January 6

Events

1017 – Cnut the Great is crowned King of England.

1066 – Harold Godwinson (or Harold II) is crowned King of England.

1205 – Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans.

1322 – Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia.

1355 – Charles I of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan.

1449 – Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras.

1492 – The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada, completing the Reconquista.

1540 – King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.

1579 – The Union of Arras is signed.

1661 – English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England.

1690 – Joseph, son of Emperor Leopold I, becomes King of the Romans.

1721 – The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings.

1781 – In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey.

1809 – Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars.

1838 – Alfred Vail demonstrates a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).

1839 – The most damaging storm in 300 years sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.

1853 – President-elect of the United States Franklin Pierce and his family are involved in a train wreck near Andover, Massachusetts. Pierce's 11-year-old son Benjamin is killed in the crash.

1870 – The inauguration of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.

1893 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.

1900 – Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.

1907 – Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome, Italy.

1912 – New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state.

1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift.

1921 – Formation of the Iraqi Army.

1929 – King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution (the January 6th Dictatorship).

1929 – Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India's poorest and sick people.

1930 – The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York, New York.

1931 – Thomas Edison signs his last patent application.

1941 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address.

1946 – The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.

1947 – Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket.

1950 – The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with the UK in response.

1951 – Korean War: An estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered in what becomes the Ganghwa massacre.

1960 – National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami.

1960 – The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties.

1967 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta.

1974 – In response to the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.

1978 – The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II.

1989 – Satwant Singh and alleged conspirator Kehar Singh were sentenced to death for conspiracy in the plot of the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi assassination, carried out by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.

1992 – President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.

1993 – Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol.

1994 – Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the knee at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit.

1995 – A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.

2000 – Celia, the last Pyrenean ibex, was found dead after a tree had landed on her

2001 – Congress certifies George W. Bush winner of 2000 elections

2005 – American Civil Rights Movement: Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers.

2005 – A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.

2012 – Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.

2017 – 5 people are killed and 6 others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida.

Births

1256 – Gertrude the Great, German mystic (d. 1302)

1367 – Richard II of England (d. 1400)

1384 – Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent (d. 1408)

1412 – Joan of Arc (given date), French martyr and saint (d. 1431)

1486 – Martin Agricola, German composer and theorist (d. 1556)

1488 – Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)

1493 – Olaus Petri, Swedish clergyman (d. 1552)

1500 – John of Ávila, Spanish mystic and saint (d. 1569)

1525 – Caspar Peucer, German physician and scholar (d. 1602)

1561 – Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)

1587 – Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares (d. 1645)

1595 – Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French educator and courtier (d. 1650)

1617 – Christoffer Gabel, Danish politician (d. 1673)

1641 – Wolfgang Dietrich of Castell-Remlingen, German nobleman (d. 1709)

1655 – Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg (d. 1720)

1670 – Alexander Gordon, Scottish-Russian general (d. 1752)

1673 – James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, English academic and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire (d. 1744)

1695 – Giuseppe Sammartini, Italian oboe player and composer (d. 1750)

1702 – José de Nebra, Spanish composer (d. 1768)

1714 – Percivall Pott, English surgeon (d. 1788)

1745 – Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, French co-inventor of the hot air balloon (d. 1799)

1785 – Andreas Moustoxydis, Greek historian and philologist (d. 1860)

1793 – James Madison Porter, American lawyer and politician, 18th United States Secretary of War (d. 1862)

1795 – Anselme Payen, French chemist and academic (d. 1871)

1799 – Jedediah Smith, American hunter, explorer, and author (d. 1831)

1803 – Henri Herz, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1888)

1807 – Joseph Petzval, German-Hungarian mathematician and physicist (d. 1891)

1808 – Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American oncologist and paleontologist (d. 1864)

1811 – Charles Sumner, American lawyer and politician (d. 1874)

1812 – Melchora Aquino, Filipino activist (d. 1919)

