Events Pre-1600 627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh. 1388 – Maria of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.
1601–1900 1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the US Constitution. 1862 – American Civil War: sinks on the Yazoo River. 1866 – Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers. 1870 – Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman.
1901–present 1901 – Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [•••] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.Belrose, John S. (5 September 1995) "Fessenden and Marconi: Their Differing Technologies and Transatlantic Experiments During the First Decade of this Century". International Conference on 100 Years of Radio. 1915 – Yuan Shikai declares the establishment of the Empire of China and proclaims himself Emperor.Spence, Jonathan D. (1999) The Search for Modern China, W.W. Norton and Company. p. 274. . 1917 – Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys. 1935 – The Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler. 1936 – The beginning of Xi'an incident. As a result, Chiang Kai Shek is captured. 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat on the Yangtze river in China. 1939 – sinks after a collision with off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men. 1939 – Winter War: The Battle of Tolvajärvi, also known as the first major Finnish victory in the Winter War, begins. 1941 – World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed. 1941 – The Holocaust: Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery. (in German) 1945 – The People's Republic of Korea is outlawed in the South, by order of the United States Army Military Government in Korea. 1946 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam (now Thailand) to the United Nations is adopted. 1956 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to acceptance of Japan to the United Nations is adopted. 1963 – Kenya declares independence from Great Britain. 1969 – The Piazza Fontana bombing; a bomb explodes at the headquarters of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura (the National Agricultural Bank) in Piazza Fontana in Milan, Italy, killing 17 people and wounding 88. The same afternoon, three more bombs are detonated in Rome and Milan, and another is found unexploded. 1979 – The 8.2 Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami. 1979 – Coup d'état of December Twelfth occurs in South Korea. 1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285R, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division. 1988 – The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom. 1999 – A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits the Philippines's main island of Luzon, killing six people, injuring 40, and causing power outages that affected the capital Manila. 2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore. 2001 – Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Văn Khải announces the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps. 2012 – North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2. 2015 – The Paris Agreement relating to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted. 2021 – Dutch Formula One racing driver Max Verstappen wins the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton to become the first Formula One World Champion to come from the Netherlands. 2024 – Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju became the undisputed World Chess Champion in a tournament held in Singapore, making him the 18th and the youngest champion in chess history.
Births Pre-1600
1526 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (died 1588)
1601–1900 1685 – Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer (died 1743) 1724 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (died 1816) 1786 – William L. Marcy, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State (died 1857) 1799 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (died 1852) 1805 – Henry Wells, American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (died 1878) 1806 – Stand Watie, American general (died 1871) 1812 – John Sandfield Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario (died 1872) 1821 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (died 1880) 1830 – Joseph Orville Shelby, Confederate general (died 1897) 1842 – Adolf Bötticher, German journalist and historian (died 1901)Bötticher, Adolf at Neue Deutsche Biographie 1845 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis (died 1903) 1863 – Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter (died 1944) 1866 – Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1919) 1870 – Walter Benona Sharp, American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company (died 1912) 1876 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and runner (died 1928) 1881 – Louise Thuliez, French school teacher, resistance fighter during World War I and World War II and author (died 1966) 1893 – Edward G. Robinson, American actor (died 1973)
