Events

2022

Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege.

2019

The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete.

2016

The government of Singapore authorises the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a Chinese construction worker despite international pleas for clemency, notably from Amnesty International and the United Nations.

2013

An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others.

2012

At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy.

2011

Mamata Banerjee is sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post.

2009

An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99.

2002

The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).

1996

Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.

1990

The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.

1989

The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.

1985

Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.

1983

First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by a team of French scientists including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Jean-Claude Chermann, and Luc Montagnier.

1983

Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by UMkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others.

1980

In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, with 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada.

1971

In the Chuknagar massacre, Pakistani forces massacre thousands, mostly Bengali Hindus.

1969

The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.

1967

The Popular Movement of the Revolution political party is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

1965

One hundred twenty-one people are killed when Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 crashes at Cairo International Airport.

1964

Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias.

1958

Capital Airlines Flight 300 collides in mid-air with a United States Air Force Lockheed T-33 over Brunswick, Maryland, killing 12.

1956

In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb is dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

1949

In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established.

1948

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek wins the 1948 Republic of China presidential election and is sworn in as the first President of the Republic of China at Nanjing.

1943

The Luttra Woman, a bog body from the Early Neolithic period (radiocarbon-dated c. 3928–3651 BC), is discovered near Luttra, Sweden.

1941

World War II: Battle of Crete: German paratroops invade Crete.

1940

The Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz.

1932

Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, landing in Ireland the next day.

1927

Treaty of Jeddah: The United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merge to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

1927

Charles Lindbergh takes off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landing 33+1⁄2 hours later.

1902

Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the country's first President.

1891

History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope.

1883

Krakatoa begins to erupt; the volcano explodes three months later, killing more than 36,000 people.

1882

The Triple Alliance between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy is formed.

1875

Signing of the Metre Convention by 17 nations leading to the establishment of the International System of Units.

1873

Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

1864

American Civil War: Battle of Ware Bottom Church: In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory.

1862

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law, opening eighty-four million acres (340,000 km2) of public land to settlers.

1861

American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state.

1861

American Civil War: The State of North Carolina secedes from the Union.

1813

Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory.

1802

By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution.

1775

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly signed in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1741

The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ends in a Spanish victory and the British begin withdrawal towards Jamaica with substantial losses.

1714

Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his cantata for Pentecost, Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172, at the chapel of Schloss Weimar.

1645

Yangzhou massacre: The ten day massacre of the residents of the city of Yangzhou, part of the Transition from Ming to Qing.

1631

The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War.

1609

Shakespeare's sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe.

1570

Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas.

1521

Ignatius of Loyola is seriously wounded in the Battle of Pampeluna.

1520

Hernan Cortés defeats Pánfilo de Narváez, sent by Spain to punish him for insubordination.

1498

Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovers the sea route to India when he arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India.

1497

John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).

1449

The Battle of Alfarrobeira is fought, establishing the House of Braganza as a principal royal family of Portugal.

1426

King Mohnyin Thado formally ascends to the throne of Ava.

1293

King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Estudio de Escuelas de Generales in Alcalá de Henares.

1217

The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

1202

A major earthquake hits Syria, widely felt between Sicily and Iraq.

942

A Magyar raiding army defeats forces of the Muslim frontier state of Fraxinetum.

921

Christopher Lekapenos is crowned Byzantine co-emperor by his father, emperor Romanos I Lekapenos, on the feast of Whitsun.

794

While visiting the royal Mercian court at Sutton Walls with a view to marrying princess Ælfthryth, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia is taken captive and beheaded.

685

The Battle of Dun Nechtain is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.

491

Empress Ariadne marries Anastasius I. The widowed Augusta is able to choose her successor for the Byzantine throne, after Zeno (late emperor) dies of dysentery.

325

The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church.

