Events That Happened on January 1

14 people are killed and 35 others injured during a vehicle-ramming and shooting attack in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A 7.5 Mww  earthquake strikes the western coast of Japan, killing more than 500 people and injuring over 1,000 others. A majority of direct deaths were due to collapsed homes.

Disney's copyright protection on Steamboat Willie and the original Mickey Mouse expires as they enter the public domain.

Artsakh ceases to exist.

Croatia officially adopts the Euro, becoming the 20th Eurozone country, and becomes the 27th member of the Schengen Area.

An attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, during New Year's celebrations, kills 39 people and injures 79 others.

The Eurasian Economic Union comes into effect, creating a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

At least 60 people are killed and 200 injured in a stampede after celebrations at Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

A bomb explodes as Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, leave a new year service, killing 23 people.

Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the 17th Eurozone country.

A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more.

Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bulgaria and Romania join the EU.

Adam Air Flight 574 breaks apart in mid-air and crashes near the Makassar Strait, Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board.

In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2007.

Greece adopts the Euro, becoming the 12th Eurozone country.

The Euro currency is introduced in 11 member nations of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden).

Following a currency reform, Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.

Argentinian physicist Juan Maldacena publishes a landmark paper initiating the study of AdS/CFT correspondence, which links string theory and quantum gravity.

The World Trade Organization comes into being.

The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves.

Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU.

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into effect.

Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.

David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's first black mayor.

The Montreal Protocol comes into force, stopping the use of chemicals contributing to ozone depletion.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America comes into existence, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.

The Isleta Pueblo tribe elect Verna Williamson to be their first female governor.

The first British mobile phone call is made by Michael Harrison to his father Sir Ernest Harrison, chairman of Vodafone.

Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 crashes into Mount Illimani in Bolivia, killing all 29 aboard.

The original American Telephone & Telegraph Company is divested of its 22 Bell System companies as a result of the settlement of the 1974 United States Department of Justice antitrust suit against AT&T.

Brunei becomes independent of the United Kingdom.

The ARPANET officially changes to using TCP/IP, the Internet Protocol, effectively creating the Internet.

Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar becomes the first Latin American to hold the title of Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Greece is admitted into the European Community.

the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and Taiwan Relations Act enter into force. Through the Communiqué, the United States establishes normal diplomatic relations with China. Through the Act, the United States guarantees military support for Taiwan.

Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashes into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Bombay, India, due to instrument failure, spatial disorientation, and pilot error, killing all 213 people on board.

A bomb explodes on board Middle East Airlines Flight 438 over Qaisumah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 81 people on board.

Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom are admitted into the European Economic Community.

Cigarette advertisements are banned on American television.

The defined beginning of Unix time, at 00:00:00.

The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is divided into the independent republics of Zambia and Malawi, and the British-controlled Rhodesia.

Western Samoa achieves independence from New Zealand; its name is changed to the Independent State of Western Samoa.

Cameroon achieves independence from France and the United Kingdom.

Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces.

The European Economic Community is established.

George Town, Penang, is made a city by a royal charter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Lèse majesté in Thailand is strengthened to include "insult" and changed to a crime against national security, after the Thai criminal code of 1956 went into effect.: 6, 18

Sudan achieves independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.

United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.

The British railway network is nationalized to form British Railways.

Cold War: The American and British occupation zones in Allied-occupied Germany, after World War II, merge to form the Bizone, which later (with the French zone) became part of West Germany.

The Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 comes into effect, converting British subjects into Canadian citizens. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.

World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches Operation Bodenplatte, a massive, but failed, attempt to knock out Allied air power in northern Europe in a single blow.

The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.

Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay becomes a United States federal prison.

A "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring" comes into effect in Nazi Germany.

The United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth.

The former municipalities of Point Grey, British Columbia and South Vancouver, British Columbia are amalgamated into Vancouver.

Boris Bazhanov defects through Iran to seek asylum in France. He is the only member of Joseph Stalin's secretariat to have defected from the Soviet Union.

New Mexican oil legislation goes into effect, leading to the formal outbreak of the Cristero War.

