January 15

January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 350 days remaining until the end of the year (351 in leap years).

Events

• 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but rules for only three months before committing suicide.
• 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 in Westminster Abbey, London, England.
• 1582 – Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• 1759 – The British Museum opens.
• 1777 – American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present day Vermont) declares its independence.
• 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
• 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.
• 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.
• 1844 – University of Notre Dame receives its charter from the state of Indiana.
• 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
• 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.
• 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 (99 m).
• 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.
• 1919 – Great Molasses Flood: A large molasses tank in Boston, Massachusetts, bursts and a wave of molasses rushes through the streets, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.
• 1933 – A twelve-year-old girl experiences the first Marian apparition of Our Lady of Banneux in Banneux, Belgium.
• 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 Republican 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 world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.
• 1947 – The brutalized corpse of Elizabeth Short (The "Black Dahlia") is found in Los Angeles' Leimert Park.
• 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government.
• 1951 – Ilse Koch, "The Witch of Buchenwald", wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, is sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in West Germany.
• 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
• 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: After a 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria, Biafra surrenders.
• 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.
• 1974 – Dennis Rader a.k.a. the BTK Killer kills his first victims by binding, torturing and murdering Joseph, Joseph II, Josephine and Julie Otero in their house.
• 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.
• 1981 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation from Solidarity (Polish trade union) 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.
• 1992 – The international community recognizes the independence of Slovenia and Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
• 1993 – Salvatore Riina, the Mafia boss known as "The Beast", is arrested in Sicily, Italy after three decades as a fugitive.
• 2001 – Wikipedia, a free Wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
• 2005 – ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.
• 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Iraqi intelligence chief and half-brother of Saddam Hussein, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, are executed by hanging in Iraq.
• 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. All passengers and crew members survive.
• 2013 – A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.