1819 – Baldassare Verazzi, Italian painter (d. 1886)

1822 – Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist and businessman (d. 1890)

1832 – Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)

1836 – Ludwig Schüler, German lawyer and politician, Mayor of Marburg (d. 1930)

1838 – Max Bruch, German composer and conductor (d. 1920)

1842 – Clarence King, American geologist, mountaineer, and critic (d. 1901)

1848 – Hristo Botev, Bulgarian poet and journalist (d. 1876)

1850 – Eduard Bernstein, German theorist and politician (d. 1932)

1850 – Franz Xaver Scharwenka, Polish-German pianist and composer (d. 1924)

1856 – Giuseppe Martucci, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1909)

1857 – Hugh Mahon, Irish-Australian publisher and politician, 10th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1931)

1857 – William Russell, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)

1859 – Samuel Alexander, Australian-English philosopher and academic (d. 1938)

1861 – Victor Horta, Belgian architect, designed Hôtel van Eetvelde (d. 1947)

1861 – George Lloyd, English-Canadian bishop and theologian (d. 1940)

1861 – János Zsupánek, Slovene-Hungarian author and poet (d. 1951)

1866 – Dante Cappelli, Italian actor and director (d. 1948)

1868 – Ștefan Luchian, Romanian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)

1868 – Vittorio Monti, Italian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1922)

1870 – Gustav Bauer, German journalist and politician, 11th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1944)

1872 – Alexander Scriabin, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1915)

1874 – Fred Niblo, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1948)

1878 – Adeline Genée, Danish-born British ballerina (d. 1970)

1878 – Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)

1880 – Tom Mix, American cowboy and actor (d. 1940)

1881 – Ion Minulescu, Romanian author, poet, and critic (d. 1944)

1882 – Aleksandra Ekster, Polish-French painter and set designer (d. 1949)

1882 – Fan S. Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Albania (d. 1965)

1882 – Sam Rayburn, American lawyer and politician, 48th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)

1883 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (d. 1931)

1891 – Ted McDonald, Australian cricketer (d. 1937)

1897 – Péter Veres, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Defense (d. 1970)

1898 – James Fitzmaurice, Irish soldier and pilot (d. 1965)

1898 – Charles E. Pont, American minister and painter (d. 1971)

1899 – Alphonse Castex, French rugby union player (d. 1969)

1899 – Phyllis Haver, American actress (d. 1960)

1899 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (d. 1968)

1902 – Helmut Poppendick, German physician (d. 1994)

1903 – Maurice Abravanel, Greek-American pianist and conductor (d. 1993)

1903 – Francis L. Sullivan, English-American actor (d. 1956)

1905 – Idris Davies, Welsh poet and author (d. 1953)

1907 – David Fleay, Australian ornithologist and zoologist (d. 1993)

1910 – Kid Chocolate, Cuban boxer (d. 1988)

1910 – Wright Morris, American author and photographer (d. 1998)

1910 – Yiannis Papaioannou, Greek composer and educator (d. 1989)

1912 – Jacques Ellul, French philosopher and critic (d. 1994)

1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor, comedian, producer and humanitarian; founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (d. 1991)

1913 – Edward Gierek, Polish lawyer and politician (d. 2001)

1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)

1914 – Godfrey Edward Arnold, Austrian-American physician and academic (d. 1989)

1915 – Don Edwards, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (d. 2015)

1915 – John C. Lilly, American psychoanalyst, physician, and philosopher (d. 2001)

1915 – Alan Watts, English-American philosopher and author (d. 1973)

1916 – Eugene Thomas Maleska, American journalist (d. 1993)

1916 – Vincent Serventy, Australian ornithologist and author (d. 2007)

1917 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (d. 2005)

1919 – Roy Cochran, American hurdler and sprinter (d. 1981)

1920 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (d. 2004)

1920 – Early Wynn, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 1999)

1921 – Marianne Grunberg-Manago, Russian-French biochemist and academic (d. 2013)