Britain's Railways are grouped into the Big Four: LNER, GWR, SR, and LMS.

The SPT Airboat Line becomes the world's first scheduled airline to use a winged aircraft.

The Republic of China is established.

Captain David Beatty is promoted to rear admiral, and becomes the youngest admiral in the Royal Navy (except for royal family members) since Horatio Nelson.

The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Stanford, is held in Pasadena, California.

The Southern Nigeria Protectorate is established within the British Empire.

The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton is appointed the first Prime Minister.

Nigeria becomes a British protectorate with Frederick Lugard as high commissioner.

Spanish rule ends in Cuba.

New York, New York annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, are joined on January 25 by Staten Island to create the modern city of five boroughs.

Ellis Island begins processing immigrants into the United States.

Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government.

Twenty-five nations adopt Sandford Fleming's proposal for standard time (and also, time zones).

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India.

American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation takes effect in Confederate territory.

Liberal forces supporting Benito Juárez enter Mexico City.

The first Polish postage stamp is issued, replacing the Russian stamps previously in use.

The world's first "Mercy" Hospital is founded in Pittsburgh, United States, by a group of Sisters of Mercy from Ireland; the name will go on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.

The Philippines moves its national calendar to align with other Asian countries' calendars by skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. The change has been ordered by Governor–General Narciso Claveria to reform the country's calendar so that it aligns with the rest of Asia. Its territory has been one day behind the rest of Asia for 323 years since the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines on March 16, 1521.

Most of Germany forms the Zollverein customs union, the first such union between sovereign states.

The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (anonymously) publishes the pioneering work of science fiction, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, in London.

Major-General Lachlan Macquarie officially becomes Governor of New South Wales.

The United States bans the importation of slaves.

The French Republican Calendar is abolished.

French rule ends in Haiti. Haiti becomes the first black-majority republic and second independent country in North America after the United States.

The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland is completed, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is proclaimed.

Ceres, the largest and first known object in the Asteroid belt, is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi.

The first edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, is published.

American Revolutionary War: One thousand five hundred soldiers of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment under General Anthony Wayne's command rebel against the Continental Army's winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey in the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781.

American Revolutionary War: Burning of Norfolk – Norfolk, Virginia, is burned to the ground by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action.

General George Washington hoists the first United States flag, the Continental Union Flag, at Prospect Hill.

The hymn that becomes known as "Amazing Grace", previously titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17, Faith's Review and Expectation", is first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.

The first traveler's cheques, which could be used in 90 European cities, are issued by the London Credit Exchange Company.

Bouvet Island, the world's remotest island, is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier.

J. S. Bach leads the first performance of his chorale cantata Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41, which features the trumpet fanfares from the beginning also in the end.

John V is proclaimed King of Portugal and the Algarves in Lisbon.

Russia begins using the Anno Domini era instead of the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire.

Charles II is crowned King of Scotland at Scone Palace.

The Masque of Indian and China Knights is performed by courtiers of James VI and I at Hampton Court.

Scotland recognises January 1 as the start of the year, instead of March 25.

Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria as King of Croatia in the 1527 election in Cetin.

Twenty-year-old Francis, Duke of Brittany, succeeds to the French throne following the death of his father-in-law, Louis XII.

The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is first explored by the Portuguese.

Albert II of Habsburg is crowned King of Hungary.

Michael VIII Palaiologos is proclaimed co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea with his ward John IV Laskaris.

Romanos IV Diogenes marries Eudokia Makrembolitissa and is crowned Byzantine Emperor.

Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Sylvester II (probable).

Emperor Taizong of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty captures Daliang, ending the dynasty and empire of the Later Jin.

Emperor Honorius forces Galla Placidia into marriage to Constantius, his famous general (magister militum) (probable).

Saint Telemachus tries to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheatre, and is stoned to death by the crowd. This act impresses the Christian Emperor Honorius, who issues a historic ban on gladiatorial fights.

The Senate chooses Pertinax against his will to succeed Commodus as Roman emperor.

The Roman Senate posthumously deifies Julius Caesar.