1901–present 1901 – Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer (died 1942) 1907 – Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer (died 2015) 1912 – Henry Armstrong, American boxer (died 1988) 1914 – Patrick O'Brian, English author (died 2000) 1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (died 1998) 1918 – Joe Williams, American singer and pianist (died 1999)James Ross Moore (2002). Williams, Joe. American National Biography online edition. Retrieved 16 January 2020. 1920 – Josef Doležal, Czech race walker (died 1999)Josef Dolezal. Sports Reference. Retrieved 2015-02-01. 1923 – Bob Barker, American game show host and producer (died 2023) 1923 – Bob Dorough, American musician, composer, and producer (died 2018) 1923 – Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Ethiopian pianist, composer and nun (died 2023) 1924 – Ed Koch, American politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (died 2013) 1925 – Ted Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2009) 1925 – Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (died 1985) 1925 – Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer (died 2017) 1926 – Étienne-Émile Baulieu, French biochemist and endocrinologist (died 2025) 1927 – Robert Noyce, American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation (died 1990) 1928 – Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and academic (died 2011) 1929 – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese pianist and composer 1932 – Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach (died 2026) 1933 – Christa Stubnick, German sprinter (died 2021) 1934 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (died 2012) 1936 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (died 2016) 1937 – Connie Francis, American singer, musician, and actress (died 2025) 1937 – Philip Ledger, English pianist, composer, and academic (died 2012) 1940 – Sharad Pawar, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture 1940 – Dionne Warwick, American singer 1942 – Bob Thompson, American jazz pianist, composer and arranger 1943 – Dickey Betts, American musician and songwriter (died 2024) 1943 – Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer (died 1999) 1945 – Gísli S. Einarsson, Icelandic politician 1945 – Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer (died 1997) 1946 – Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian racing driver 1947 – Wings Hauser, American actor (died 2025) 1947 – Don Keith, American writer 1947 – Chris Mullin, English journalist and politician 1948 – Randy Smith, American basketball player (died 2009) 1948 – Colin Todd, English football player and coach 1949 – Bill Nighy, English actor 1949 – Marc Ravalomanana, Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar 1949 – David Abulafia, English historian (died 2026) 1950 – Pedro Ferriz de Con, Mexican journalist 1950 – Heiner Flassbeck, German economist and academic 1950 – Rajinikanth, Indian actor 1950 – Billy Smith, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager 1950 – Gorman Thomas, American baseball player 1951 – Rehman Malik, Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior (died 2022) 1952 – Cathy Rigby, American gymnast 1953 – Martin Ferguson, Australian lawyer and politician 1953 – Rafael Septién, Mexican-American football player 1955 – Chris Phelan, Irish-Australian rugby league player (died 2026) 1955 – Eddy Schepers, Belgian cyclist 1955 – Stephen Smith, Australian politicianParlInfo - Biography for SMITH, the Hon. Stephen Francis, Parliament of Australia. 1956 – Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist 1957 – Sheila E., American singer and musician 1958 – Sheree J. Wilson, American actress 1960 – Martina Hellmann, German discus thrower 1961 – Andrey Perlov, Russian race walker 1962 – Tracy Austin, American tennis player and sportscaster 1962 – Arturo Barrios, Mexican-American runner 1962 – Mike Golic, American football player and radio host 1963 – Eduardo Castro Luque, Mexican businessman and politician (died 2012) 1964 – Haywood Jeffires, American football player and coach 1964 – Sabu, American wrestler(died 2025) 1965 – Russell Batiste Jr., American funk and R&B drummer (died 2023) 1965 – Will Carling, English rugby union player 1967 – John Randle, American football player 1968 – Sašo Udovič, Slovenian footballer 1969 – Wilfred Kirochi, Kenyan runner 1969 – Fiona May, English-Italian long jumper 1969 – Michael Möllenbeck, German discus thrower (died 2022) 1970 – Mädchen Amick, American actress and director 1970 – Tahir Bilgiç Turkish-Australian comedian and actor 1970 – Jennifer Connelly, American actress 1970 – Regina Hall, American actress 1971 – Sammy Korir, Kenyan runner 1972 – Nicky Eaden, English footballer and coach 1972 – Craig Field, Australian rugby league player 1972 – Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-Danish runner 1972 – Georgios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter 1974 – Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-American runner 1974 – Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer and manager 1975 – Mayim Bialik, American actress, neuroscientist, and author 1975 – Craig Moore, Australian footballer and manager 1977 – Yoel Hernández, Cuban hurdler 1977 – Orlando Hudson, American baseball player 1977 – Dean Macey, English decathlete and bobsledder 1977 – Colin White, Canadian ice hockey player 1979 – Garrett Atkins, American baseball player 1979 – Nate Clements, American football player 1979 – John Salmons, American basketball player 1980 – Dejene Berhanu, Ethiopian runner (died 2010) 1980 – Dorin Goian, Romanian footballer 1981 – Eddie Kingston, American wrestler 1981 – Pedro Ríos, Spanish footballer 1981 – Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer 1981 – Stephen Warnock, English footballer 1981 – Andrew Whitworth, American football player and commentator 1982 – Ervin Santana, Dominican baseball player 1982 – Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player and coach 1983 – Roni Porokara, Finnish footballer 1984 – Daniel Agger, Danish footballer 1985 – Pat Calathes, Greek-American basketball player 1985 – Andrew Ladd, Canadian ice hockey player