1921 – Cary Middlecoff, American golfer and sportscaster (d. 1998)

1922 – Hugo Broch, German lieutenant and pilot

1923 – Vladimir Kazantsev, Russian runner (d. 2007)

1923 – Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1974)

1923 – Jacobo Timerman, Argentinian journalist and author (d. 1999)

1924 – Kim Dae-jung, South Korean lieutenant and politician, 8th President of South Korea, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009)

1924 – Earl Scruggs, American banjo player (d. 2012)

1925 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (d. 2005)

1926 – Ralph Branca, American baseball player (d. 2016)

1926 – Pat Flaherty, American race car driver (d. 2002)

1926 – Kid Gavilán, Cuban-American boxer (d. 2003)

1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)

1926 – Günter Rössler, German photographer and journalist (d. 2012)

1927 – Jesse Leonard Steinfeld, American physician and academic, 11th Surgeon General of the United States (d. 2014)

1928 – Capucine, French actress and model (d. 1990)

1930 – W. Wallace Cleland, American biochemist and educator (d. 2013)

1930 – Vic Tayback, American actor (d. 1990)

1931 – E. L. Doctorow, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 2015)

1931 – Juan Goytisolo, Spanish poet and author

1931 – Graeme Hole, Australian cricketer (d. 1990)

1931 – P. J. Kavanagh, English poet and author (d. 2015)

1931 – Dickie Moore, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman (d. 2015)

1932 – Stuart A. Rice, American chemist and academic

1933 – John Clive, English author and actor (d. 2012)

1933 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov, Russian engineer and astronaut (d. 2003)

1933 – Ian McColl, Baron McColl of Dulwich, English surgeon and academic

1933 – Emil Steinberger, Swiss actor, director, and screenwriter

1933 – Fred L. Turner, American businessman (d. 2013)

1934 – Harry M. Miller, Australian talent agent and publicist

1934 – Sylvia Syms, English actress

1935 – Ian Meckiff, Australian cricketer

1935 – Joseph Rotman, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2015)

1935 – Nino Tempo, American musician, singer, and actor

1936 – Rubén Amaro, Sr., Mexican baseball player and scout

1936 – Darlene Hard, American tennis player

1936 – Julio María Sanguinetti, Uruguayan journalist, lawyer, and politician, 29th President of Uruguay

1937 – Paolo Conte, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist

1937 – Ludvík Daněk, Czech discus thrower (d. 1998)

1937 – Lou Holtz, American football player, coach, and sportscaster

1937 – Doris Troy, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)

1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and director

1938 – Adrienne Clarke, Australian botanist and academic

1938 – Mario Rodríguez Cobos, Argentinian philosopher and author (d. 2010)

1938 – William E. Connolly, American political scientist, theorist, and academic

1939 – Georgios Babiniotis, Greek linguist and philologist

1939 – Murray Rose, English-Australian swimmer and sportscaster (d. 2012)

1940 – Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (d. 1989)

1940 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1979)

1943 – Terry Venables, English footballer and manager

1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress and singer (d. 2013)

1944 – Alan Stivell, French singer-songwriter and harp player

1944 – Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

1945 – Allen Appel, American author, illustrator, and photographer

1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby player

1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)

1947 – Sandy Denny, English singer-songwriter (d. 1978)

1948 – Guy Gardner, American colonel and astronaut

1948 – Dayle Hadlee, New Zealand cricketer

1949 – Mike Boit, Kenyan runner and academic

1949 – Carolyn D. Wright, American poet and academic

1950 – Louis Freeh, American lawyer and jurist, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

1951 – Don Gullett, American baseball player and coach

1951 – Kim Wilson, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player

1952 – Moondog Spot, American wrestler (d. 2003)

1953 – Malcolm Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

1954 – Yuji Horii, Japanese video game designer, created Dragon Quest

1954 – Anthony Minghella, English director and screenwriter (d. 2008)