The Julian calendar takes effect as the civil calendar of the Roman Republic, establishing January 1 as the new date of the new year.

For the first time, Roman consuls begin their year in office on January 1.

Ian Subiabre, Argentine footballer

Lamine Camara, Senegalese footballer

Daria Trubnikova, Russian rhythmic gymnast

Simon Adingra, Ivorian footballer

Angourie Rice, Australian actress

Winter, South Korean singer

Nicolas Kühn, German footballer

Ice Spice, American rapper

Tomás Chancalay, Argentine footballer

Azmy Qowimuramadhoni, Indonesian-Azerbaijani badminton player

Cristina Bucșa, Moldovan-Spanish tennis player

Edwuin Cetré, Colombian footballer

Enock Mwepu, Zambian footballer

Frank Onyeka, Nigerian footballer

Noah Kahan, American singer-songwriter

Keegan Hipgrave, Australian rugby league player

Gonzalo Montiel, Argentine footballer

Andreas Pereira, Brazilian footballer

Mahmoud Dahoud, German footballer

Mathias Jensen, Danish footballer

Sardar Azmoun, Iranian footballer

Poppy, American singer and YouTube personality

Brendan Elliot, Australian rugby league player

LaMonte Wade Jr., American baseball player

Larry Nance Jr., American basketball player

Abdoulaye Doucouré, Malian footballer

Nathaniel Peteru, New Zealand rugby league player

Shane Duffy, Irish footballer

Glen Rice Jr., American basketball player

Darius Slay, American football player

Xavier Su'a-Filo, American football player

Julia Glushko, Israeli tennis player

Ali Maâloul, Tunisian football player

Jason Pierre-Paul, American football player

Marcel Gecov, Czech footballer

Dallas Keuchel, American baseball player

Gilbert Brulé, Canadian ice hockey player

Meryl Davis, American ice dancer

Patric Hörnqvist, Swedish ice hockey player

Pablo Cuevas, Uruguayan tennis player

Glen Davis, American basketball player

Colin Morgan, Northern Irish actor

Lee Sung-min, South Korean singer

Jeff Carter, Canadian ice hockey player

Steven Davis, Northern Irish footballer

Kenoh, Japanese professional wrestler

Tiago Splitter, Brazilian basketball player

Paolo Guerrero, Peruvian footballer

Fernando San Emeterio, Spanish basketball player

Michael Witt, Australian rugby league player

Calum Davenport, English footballer

Park Sung-hyun, South Korean archer

Egidio Arévalo, Uruguayan footballer

David Nalbandian, Argentine tennis player

Jonas Armstrong, Irish-English actor

Zsolt Baumgartner, Hungarian racing driver

Mladen Petrić, Croatian footballer

Eden Riegel, American actress

Elin Nordegren, Swedish-American model

Vidya Balan, Indian actress

Tank, American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor

Chris Anstey, Australian basketball player and coach

Joe Cannon, American soccer player and sportscaster

Becky Kellar-Duke, Canadian ice hockey player

Fernando Tatís, Dominican baseball player

Christian Paradis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 9th Canadian Minister of Industry

Lilian Thuram, French footballer

Sammie Henson, American wrestler and coach

Bobby Holík, Czech-American ice hockey player and coach

Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Indian politician

Sergei Kiriakov, Russian footballer and coach

Morris Chestnut, American actor

Verne Troyer, American actor (died 2018)

Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer

Tawera Nikau, New Zealand rugby league player

Anna Burke, Australian businesswoman and politician, 28th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives

Ivica Dačić, Serbian journalist and politician, 95th Prime Minister of Serbia

Tihomir Orešković, Croatian–Canadian businessman, 11th Prime Minister of Croatia

Dedee Pfeiffer, American actress

Jean-Marc Gounon, French racing driver

Anton Muscatelli, Italian-Scottish economist and academic

Sam Backo, Australian rugby league player

Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghan colonel, pilot, and astronaut