Births

• 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
• 1481 – Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shogun (d. 1511)
• 1538 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (d. 1599)
• 1622 – Molière, French actor and playwright (d. 1673)
• 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English archaeologist and historian (d. 1704)
• 1674 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet and playwright (d. 1762)
• 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, 3rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ (d. 1905)
• 1816 – Marie Lafarge, French murderer (d. 1852)
• 1824 – Marie Duplessis, French courtier (d. 1847)
• 1834 – Samuel Arza Davenport, American lawyer and politician (d. 1911)
• 1841 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English captain and politician, 6th 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)
• 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, 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)
• 1882 – Princess Margaret of Connaught (d. 1920)
• 1883 – John Henry Starling, Australian public servant (d. 1966)
• 1885 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician and author (d. 1973)
• 1885 – Miles Burke, American boxer (d. 1928)
• 1885 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (d. 1968)
• 1885 – Huang Yuanyong, Chinese journalist and author (d. 1915)
• 1890 – Tommy Fleming, Scottish-American soccer player and manager (d. 1965)
• 1890 – Michiaki Kamada, Japanese admiral (d. 1947)
• 1891 – Ray Chapman, American baseball player (d. 1920)
• 1891 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet and translator (d. 1938)
• 1892 – Rex Ingram, Irish actor, director, and producer (d. 1950)
• 1893 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1951)
• 1893 – Urho Peltonen, Finnish javelin thrower (d. 1951)
• 1894 – Ecaterina Teodoroiu, Romanian soldier (d. 1917)
• 1895 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
• 1896 – Marjorie Bennett, Australian-American actress and singer (d. 1982)
• 1897 – Xu Zhimo, Chinese poet and translator (d. 1931)
• 1898 – Erik Byléhn, Swedish runner (d. 1986)
• 1899 – Goodman Ace, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1982)
• 1900 – William Heinesen, Faroese poet and author (d. 1991)
• 1902 – Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
• 1903 – Paul A. Dever, American lieutenant and politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
• 1905 – Kamatari Fujiwara, Japanese actor (d. 1985)
• 1905 – Torin Thatcher, Indian-American actor (d. 1981)
• 1907 – Janusz Kusociński, Polish runner (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, singer, and director (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 – Anton Raadik, Estonian-American boxer (d. 1999)
• 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, 2nd President of Egypt (d. 1970)
• 1919 – Maurice Herzog, French mountaineer and politician, French Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (d. 2012)
• 1920 – Pamela Cundell, English actress (d. 2015)
• 1920 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (d. 2002)
• 1920 – John Joseph O'Connor, American cardinal (d. 2000)
• 1921 – Babasaheb Bhosale, Indian lawyer and politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2007)
• 1921 – Frank Thornton, English actor and singer (d. 2013)
• 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 – Rukmani Devi, Sri Lankan singer and actress (d. 1978)
• 1923 – Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese-Chinese economist and politician, 4th President of the Republic of China
• 1923 – Arthur Quinlan, Irish journalist and raconteur (d. 2012)
• 1924 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Ruth Slenczynska, American pianist and composer
• 1926 – Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress and producer (d. 2005)
• 1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress
• 1928 – M. V. Devan, Indian painter, sculptor, and critic (d. 2014)
• 1928 – W. R. Mitchell, English journalist and author (d. 2015)
• 1929 – Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970)
• 1929 – Queen Ida, American accordion player and producer
• 1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
• 1930 – Michel Chapuis, French organist
• 1930 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler (d. 1985)
• 1931 – Lee Bontecou, American painter and sculptor
• 1932 – Lou Jones, American sprinter (d. 2006)
• 1932 – Cleven "Goodie" Goudeau, art director and cartoonist (d. 2015)
• 1932 – Dean Smith, American sprinter and stuntman
• 1933 – Patricia Blair, American actress (d. 2013)
• 1933 – Frank Bough, English journalist and radio host
• 1933 – Ernest J. Gaines, American author and academic
• 1933 – Peter Maitlis, English chemist and academic
• 1934 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013)
• 1935 – Malcolm Frager, American pianist (d. 1991)
• 1935 – Robert Silverberg, American author
• 1936 – Obo Addy, Ghanaian drummer and dancer (d. 2012)
• 1937 – Margaret O'Brien, American actress and singer
• 1938 – Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
• 1938 – Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler
• 1938 – Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer
• 1939 – Per Ahlmark, Swedish journalist and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1939 – Neil Cossons, English curator and academic
• 1941 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
• 1942 – Frank Joseph Polozola, American academic and judge (d. 2013)
• 1942 – Barbara Tarbuck, American actress
• 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
• 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, English author
• 1945 – Ko Chun-hsiung, Taiwanese actor, director, and politician (d. 2015)
• 1945 – Vince Foster, American lawyer and politician (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
• 1947 – Pete Waterman, English songwriter and producer
• 1948 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 1977)
• 1949 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican baseball player (d. 2001)
• 1949 – Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012)
• 1949 – Panos Mihalopoulos, Greek actor
• 1949 – Ian Stewart, Scottish runner
• 1950 – Marius Trésor, French footballer
• 1951 – Charo, Spanish singer, guitarist, and actress
• 1952 – Chris D., American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (The Flesh Eaters)