1954 – Trudie Styler, English actress and activist

1955 – Ajayi Agbebaku, Nigerian triple jumper

1955 – Rowan Atkinson, English actor, producer, and screenwriter

1955 – Alex Forsyth, American ice hockey player

1955 – Susan B. Horwitz, American computer scientist and academic (d. 2014)

1955 – Graham Murray, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2013)

1956 – Elizabeth Strout, American novelist and short story writer

1956 – Justin Welby, English archbishop

1956 – Clive Woodward, English rugby player and coach

1957 – Michael Foale, British-American astrophysicist and astronaut

1957 – Nancy Lopez, American golfer and sportscaster

1958 – Themos Anastasiadis, Greek journalist and economist

1958 – Scott Bryce, American actor, director, and producer

1958 – Margus Hanson, Estonian lawyer and politician, 23rd Estonian Minister of Defence

1958 – Mohsen Rastani, Iranian photographer and journalist

1960 – Paul Azinger, American golfer and sportscaster

1960 – Eric Grothe, Sr., Australian rugby league player

1960 – Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach

1960 – Nigella Lawson, English chef and author

1960 – Howie Long, American football player and sports commentator

1961 – Georges Jobé, Belgian motocross racer (d. 2012)

1961 – Nigel Melville, English rugby player

1962 – Michael Houser, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)

1962 – Kevin Rosier, American mixed martial artist and boxer (d. 2015)

1962 – Vangelis Vlachos, Greek footballer and manager

1963 – Norm Charlton, American baseball player and coach

1963 – Paul Kipkoech, Kenyan runner (d. 1995)

1963 – Ian Lavery, English miner and politician

1964 – Charles Haley, American football player and coach

1964 – Jacqueline Moore, American wrestler and manager

1964 – Mark O'Toole, English bass player

1964 – Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan swimmer and sportscaster (d. 2005)

1965 – Laurence Hurst, English biologist and academic

1965 – Bjørn Lomborg, Danish author and academic

1965 – Murray McLachlan, Scottish pianist

1965 – Christine Wachtel, German runner

1966 – Sharon Cuneta, Filipino singer and actress

1967 – Craig Perks, New Zealand golfer

1967 – A. R. Rahman, An Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, musician and philanthropist

1968 – John Singleton, American director, producer, and screenwriter

1969 – Norman Reedus, American actor and model

1970 – Julie Chen, American television journalist, presenter, and producer

1970 – Gabrielle Reece, American volleyball player, sportscaster, and actress

1971 – Karin Slaughter, American author

1973 – Scott Ferguson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

1973 – Vasso Karantasiou, Greek volleyball player

1974 – Daniel Cordone, Argentinian footballer

1974 – Paul Grant, American basketball player and coach

1975 – James Farrior, American football player

1975 – Jason King, English radio and television host

1976 – Johnny Yong Bosch, American actor, voice artist, martial artist, and musician

1976 – Danny Pintauro, American actor

1976 – Richard Zedník, Slovak ice hockey player

1977 – Shane Rigon, Australian rugby league player

1978 – Nikki Einfeld, Canadian soprano and actress

1978 – Casey Fossum, American baseball player

1978 – Bubba Franks, American football player

1979 – Camila Grey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1980 – Steed Malbranque, Belgian-French footballer

1981 – Mike Jones, American rapper and actor

1981 – Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and director

1981 – Jérémie Renier, Belgian-French actor

1981 – Asante Samuel, American football player

1982 – Gilbert Arenas, American basketball player

1982 – Brian Bass, American baseball player

1982 – Eddie Redmayne, English actor

1983 – Adam Burish, American ice hockey player

1984 – Kate McKinnon, American actress and comedian

1984 – Eric Trump, American businessman and philanthropist

1985 – Inge Vermeulen, Brazilian-Dutch field hockey player (d. 2015)