Azali Assoumani, Comorian colonel and politician, President of the Comoros

Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball player and coach

Adrian Hall, English director and former actor

Grandmaster Flash, Barbadian rapper and DJ

Dave Silk, American ice hockey player

Evangelos Venizelos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece

Sergei Avdeyev, Russian engineer and astronaut

Royce Ayliffe, Australian rugby league player

Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and politician; Managing Director, International Monetary Fund

Mike Mitchell, American basketball player (died 2011)

Martin Plaza, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist

Mary Beard, English classicist, academic and presenter

LaMarr Hoyt, American baseball player (died 2021)

Richard Edson, American actor

Bob Menendez, American lawyer and politician

Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet and critic (died 2012)

Yannis Papathanasiou, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Finance

Gary Johnson, American businessman and politician, 29th Governor of New Mexico

Shaji N. Karun, Indian director and cinematographer

Wayne Bennett, Australian rugby league player and coach

Tony Currie, English footballer

Borys Tarasyuk, Ukrainian politician and diplomat

Devlet Bahçeli, Turkish economist, academic, and politician, 57th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey

Pavel Grachev, Russian general and politician, 1st Russian Minister of Defence (died 2012)

Dick Quax, New Zealand runner and politician (died 2018)

Jon Corzine, American sergeant and politician, 54th Governor of New Jersey

Rivellino, Brazilian footballer and manager

Claude Steele, American social psychologist and academic

Victor Ashe, American politician and former United States Ambassador to Poland

Jacky Ickx, Belgian racing driver

Jimmy Jones, American basketball player

Barry Beath, Australian rugby league player

Jimmy Hart, American professional wrestling manager

Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Pakistani field hockey player and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan (died 2020)

Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (died 2013)

Mati Unt, Estonian author, playwright, and director (died 2005)

Tony Knowles, American soldier and politician, 7th Governor of Alaska

Don Novello, American comedian, screenwriter and producer

Vladimir Šeks, Croatian lawyer and politician, 16th Speaker of the Croatian Parliament

Dennis Archer, American lawyer and politician, 67th Mayor of Detroit

Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn, English dentist and politician

Country Joe McDonald, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Alassane Ouattara, Ivorian economist and politician, President of the Ivory Coast

Gennadi Sarafanov, Russian pilot and cosmonaut (died 2005)

Michèle Mercier, French actress

Phil Read, English motorcycle racer and businessman (died 2022)

Senfronia Thompson, American politician

Younoussi Touré, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali (died 2022)

Frank Langella, American actor

James Sinegal, American businessman, co-founded Costco

Om Prakash Chautala, Indian politician (died 2024)

Alan Berg, American lawyer and radio host (died 1984)

Lakhdar Brahimi, Algerian politician, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs

James Hormel, American philanthropist and diplomat (died 2021)

Joe Orton, English dramatist (died 1967)

Giuseppe Patanè, Italian conductor (died 1989)

Ty Hardin, American actor (died 2017)

Frederick Wiseman, American director and producer

Larry L. King, American journalist, author, and playwright (died 2012)

Haruo Nakajima, Japanese actor and stuntman, portrayed Godzilla from 1954 to 1972 (died 2017)

Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (died 1984)

Gerhard Weinberg, German-American historian, author, and academic

Maurice Béjart, French-Swiss dancer, choreographer, and director (died 2007)

James Reeb, American clergyman and political activist (died 1965)

Vernon L. Smith, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Doak Walker, American football player and businessman (died 1998)

Kazys Petkevičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (died 2008)

Matthew Beard, American child actor (died 1981)

Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (died 2005)

Francisco Macías Nguema, Equatorial Guinean politician, 1st President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (died 1979)

Barbara Baxley, American actress (died 1990)

Valentina Cortese, Italian actress (died 2019)

Milt Jackson, American jazz vibraphonist and composer (died 1999)

Ernest Hollings, American soldier and politician, 106th Governor of South Carolina (died 2019)

Ismail al-Faruqi, Palestinian-American philosopher and academic (died 1986)

César Baldaccini, French sculptor and academic (died 1998)

Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (died 2013)

Johnny Logan, American basketball player (died 1977)

Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist (died 2007)