• 1952 – Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer
• 1953 – Ta-Tanisha, American actress
• 1953 – Kent Hovind, American evangelist and theorist
• 1953 – Randy White, American football player
• 1954 – Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and screenwriter
• 1955 – Nigel Benson, English author and illustrator
• 1955 – Khalid Islambouli, Egyptian army officer and assassin of Egypt's president Anwar Sadat (d. 1982)
• 1955 – Mayumi Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
• 1956 – Mayawati, Indian educator and politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
• 1956 – Miki Fujimura, Japanese singer (Candies)
• 1956 – Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect
• 1956 – Marc Trestman, American football player and coach
• 1957 – Marty Lyons, American football player and sportscaster
• 1957 – Andrew Tyrie, English journalist and politician
• 1957 – Mario Van Peebles, American actor and director
• 1958 – Boris Tadić, Serbian psychologist and politician, 16th President of Serbia
• 1959 – Sister Carol, Jamaican-American singer-songwriter
• 1959 – Greg Dowling, Australian rugby league player
• 1959 – Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008)
• 1959 – Pete Trewavas, English bass player (Kino, Marillion, Transatlantic, and Edison's Children)
• 1960 – Kelly Asbury, American actor and director
• 1960 – Aaron Jay Kernis, American composer and academic
• 1961 – Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer and coach
• 1961 – Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director
• 1963 – Bruce Schneier, American cryptographer and author
• 1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer
• 1965 – Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist
• 1965 – Bernard Hopkins, American boxer and coach
• 1965 – James Nesbitt, Irish actor
• 1966 – Lisa Lisa, American singer and actress (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam)
• 1968 – Barry Buchanan, American wrestler
• 1968 – Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer
• 1968 – Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma de Mallorca
• 1969 – Meret Becker, German actress and singer
• 1969 – Delino DeShields, American baseball player and manager
• 1969 – Huck Seed, American poker player
• 1970 – Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman
• 1971 – Regina King, American actress, director, and producer
• 1972 – Shelia Burrell, American heptathlete
• 1972 – Christos Kostis, Greek footballer
• 1972 – Ernie Reyes, Jr. American actor, stuntman, and martial artist
• 1972 – Claudia Winkleman, English journalist and critic
• 1973 – Essam El-Hadary, Egyptian footballer
• 1974 – Edith Bowman, Scottish radio and television host
• 1975 – Mary Pierce, French-American tennis player
• 1975 – 9th Wonder, American rapper and producer (Little Brother)
• 1976 – Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1976 – Iryna Lishchynska, Ukrainian runner
• 1976 – Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player
• 1976 – Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer
• 1978 – Eddie Cahill, American actor
• 1978 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist
• 1978 – Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer
• 1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
• 1979 – Ken Chu, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor (F4)
• 1979 – Young Dro, American rapper and producer
• 1979 – Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer
• 1979 – Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
• 1980 – Matt Holliday, American baseball player
• 1981 – Pitbull, American rapper, producer, and actor
• 1981 – Dylan Armstrong, Canadian shot putter and hammer thrower
• 1981 – Howie Day, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1981 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer
• 1981 – Vanessa Henke, German tennis player
• 1981 – Sean Lamont, Scottish rugby player
• 1982 – Benjamin Agosto, American skater
• 1982 – Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia
• 1982 – Armando Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1982 – Emina Jahović, Serbian-Turkish singer-songwriter and actress
• 1982 – Brett Lebda, American ice hockey player
• 1982 – Neil Nitin Mukesh, Indian actor and singer
• 1982 – Prince Philip of Yugoslavia
• 1982 – Ari Pulkkinen, Finnish pianist and composer
• 1982 – Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer
• 1983 – Matic Kralj, Slovenian ice hockey player
• 1983 – Jermaine Pennant, English footballer
• 1983 – Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer
• 1984 – Megan Jendrick, American swimmer
• 1984 – Victor Rasuk, American actor
• 1985 – René Adler, German footballer
• 1985 – Enrico Patrizio, Italian rugby player
• 1985 – Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer
• 1986 – Clara Lee, Swiss-Korean model and actress
• 1986 – Mariya Abakumova, Russian javelin thrower
• 1986 – Fred Davis, American football player
• 1986 – Jessy Schram, American actress
• 1987 – Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player
• 1987 – Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner
• 1987 – Kelly Kelly, American wrestler and model
• 1987 – Nicole Matthews, Canadian wrestler
• 1987 – Michael Seater, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1988 – Skrillex, American singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer
• 1988 – Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer
• 1988 – Jun. K, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor (2PM)
• 1988 – Aija Putniņa, Latvian basketball player
• 1989 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
• 1989 – Keiffer Hubbell, American ice dancer
• 1989 – Tasha Reign, American porn actress, director, and producer
• 1989 – Ronny Vencatachellum, Mauritian swimmer
• 1990 – Paul Blake, English sprinter
• 1990 – Fernando Forestieri, Italian footballer
• 1990 – Konstantinos Sloukas, Greek basketball player
• 1990 – Sophie Sumner, English model and actress
• 1990 – Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer
• 1991 – Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
• 1991 – Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
• 1991 – Darya Klishina, Russian long jumper
• 1991 – Jahangir Wasim, Pakistani businessman; founded Origin NGO
• 1992 – Joshua King, Norwegian footballer
• 1994 – Jordy Croux, Belgian footballer
• 1994 – Eric Dier, English footballer
• 1996 – Dove Cameron, American actress and singer