1985 – Seo Hyo-rim, South Korean actress

1986 – Paul McShane, Irish footballer

1986 – Petter Northug, Norwegian skier

1986 – Benjamin Simm, German rugby player

1986 – Mike Teel, American football player

1986 – Alex Turner, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

1987 – Gemma Gibbons, English-Scottish martial artist

1987 – Bongani Khumalo, South African footballer

1987 – Zhang Lin, Chinese swimmer

1987 – Ndamukong Suh, American football player

1989 – Andy Carroll, English footballer

1989 – Derrick Morgan, American football player

1994 – Jameis Winston, American football player

Deaths

429 – Honoratus, French archbishop and saint (b. 350)

664 – 'Amr ibn al-'As, Arabian general and politician, Governor of Egypt (b. 583)

786 – Abo of Tiflis, Iraqi martyr and saint (b. 756)

884 – Hasan ibn Zayd, Tabaristan ruler

1088 – Berengar of Tours, French scholar and theologian (b. 999)

1148 – Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (b. 1100)

1148 – William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey

1275 – Raymond of Penyafort, Catalan archbishop and saint (b. 1175)

1350 – Giovanni I di Murta, second doge of the Republic of Genoa

1358 – Gertrude van der Oosten, beguine

1387 – Peter IV of Aragon (b. 1319)

1406 – Roger Walden, English bishop

1448 – Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (b. 1418)

1477 – Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme

1481 – Ahmed Khan bin Küchük, Mongolian ruler

1537 – Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)

1537 – Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter, designed the Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne (b. 1481)

1616 – Philip Henslowe, English businessman (b. 1550)

1646 – Elias Holl, German architect, designed the Augsburg Town Hall (b. 1573)

1689 – Seth Ward, English bishop, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1617)

1693 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (b. 1642)

1711 – Philips van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)

1718 – Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian lawyer and jurist (b. 1664)

1725 – Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese actor and playwright (b. 1653)

1731 – Étienne François Geoffroy, French physician and chemist (b. 1672)

1734 – John Dennis, English playwright and critic (b. 1657)

1813 – Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers, French general (b. 1764)

1829 – Josef Dobrovský, Czech philologist and historian (b. 1753)

1831 – Rodolphe Kreutzer, French violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1766)

1840 – Frances Burney, English author and playwright (b. 1752)

1852 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (b. 1809)

1855 – Giacomo Beltrami, Italian jurist, explorer, and author (b. 1779)

1882 – Richard Henry Dana, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1815)

1884 – Gregor Mendel, Czech geneticist and botanist (b. 1822)

1885 – Bharatendu Harishchandra, Indian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1850)

1885 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (b. 1812)

1896 – Thomas W. Knox, American journalist and author (b. 1835)

1905 – George Van Cleaf, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1880)

1913 – Frederick Hitch, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (b. 1856)

1917 – Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch economist and historian (b. 1834)

1918 – Georg Cantor, German mathematician and philosopher (b. 1845)

1919 – Max Heindel, Danish-American astrologer and mystic (b. 1865)

1919 – Theodore Roosevelt, American colonel and politician, 26th President of the United States (b. 1858)

1921 – Devil Anse Hatfield, American guerrilla leader (b. 1839)

1922 – Jakob Rosanes, Ukrainian-German mathematician and chess player (b. 1842)

1928 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and long jumper (b. 1876)

1933 – Vladimir de Pachmann, Ukrainian-German pianist (b. 1848)

1934 – Herbert Chapman, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)

1937 – André Bessette, Canadian saint (b. 1845)

1939 – Gustavs Zemgals, Latvian journalist and politician, 2nd President of Latvia (b. 1871)

1941 – Charley O'Leary, American baseball player and coach (b. 1882)

1942 – Emma Calvé, French soprano and actress (b. 1858)

1942 – Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian businessman, 3rd President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1876)

1944 – Jacques Rosenbaum, Estonian-German architect (b. 1878)

1944 – Ida Tarbell, American journalist, reformer, and educator (b. 1857)

1945 – Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist and chemist (b. 1863)

1949 – Victor Fleming, American director, producer, and cinematographer (b. 1883)