Births

2012

Doug the Pug, American celebrity dog

1998

Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver

1998

Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater

1997

Kaoru Mitoma, Japanese footballer

1996

Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player

1993

Ramy Rabia, Egyptian footballer

1993

Caroline Zhang, American figure skater

1992

Cate Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer

1992

Jack Gleeson, Irish actor

1992

Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player

1992

Fanny Smith, Swiss freestyle skier

1991

Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer

1991

Emre Çolak, Turkish footballer

1990

Josh O'Connor, British actor

1989

Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player

1988

Joel Moon, Australian rugby league player

1987

Mike Havenaar, Japanese footballer

1987

Julian Wright, American basketball player

1986

Dexter Blackstock, English footballer

1986

Stéphane Mbia, Cameroonian footballer

1986

Jiřina Svobodová, Czech pole vaulter

1985

Chris Froome, Kenyan-English cyclist

1985

Brendon Goddard, Australian footballer

1984

Mauro Rafael da Silva, Brazilian footballer

1984

Patrick Ewing Jr., American basketball player

1984

Keith Grennan, American football player

1983

N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Indian Film Actor

1983

Óscar Cardozo, Paraguayan footballer

1983

Matt Langridge, English rower

1982

Petr Čech, Czech footballer

1982

Imran Farhat, Pakistani cricketer

1982

Jessica Raine, English actress

1982

Daniel Ribeiro, Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter

1981

Iker Casillas, Spanish footballer

1981

Rachel Platten, American singer and songwriter

1981

Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player

1981

Mark Winterbottom, Australian race car driver

1980

Austin Kearns, American baseball player

1980

Kassim Osgood, American football player

1979

Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician, 28th Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

1979

Jayson Werth, American baseball player

1978

Hristos Banikas, Greek chess player

1978

Pavla Hamáčková-Rybová, Czech pole vaulter

1978

Nils Schumann, German runner

1977

Matt Czuchry, American actor

1977

Leo Franco, Argentinian footballer

1977

Angela Goethals, American actress

1977

Stirling Mortlock, Australian rugby player

1977

Vesa Toskala, Finnish ice hockey player

1976

Ramón Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player

1976

Tomoya Satozaki, Japanese baseball player

1975

Juan Minujín, Argentinian actor, director, and screenwriter

1974

Allison Amend, American novelist and short story writer

1974

Shiboprosad Mukherjee, Indian film director, writer and actor

1973

Nathan Long, Australian rugby league player

1972

Michael Diamond, Australian shooter

1972

Christophe Dominici, French rugby player (died 2020)

1972

Busta Rhymes, American rapper, producer, and actor

1971

Šárka Kašpárková, Czech triple jumper and coach

1971

Hanne Stenvaag, Norwegian politician

1971

Tony Stewart, American race car driver

1970

Terrell Brandon, American basketball player

1970

Louis Theroux, Singaporean-English journalist and producer

1969

Road Dogg, American wrestler, producer, and soldier

1968

Timothy Olyphant, American actor and producer

1967

Graham Brady, English politician

1967

Gabriele Muccino, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter

1966

Dan Abrams, American journalist and author

1965

Ted Allen, American television host and author

1965

Stu Grimson, Canadian ice hockey player, sportscaster, and lawyer

1964

Kōichirō Genba, Japanese politician, 80th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs

1964

Edin Osmanović, Slovenian footballer, coach, and manager

1964

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, English journalist and author

1963

David Wells, American baseball player and sportscaster

1961

Clive Allen, English international footballer and manager

1961

Nick Heyward, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

1960

Tony Goldwyn, American actor and director

1959

Susan Cowsill, American singer-songwriter

1958

Ron Reagan, American journalist and radio host

1958

Jane Wiedlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress

1957

Yoshihiko Noda, Japanese lawyer and politician, 62nd Prime Minister of Japan

1956

Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian-German author and critic (died 2025)

1956

Gerry Peyton, English born Irish international footballer and coach

1956

Douglas Preston, American journalist and author

1955

Steve George, American keyboard player and songwriter

1955

Zbigniew Preisner, Polish composer and producer

1954

David Paterson, American lawyer and politician, 55th Governor of New York

1954

Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, Scottish lawyer and judge

1953

Robert Doyle, Australian educator and politician, 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne

1952

Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer and manager

1952

Michael Wills, English politician, British Minister of Justice

1951

Thomas Akers, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut

1951

Christie Blatchford, Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster (died 2020)

1951

Mike Crapo, American lawyer and politician

1950

Andy Johns, English-American engineer and producer (died 2013)

1950

Reinaldo Merlo, Argentinian footballer and coach

1950

Jane Parker-Smith, English organist (died 2020)

1949

Robert Morin, Canadian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter

1949

Michèle Roberts, English author and poet

1949

Dave Thomas, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

1947

Steve Currie, English bass player (died 1981)

1947

Greg Dyke, English journalist and academic

1946

Cher, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

1946

Bobby Murcer, American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster (died 2008)

1945

Vladimiro Montesinos, Peruvian intelligence officer

1944

Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (died 2014)

1944

Boudewijn de Groot, Indonesian-Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist

1944

Keith Fletcher, English cricketer and manager

1944

Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian businessman, co-founder of Red Bull GmbH (died 2022)