Deaths

• 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
• 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
• 849 – Theophylact, Byzantine emperor (b. 793)
• 936 – Rudolph of France (b. 880)
• 1568 – Nicolaus Olahus, Romanian archbishop (b. 1493)
• 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)
• 1781 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (b. 1718)
• 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)
• 1855 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (b. 1780)
• 1864 – Isaac Nathan, English-Australian composer and journalist (b. 1792)
• 1876 – Eliza McCardle Johnson, American wife of Andrew Johnson, 18th First Lady of the United States (b. 1810)
• 1885 – Leopold Damrosch, German-American composer and conductor (b. 1832)
• 1893 – Fanny Kemble, English-American actress and author (b. 1809)
• 1896 – Mathew Brady, American photographer and journalist (b. 1822)
• 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, 7th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866)
• 1937 – Anton Holban, Romanian author, theoretician, and educator (b. 1902)
• 1944 – Robert J. Kirby, American police officer (b. 1890)
• 1945 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (b. 1865)
• 1946 – Karl Nabersberg, German youth leader (b. 1908)
• 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 – 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)
• 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, British racing driver (b. 1886)
• 1970 – William T. Piper, American 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 racing driver (b. 1922)
• 1983 – Meyer Lansky, Polish-American gangster (b. 1902)
• 1983 – Armin Öpik, Estonian-Australian paleontologist and geologist (b. 1898)
• 1983 – Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907)
• 1987 – Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904)
• 1988 – Seán MacBride, French-Irish politician, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
• 1990 – Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910)
• 1992 – Dee Murray, English bass player (The Mirage, Procol Harum, The Spencer Davis Group and Elton John) (b. 1946)
• 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)
• 1995 – Vera Maxwell, American-Puerto Rican fashion designer (b. 1901)
• 1996 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
• 1996 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
• 1996 – Rudolf Wanderone, American billiards player (b. 1913)
• 1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898)
• 1998 – Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (The Aces) (b. 1934)
• 1999 – Betty Box, English composer and producer (b. 1915)
• 2000 – Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
• 2000 – Željko Ražnatović, Serbian commander (b. 1952)
• 2000 – Fran Ryan, American actress (b. 1916)
• 2001 – Ted Mann, American businessman (b. 1916)
• 2001 – Leo Marks, English cryptographer, playwright, and screenwriter (b. 1920)
• 2002 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American soldier and politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
• 2002 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913)
• 2002 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (b. 1920)
• 2003 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915)
• 2004 – Terje Bakken, Norwegian singer-songwriter (Windir) (b. 1978)
• 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 – Dan Lee, Canadian animator (b. 1969)
• 2005 – Ruth Warrick, American actress and singer (b. 1916)
• 2006 – Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ruler (b. 1926)
• 2006 – El Texano, Mexican wrestler (b. 1958)
• 2007 – Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi 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 – David Vanole, American soccer player and manager (b. 1963)
• 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 – Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, English video game designer (b. 1964)
• 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, businessman and racing driver (b. 1908)
• 2011 – Susannah York, English actress and singer (b. 1939)
• 2012 – Mika Ahola, Finnish motorcycle racer (b. 1974)
• 2012 – Ed Derwinski, American soldier and politician, 1st United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish lawyer and politician, 3rd 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 – Generous, Irish horse (b. 1988)
• 2013 – Chucho Castillo, Mexican boxer (b. 1944)
• 2013 – Daniel Edelman, American publicist, founded Edelman (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Princess Margarita of Baden (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
• 2013 – John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941)
• 2013 – Yuli Turovsky, Russian-Canadian cellist, conductor, and educator (b. 1939)
• 2014 – Curtis Bray, American football player and coach (b. 1970)
• 2014 – Namdeo Dhasal, Indian poet and activist (b. 1949)
• 2014 – John Dobson, Chinese-American astronomer and author (b. 1915)
• 2014 – Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor (b. 1944)
• 2014 – Maya Romanoff, American interior designer (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (b. 1919)
• 2015 – Kim Fowley, American singer-songwriter, producer, and manager (b. 1939)
• 2015 – Ethel Lang, English super-centenarian (b. 1900)
• 2015 – Ray Nagel, American football player and coach (b. 1927)
• 2015 – Chikao Ōtsuka, Japanese voice actor (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church)
  • Arnold Janssen
  • Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China)
  • Ita
  • Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity)
  • Paul the Hermit
  • January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Earliest day on which International Fetish Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Friday in January.
• Earliest day on which Martin Luther King, Jr. Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
• Earliest day on which Feast of the Santo Niño/Sinulog can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday in January. (Philippines
• The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14):
  • Maatu Pongal, celebrated by performing Jallikattu (Tamil)

• Arbor Day (Egypt)
• Armed Forces Day (Nigeria)
• Indian Army Day (India)
• John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
• Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
• Sagichō at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. (Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan)
• Teacher's Day (Venezuela)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On this day in Canada