1952 – Sofoklis Dousmanis, Greek admiral and politician (b. 1868)

1966 – Jean Lurçat, French painter (b. 1892)

1972 – Chen Yi, Chinese general and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (b. 1901)

1974 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (b. 1896)

1978 – Burt Munro, New Zealand motorcycle racer (b. 1899)

1980 – Raymond Mays, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1899)

1981 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish physician and author (b. 1896)

1984 – Ernest Laszlo, Hungarian-American cinematographer (b. 1898)

1990 – Ian Charleson, Scottish-English actor (b. 1949)

1990 – Pavel Cherenkov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)

1991 – Ahmed Adnan Saygun, Turkish composer and musicologist (b. 1907)

1993 – Dizzy Gillespie, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (b. 1917)

1993 – Richard Mortensen, Danish painter and educator (b. 1910)

1993 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (b. 1938)

1995 – Joe Slovo, Lithuanian-South African lawyer and politician (b. 1926)

1999 – Michel Petrucciani, French-American pianist (b. 1962)

2000 – Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)

2003 – Hirini Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1949)

2004 – Pierre Charles, Dominican educator and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)

2004 – Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (b. 1921)

2005 – Eileen Desmond, Irish civil servant and politician, 12th Irish Minister for Health (b. 1932)

2005 – Lois Hole, Canadian academic and politician, 15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1929)

2005 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (b. 1933)

2005 – Louis Robichaud, Canadian lawyer and politician, 25th Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1925)

2006 – Lou Rawls, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)

2006 – Hugh Thompson, Jr., American soldier and pilot (b. 1943)

2007 – Mario Danelo, American football player (b. 1985)

2007 – Sneaky Pete Kleinow, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1934)

2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, American political scientist, historian, and academic (b. 1912)

2009 – Ron Asheton, American guitarist, songwriter, and actor (b. 1948)

2011 – Uche Okafor, Nigerian footballer, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1967)

2012 – Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist and engineer (b. 1938)

2012 – John Celardo, American illustrator (b. 1918)

2012 – Bob Holness, South African-English radio and television host (b. 1928)

2012 – Spike Pola, Australian footballer and soldier (b. 1914)

2013 – Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistani scholar and politician (b. 1938)

2013 – Ruth Carter Stevenson, American art collector, founded the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (b. 1923)

2013 – Gerard Helders, Dutch jurist and politician (b. 1905)

2013 – John Ingram, American lawyer and politician (b. 1929)

2013 – Cho Sung-min, South Korean baseball player (b. 1973)

2014 – Bob Bolen, American businessman and politician (b. 1926)

2014 – Marina Ginestà, French Resistance soldier and photographer (b. 1919)

2014 – Nelson Ned, Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)

2014 – Julian Rotter, American psychologist and academic (b. 1916)

2015 – Arthur Jackson, American lieutenant and target shooter (b. 1918)

2015 – Basil John Mason, English meteorologist and academic (b. 1923)

2016 – Pat Harrington, Jr., American actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)

2016 – Florence King, American journalist and author (b. 1936)

2016 – Christy O'Connor Jnr, Irish golfer and architect (b. 1948)

2016 – Silvana Pampanini, Italian model, actress, and director, Miss Italy 1946 (b. 1925)

2016 – Ioannis Petridis, Greek politician (b. 1931)

2017 – Octavio Lepage, Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela (b. 1923)

2017 – Om Puri, Indian actor (b. 1950)

2017 – Tilikum, American-held orca (b. ca. 1981)

Holidays and observances

Armed Forces Day (Iraq)

Christian Feast day:

André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church)

January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances:

Befana Day (Italy)

Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)

Christmas Eve (Russia)

Christmas Eve (Ukraine)

Christmas Eve (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Christmas Eve (Republic of Macedonia)

Little Christmas (Ireland)

Þrettándinn (Iceland)

Three Wise Men Day

Pathet Lao Day (Laos)