★ 1975 - Warrick Dunn, American football player.

★ 1975 - Mike Grier, American ice hockey player.

★ 1976 - Matt Wachter, American bassist (30 Seconds to Mars).

★ 1976 - Diego Tristán, Spanish footballer.

★ 1978 - Franck Montagny, French Formula One driver.

★ 1979 - Kyle Calder, Canadian ice hockey player

★ 1981 - Corey Flynn, New Zealand rugby player.

★ 1981 - Brooklyn Sudano, American actress.

★ 1982 - Janica Kostelić, Croatian skier.

★ 1984 - Amanda Hearst, American heiress

★ 1985 - Richard Butler, English footballer

★ 1985 - Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor (d. 2001)

★ 1985 - Yoon So-Yi, South Korean actress

★ 1986 - Deepika Padukone, Indian model and actress

★ 1987 - Kristin Cavallari, American actress

★ 1996 - Max Baldry, British actor

Deaths

★ 842 - Al-Mu'tasim, Abbasid caliph (b. 794)

★ 1066 - Edward the Confessor, King of England (b. 1004)

★ 1400 - John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (executed) (bc. 1350)

★ 1465 - Charles, Duke of Orléans, French poet (b. 1394)

★ 1477 - Charles, Duke of Burgundy (killed in battle) (b. 1433)

★ 1524 - Marko Marulić, Croatian poet (b. 1450)

★ 1527 - Felix Manz, Swiss leader (executed) (b. 1498)

★ 1588 - Qi Jiguang, Chinese general (b. 1528)

★ 1589 - Catherine de' Medici, queen of Henry II of France (b. 1519)

★ 1655 - Pope Innocent X (b. 1574)

★ 1713 - Jean Chardin, French explorer (b. 1643)

★ 1740 - Antonio Lotti, Italian composer (b. 1667)

★ 1762 - Empress Elizabeth of Russia (b. 1709)

★ 1771 - John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British statesman (b. 1710)

★ 1846 - Alfred Thomas Agate, American artist (b. 1812)

★ 1858 - Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal (b. 1766)

★ 1860 - Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, first American bishop to be canonized (b. 1811)

★ 1891 - Emma Abbott, American soprano (b. 1849)

★ 1904 - Karl Alfred von Zittel, German palaeontologist (b. 1839)

★ 1910 - Léon Walras, French economist (b. 1834)

★ 1922 - Ernest Shackleton, Irish explorer (b. 1874)

★ 1933 - John Calvin Coolidge, Jr., 30th President of the United States (b. 1872)

★ 1937 - Marie Booth, child of William and Catherine Booth (b. 1864)

★ 1941 - Amy Johnson, English aviator (b. 1903)

★ 1943 - George Washington Carver, American educator (b. 1860)

★ 1946 - Kitty Cheatham, American singer (b. 1864)

★ 1951 - Andrei Platonov, Russian writer (b. 1899)

★ 1954 - Rabbit Maranville, American baseball player (b. 1891)

★ 1956 - Mistinguett, French singer (b. 1875)

★ 1963 - Rogers Hornsby, American baseball player (b. 1896)

★ 1970 - Max Born, German physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1882)

★ 1970 - Roberto Gerhard, Catalan composer (b. 1896)

★ 1971 - Douglas Shearer, Canadian film engineer (b. 1899)

★ 1976 - Mal Evans, Beatles' "roadie" (b. 1935)

★ 1979 - Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)

★ 1981 - Harold C. Urey, American chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1893)

★ 1981 - Lanza del Vasto, Italian philosopher (b. 1901)

★ 1982 - Hans Conried, American actor (b. 1917)

★ 1988 - Pete Maravich, American basketball player (b. 1947)

★ 1990 - Arthur Kennedy, American actor (b. 1914)

★ 1991 - Vasko Popa, Yugoslav poet (b. 1922)

★ 1994 - Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill, American politician (b. 1912)

★ 1994 - Brian Johnston, British cricket commentator (b. 1912)

★ 1996 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian terrorist (b. 1966)

★ 1997 - André Franquin, Belgian cartoonist (Gaston Lagaffe) (b. 1924)

★ 1997 - Burton Lane, American composer and lyricist (b. 1912)

★ 1998 - Sonny Bono, American entertainer and politician (b. 1935)

★ 2001 - Nancy Parsons, American actress (b. 1942)

★ 2003 - Roy Jenkins, British politician (b. 1920)

★ 2003 - Jean Kerr, American author (b. 1923)

★ 2004 - Tug McGraw, American baseball player (b. 1944)

★ 2005 - Danny Sugerman, American music manager (The Doors) (b. 1954)

★ 2007 - Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles (b. 1910)

★ 2007 - Chih Ree Sun, Chinese-American physicist and poet (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances

★ The eleventh day of Christmas in Western Christianity, and the Twelfth Night of Christmas in Western Christianity.

★ Feast day of:

★
★ St. John Neumann^[1]

★
★ Simeon Stylites

★
★ Pope Telesphorus

★ January 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

References

1. Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.

External links

★ BBC: On This Day

★

★ On This Day in Canada
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