Rocky Graziano, American boxer and actor (died 1990)

Carole Landis, American actress (died 1948)

Sheila Mercier, British actress, Emmerdale Farm (died 2019)

Bones McKinney, American basketball player (died 1997)

J. D. Salinger, American soldier and author (died 2010)

Mai Dhai, Pakistani folk singer[citation needed]

Patrick Anthony Porteous, Scottish colonel, Victoria Cross recipient (died 2000)

Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (died 1997)

Shannon Bolin, American actress and singer (died 2016)

Noor Inayat Khan, British SOE agent (died 1944)

Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko, Russian mathematician and historian (died 1995)

Kim Philby, British spy (died 1988)

Nikiforos Vrettakos, Greek poet and academic (died 1991)

Basil Dearden, English director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1971)

Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (died 1986)

Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist and educator (died 2012)

Audrey Wurdemann, American poet and author (died 1960)

Dana Andrews, American actor (died 1992)

Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian soldier and politician (died 1959)

Peggy Dennis, American-Russian journalist, author, and activist (died 1993)

Kinue Hitomi, Japanese sprinter and long jumper (died 1931)

Manuel Silos, Filipino filmmaker and actor (died 1988)

Stanisław Mazur, Ukrainian-Polish mathematician and theorist (died 1981)

Lise Lindbæk, Norwegian journalist and war correspondent (died 1961)

Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th President of Pakistan (died 1982)

Buster Nupen, Norwegian-South African cricketer and lawyer (died 1977)

Hans von Dohnányi, German jurist and political dissident (died 1945)

Chiune Sugihara, Japanese soldier and diplomat (died 1986)

Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American singer-songwriter and actor (died 1990)

Randolfo Pacciardi, centre-left Italian politician (died 1991)

J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement official; 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (died 1972)

Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist and mathematician (died 1974)

Edward Joseph Hunkeler, American clergyman (died 1970)

Mordechai Frizis, Greek colonel (died 1940)

Heinie Miller, American football player and coach (died 1964)

Mahadev Desai, Indian author and activist (died 1942)

Artur Rodziński, Polish-American conductor (died 1958)

Manuel Roxas, Filipino lawyer and politician, 5th President of the Philippines (died 1948)

Sampurnanand, Indian educator and politician, 3rd Governor of Rajasthan (died 1969)

Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and academic (died 1966)

Charles Bickford, American actor (died 1967)

Seabury Quinn, American author (died 1969)

Chesley Bonestell, American painter, designer, and illustrator

John Garand, Canadian-American engineer, designed the M1 Garand rifle (died 1974)

Georgios Stanotas, Greek general (died 1965)

Wilhelm Canaris, German admiral (died 1945)

Chikuhei Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant, engineer, and politician, founded Nakajima Aircraft Company (died 1949)

William J. Donovan, American general, lawyer, and politician (died 1959)

Noe Khomeriki, Georgian Social Democrat politician (died 1924)

E. M. Forster, English author and playwright (died 1970)

William Fox, Hungarian-American screenwriter and producer, founded the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres (died 1952)

Agner Krarup Erlang, Danish mathematician, statistician, and engineer (died 1929)

Alexander von Staël-Holstein, German sinologist and orientalist (died 1937)

Frank Knox, American publisher and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (died 1944)

Gustave Whitehead, German-American pilot and engineer (died 1927)

Mary Acworth Evershed, English astronomer and scholar (died 1949)

Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer and curator (died 1946)

Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (died 1957)

Pierre de Coubertin, French historian and educator, founded the International Olympic Committee (died 1937)

Michele Lega, Italian cardinal (died 1935)

Michael Joseph Owens, American inventor (died 1923)

Thibaw Min, Burmese king (died 1916)

Heinrich Rauchinger, Kraków-born painter (died 1942)

Tim Keefe, American baseball player (died 1933)

James George Frazer, Scottish anthropologist and academic (died 1941)

Thomas Waddell, Irish-Australian politician, 15th Premier of New South Wales (died 1940)

Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, French chemist and academic (died 1904)