1944

Pekka Siitoin, Finnish neo-Nazi and Satanist (d. 2003)

1943

Albano Carrisi, Italian singer, actor, and winemaker

1943

Deryck Murray, Trinidadian cricketer

1942

Raymond Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States

1942

Lynn Davies, Welsh sprinter and long jumper

1942

Carlos Hathcock, American sergeant and sniper (died 1999)

1942

Frew McMillan, South African tennis player

1941

Goh Chok Tong, Singaporean politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore

1941

John Strasberg, American actor and teacher

1940

Shorty Long, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 1969)

1940

Stan Mikita, Slovak-Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (died 2018)

1940

Sadaharu Oh, Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager

1939

Balu Mahendra, Sri Lankan-Indian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (died 2014)

1937

Dave Hill, American golfer (died 2011)

1937

Derek Lampe, English footballer

1936

Anthony Zerbe, American actor

1935

José Mujica, Uruguayan guerrilla leader and politician, 40th President of Uruguay (died 2025)

1933

Constance Towers, American actress and singer

1932

Dieter Rams, German industrial designer

1931

Ken Boyer, American baseball player and manager (died 1982)

1931

Louis Smith, American trumpeter (died 2016)

1930

Sam Etcheverry, American football player and coach (died 2009)

1929

Pedro Trebbau, German-born Venezuelan zoologist (died 2021)

1929

Gilles Loiselle, Canadian politician and diplomat, 33rd Canadian Minister of Finance (died 2022)

1927

Bud Grant, American football player and coach (died 2023)

1927

David Hedison, American actor (died 2019)

1927

Franciszek Macharski, Polish cardinal (died 2016)

1926

Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (died 1956)

1925

Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (died 2001)

1924

David Chavchavadze, English-American CIA officer and author (died 2014)

1924

Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan journalist and politician (died 1976)

1923

Edith Fellows, American actress (died 2011)

1923

Sam Selvon, Trinidad-born writer (died 1994)

1922

Ted Hinton, Northern Irish international footballer (died 1988)

1921

Wolfgang Borchert, German author and playwright (died 1947)

1921

Hal Newhouser, American baseball player and scout (died 1998)

1921

Hao Wang, Chinese-American logician, philosopher, and mathematician (died 1995)

1920

John Cruickshank, Scottish lieutenant and banker, Victoria Cross recipient (died 2025)

1919

George Gobel, American comedian (died 1991)

1918

Alexandra Boyko, Russian tank commander (died 1996)

1918

Edward B. Lewis, American biologist, geneticist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2004)

1917

Tony Cliff, Israeli-English author and activist (died 2000)

1917

Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (died 1967)

1916

Owen Chadwick, English rugby player, historian, and academic (died 2015)

1916

Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (died 2001)

1916

Ondina Valla, Italian sprinter and hurdler (died 2006)

1915

Peter Copley, English actor (died 2008)

1915

Moshe Dayan, Israeli general and politician, 5th Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 1981)

1915

Joff Ellen, Australian comedian and actor (died 1999)

1913

Teodoro Fernández, Peruvian footballer (died 1996)

1913

William Redington Hewlett, American engineer, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (died 2001)

1913

Carlos J. Gradin, Argentine Archaeologist (died 2002)

1911

Gardner Fox, American author (died 1986)

1911

Annie M. G. Schmidt, Dutch author and playwright (died 1995)

1908

Henry Bolte, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (died 1990)

1908

Louis Daquin, French actor and director (died 1980)

1908

Francis Raymond Fosberg, American botanist and author (died 1993)

1908

James Stewart, American actor (died 1997)

1907

Carl Mydans, American photographer and journalist (died 2004)

1906

Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal (died 1989)

1904

Margery Allingham, English author of detective fiction (died 1966)

1901

Max Euwe, Dutch chess player, mathematician, and author (died 1981)

1901

Doris Fleeson, American journalist (died 1970)

1900

Sumitranandan Pant, Indian poet and author (died 1977)

1899

Aleksandr Deyneka, Russian painter and sculptor (died 1969)

1899

John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court (died 1971)

1898

Eduard Ole, Estonian painter (died 1995)

1897

Diego Abad de Santillán, Spanish economist and author (died 1983)

1897

Malcolm Nokes, English hammer and discus thrower (died 1986)

1895

R. J. Mitchell, English engineer, designed the Supermarine Spitfire and Supermarine S.6B (died 1937)

1894

Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, Indian guru and scholar (died 1994)