John W. Goff, Irish-American lawyer and politician (died 1924)

Ouida, English-Italian author and activist (died 1908)

Ludovic Halévy, French author and playwright (died 1908)

Robert Lawson, Scottish-New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys' High School and Knox Church (died 1902)

Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian poet and activist (died 1849)

Arthur Hugh Clough, English-Italian poet and academic (died 1861)

George Foster Shepley, American general (died 1878)

William Gamble, Irish-born American general (died 1866)

Hong Xiuquan, Chinese rebellion leader and king (died 1864)

George Bliss, American politician (died 1868)

Achille Guenée, French lawyer and entomologist (died 1880)

Lionel Kieseritzky, Estonian-French chess player (died 1853)

Edward Dickinson, American politician and father of poet Emily Dickinson (died 1874)

William Clowes, English publisher (died 1847)

André Marie Constant Duméril, French zoologist and academic (died 1860)

Marie-Louise Lachapelle, French obstetrician (died 1821)

Maria Edgeworth, Anglo-Irish author (died 1849)

Betsy Ross, American seamstress, sewed flags for the Pennsylvania Navy during the Revolutionary War (died 1836)

Anthony Wayne, American general and politician (died 1796)

Paul Revere, American silversmith and engraver (died 1818)

Giovanni Battista Mancini, Italian soprano and author (died 1800)

Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian pastor and poet (died 1780)

Baron Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier (died 1749)

Soame Jenyns, English author, poet, and politician (died 1787)

Arnold Drakenborch, Dutch scholar and author (died 1748)

Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher (died 1728)

Christoph Bernhard, German composer and theorist (died 1692)

Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian and academic (died 1649)

Stephen Bocskay, Prince of Transylvania (died 1606)

Henry, Duke of Cornwall, first-born child of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon (died 1511)

Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss pastor and theologian (died 1531)

Sigismund I the Old, Polish king (died 1548)

Lorenzo de' Medici, Italian politician (died 1492)

Pope Alexander VI (died 1503)

Ali al-Ridha, 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam (died 818)

David Lodge, English author and critic (born 1935)

Chad Morgan, Australian musician (born 1933)

Wayne Osmond, American singer-songwriter and actor (born 1951)

Lynja, American celebrity chef and YouTuber (born 1956)

Fred White, American musician and songwriter (born 1955)

Gary Burgess, British broadcaster and journalist (born 1975)

Dan Reeves, American football player and coach (born 1944)

Carlos do Carmo, Portuguese fado singer (born 1939)

Mark Eden, English actor (born 1928)

Elmira Minita Gordon, Belizean educator and psychologist (born 1930)

Floyd Little, American football player (born 1942)

Lexii Alijai, American rapper (born 1998)

Alexander Frater, British travel writer and journalist (born 1937)

Don Larsen, American baseball player (born 1929)

Barry McDonald, Australian rugby union player (born 1940)

David Stern, American lawyer and businessman (born 1942)

Paul Neville, Australian politician (born 1940)

Pegi Young, American singer, songwriter, environmentalist, educator and philanthropist (born 1952)

George, last known Achatinella apexfulva (born c. 2004)

Robert Mann, American violinist (born 1920)

Jon Paul Steuer, American actor (born 1984)

Tony Atkinson, British economist (born 1944)

Yvon Dupuis, Canadian politician (born 1926)

Fazu Aliyeva, Russian poet and journalist (born 1932)

Dale Bumpers, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 38th Governor of Arkansas (born 1925)

Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-American cinematographer and producer (born 1930)

Ulrich Beck, German sociologist (born 1944)

Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (born 1932)

Donna Douglas, American actress (born 1932)

Omar Karami, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 58th Prime Minister of Lebanon (born 1934)

Boris Morukov, Russian physician and astronaut (born 1950)

William Lloyd Standish, United States District Judge (born 1930)

Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japanese monk and educator (born 1910)

William Mgimwa, Tanzanian banker and politician, 13th Tanzanian Minister of Finance (born 1950)

Juanita Moore, American actress (born 1914)

Christopher Martin-Jenkins, English journalist (born 1945)