1886

Ali Sami Yen, Turkish footballer and manager, founded the Galatasaray Sports Club (died 1951)

1883

Faisal I of Iraq (died 1933)

1882

Sigrid Undset, Danish-Norwegian novelist, essayist, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1949)

1879

Hans Meerwein, German chemist (died 1965)

1877

Pat Leahy, Irish-American Olympic jumper (died 1927)

1875

Hendrik Offerhaus, Dutch Olympic rower and head of the Dutch Red Cross (died 1953)

1860

Eduard Buchner, German chemist, zymologist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1917)

1856

Henri-Edmond Cross, French Neo-Impressionist painter (died 1910)

1854

George Prendergast, Australian politician, 28th Premier of Victoria (died 1937)

1851

Emile Berliner, German-American inventor, invented the Gramophone record (died 1929)

1838

Jules Méline, French lawyer and politician, 65th Prime Minister of France (died 1925)

1830

Hector Malot, French author (died 1907)

1825

Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first woman to be ordained as a mainstream Protestant minister in the U.S. (died 1921)

1824

Cadmus M. Wilcox, Confederate States Army general (died 1890)

1822

Frédéric Passy, French economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1912)

1818

William Fargo, American businessman and politician, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (died 1881)

1811

Alfred Domett, English-New Zealand poet and politician, 4th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1887)

1806

John Stuart Mill, English economist, civil servant, and philosopher (died 1873)

1799

Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright (died 1850)

1795

Pedro María de Anaya, Mexican soldier. President (1847–1848) (died 1854)

1776

Simon Fraser, American-Canadian fur trader and explorer (died 1862)

1772

Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet, English inventor and politician, developed Congreve rockets (died 1828)

1769

Andreas Vokos Miaoulis, Greek admiral and politician (died 1835)

1759

William Thornton, Virgin Islander-American architect, designed the United States Capitol (died 1828)

1726

Francis Cotes, English painter and academic (died 1770)

1664

Andreas Schlüter, German sculptor and architect (died 1714)

1575

Robert Heath, English judge and politician (died 1649)

1537

Hieronymus Fabricius, Italian anatomist (died 1619)

1531

Thado Minsaw of Ava, Viceroy of Ava (died 1584)

1505

Levinus Lemnius, Dutch writer (died 1568)

1470

Pietro Bembo, Italian cardinal, poet, and scholar (died 1547)

1315

Bonne of Luxembourg, first wife of John II of France (died 1349)

Deaths

2025

George Wendt, American actor and comedian (born 1948)

2024

Ivan Boesky, American stock trader (born 1937)

2022

Roger Angell, American sportswriter and author (born 1920)

2022

Susan Roces, Filipino actress (born 1941)

2021

Gary Wilson, American anti-pornography activist (born 1956)

2019

Niki Lauda, Austrian race car driver (born 1949)

2016

Kho Jabing, Malaysian convicted murderer who was executed by hanging in Singapore (born 1984)

2015

Bob Belden, American saxophonist, composer, and producer (born 1956)

2015

Femi Robinson, Nigerian actor and playwright (born 1940)

2014

Sandra Bem, American psychologist and academic (born 1944)

2014

Ross Brown, New Zealand rugby player (born 1934)

2014

Robyn Denny, English-French painter (born 1930)

2014

Arthur Gelb, American journalist, author, and critic (born 1924)

2014

Prince Rupert Loewenstein, Spanish-English businessman (born 1933)

2014

Barbara Murray, English actress (born 1929)

2013

Flavio Costantini, Italian painter and illustrator (born 1926)

2013

Billie Dawe, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (born 1924)

2013

Anders Eliasson, Swedish composer (born 1947)

2013

Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (born 1924)

2013

Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (born 1939)

2013

Denys Roberts, English judge and politician (born 1923)

2013

Zach Sobiech, American singer-songwriter (born 1995)

2012

Leela Dube, Indian anthropologist and scholar (born 1923)

2012

Robin Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (born 1949)

2012

David Littman, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (born 1933)

2012

Ken Lyons, American bass guitarist (born 1953)

2012

Eugene Polley, American engineer, invented the remote control (born 1915)

2012

Andrew B. Steinberg, American lawyer (born 1958)

2011

Randy Savage, American wrestler and actor (born 1952)

2009

Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect and urban planner, designed Roy Thomson Hall (born 1924)

2009

Lucy Gordon, American actress and model (born 1980)

2009

Pierre Gamarra, French author, poet, and critic (born 1919)

2008

Hamilton Jordan, American politician, 8th White House Chief of Staff (born 1944)

2007

Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer (born 1914)

2005

Paul Ricœur, French philosopher and academic (born 1913)

2005

William Seawell, American general (born 1918)

2002

Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist, biologist, and academic (born 1941)

2001

Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1920)

2000

Jean-Pierre Rampal, French flute player (born 1922)

2000

Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (born 1970)

2000

Yevgeny Khrunov, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut (born 1933)

1998

Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (born 1916)

1996

Jon Pertwee, English actor, portrayed the Third Doctor (born 1919)

1995

Les Cowie, Australian rugby league player (born 1925)

1989

John Hicks, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1904)

1989

Gilda Radner, American actress and comedian (born 1946)

1976

Syd Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1911)

1976

Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan journalist and politician (born 1924)

1976

Héctor Gutiérrez Ruiz, Uruguayan politician (born 1934)

1975

Barbara Hepworth, English sculptor and lithographer (born 1903)

1973

Renzo Pasolini, Italian motorcycle racer (born 1938)

1973

Jarno Saarinen, Finnish motorcycle racer (born 1945)

1971

Waldo Williams, Welsh poet and academic (born 1904)

1964

Rudy Lewis, American singer (born 1936)

1962

Timothy (Szretter), a Polish Orthodox clergyman, the third Metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland (born 1901)

1961

Josef Priller, German colonel and pilot (born 1915)

1956

Max Beerbohm, English essayist, parodist, and caricaturist (born 1872)

1956

Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian swimmer and trainer (born 1881)

1949

Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop and politician, 137th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1891)

1947

Philipp Lenard, Slovak-German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1862)

1947

Georgios Siantos, Greek sergeant and politician (born 1890)

1946

Jacob Ellehammer, Danish pilot and engineer (born 1871)

1942

Hector Guimard, French Architect (born 1867)

1940

Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1859)

1931

Ernest Noel, Scottish businessman and politician (born 1831)

1925

Joseph Howard, Maltese politician, 1st Prime Minister of Malta (born 1862)

1924

Bogd Khan, Mongolian ruler (c. 1869)

1917

Valentine Fleming, Scottish soldier and politician (born 1887)

1917

Philipp von Ferrary, Italian stamp collector (born 1850)

1909

Ernest Hogan, American actor and composer (born 1859)

1896

Clara Schumann, German pianist and composer (born 1819)

1880

Ana Néri, Brazilian nurse and philanthropist (born 1814)

1873

George-Étienne Cartier, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 9th Premier of East Canada (born 1814)

1864

John Clare, English poet (born 1793)

1841

Joseph Blanco White, Spanish poet and theologian (born 1775)

1834

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, French general (born 1757)

1812

Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, Austrian archbishop (born 1732)

1793

Charles Bonnet, Swiss botanist and biologist (born 1720)

1782

William Emerson, English mathematician and academic (born 1701)

1732

Thomas Boston, Scottish author and educator (born 1676)

1722

Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist and mycologist (born 1669)

1717

John Trevor, Welsh lawyer and politician, 102nd Speaker of the House of Commons (born 1637)

1713

Thomas Sprat, English bishop (born 1635)

1677

George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, Spanish-English politician, English Secretary of State (born 1612)

1648

Władysław IV Vasa, Polish son of Sigismund III Vasa (born 1595)

1645

Shi Kefa, Chinese general and calligrapher (born 1601)

1622

Osman II, Ottoman sultan (born 1604)

1579

Isabella Markham, English courtier (born 1527)

1550

Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shōgun (born 1510)

1506

Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer, early European explorer of the Americas (born 1451)

1503

Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, Italian banker and politician (born 1463)

1501

Columba of Rieti, Italian Dominican tertiary Religious Sister (born 1467)

1476

Isabel Ingoldisthorpe, English noblewoman (born 1441)

1449

Álvaro Vaz de Almada, 1st Count of Avranches

1449

Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra (born 1392)

1444

Bernardino of Siena, Italian-Spanish missionary and saint (born 1380)

1366

Maria of Calabria, Empress of Constantinople (born 1329)

1291

Sufi Saint Sayyid Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari

1285

John I of Cyprus (born 1259)

1277

Pope John XXI (born 1215)

1062

Bao Zheng, Chinese magistrate and mayor of Kaifeng (born 999)

965

Gero the Great, Saxon ruler (born c. 900)

794

Æthelberht II, king of East Anglia

685

Ecgfrith of Northumbria (born 645)

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