Patti Page, American singer and actress (born 1927)

Bob Anderson, English fencer (born 1922)

Kiro Gligorov, Macedonian lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (born 1917)

Nay Win Maung, Burmese physician, businessman, and activist (born 1962)

Tommy Mont, American football player and coach (born 1922)

Lhasa de Sela, American-Mexican singer-songwriter (born 1972)

Claiborne Pell, American politician (born 1918)

Helen Suzman, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician (born 1917)

Pratap Chandra Chunder, Indian educator and politician (born 1919)

Roland Levinsky, South African-English biochemist and academic (born 1943)

Tillie Olsen, American short story writer (born 1912)

Darrent Williams, American football player (born 1982)

Harry Magdoff, American economist and journalist (born 1913)

Shirley Chisholm, American educator and politician (born 1924)

Ngo Van, Vietnamese revolutionary (born 1913)

Joe Foss, American soldier, pilot, and politician, 20th Governor of South Dakota (born 1915)

Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (born 1944)

Ray Walston, American actor (born 1914)

Helen Wills, American tennis player and coach (born 1905)

Townes Van Zandt, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1944)

Arleigh Burke, American admiral (born 1901)

Arthur Rudolph, German-American engineer (born 1906)

Eugene Wigner, Hungarian-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902)

Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, New Zealand physician and politician, 11th Governor-General of New Zealand (born 1900)

Cesar Romero, American actor (born 1907)

Edward Arthur Thompson, Irish historian and academic (born 1914)

Grace Hopper, American computer scientist and admiral, co-developed COBOL (born 1906)

Clementine Hunter, American folk artist (born 1886 or 1887)

Alexis Korner, French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1928)

Joaquín Rodríguez Ortega, known as "Cagancho", Spanish bullfighter (born 1903)

Victor Buono, American actor (born 1938)

Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Australian pianist (born 1920)

Pietro Nenni, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1891)

Carle Hessay, German-Canadian painter (born 1911)

Roland Hayes, American lyric tenor and composer (born 1887)

Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (born 1888)

Amphilochius of Pochayiv, Ukrainian saint (born 1894)

Barton MacLane, American actor, playwright and screenwriter (born 1902)

Vincent Auriol, French journalist and politician, 16th President of the French Republic (born 1884)

Alastair Denniston, Scottish cryptologist (born 1881)

Margaret Sullavan, American actress (born 1909)

Edward Weston, American photographer (born 1886)

Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Indian colloid chemist, academic, and scientific administrator (born 1894)

Arthur C. Parker, American archaeologist and historian (born 1881)

Duff Cooper, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1890)

Leonard Bacon, American poet and critic (born 1887)

Hank Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1923)

Edwin Lutyens, English architect, designed the Castle Drogo and Thiepval Memorial (born 1869)

Charles Turner, Australian cricketer (born 1862)

Jenő Rejtő, Hungarian journalist (born 1905)

Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian author and educator (born 1865)

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Indian religious leader, founded the Gaudiya Math (born 1874)

Martinus Beijerinck, Dutch microbiologist and botanist (born 1851)

Mustafa Necati, Turkish civil servant and politician, Turkish Minister of Environment and Urban Planning (born 1894)

Loie Fuller, American dancer (born 1862)

Willie Keeler, American baseball player (born 1872)

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, German lawyer and politician, 5th Chancellor of Germany (born 1856)

William Wilfred Campbell, Canadian poet and author (born 1858)

Hugh Nelson, Scottish-Australian farmer and politician, 11th Premier of Queensland (born 1833)

Ignatius L. Donnelly, American politician and promoter of pseudoscience and pseudohistory (born 1831)

Alfred Ely Beach, American publisher and lawyer, created the Beach Pneumatic Transit (born 1826)

Heinrich Hertz, German physicist and academic (born 1857)

Roswell B. Mason, American lawyer and politician, 25th Mayor of Chicago (born 1805)

Louis Auguste Blanqui, French activist (born 1805)

Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Ukrainian mathematician and physicist (born 1801)

Gregory Blaxland, Australian farmer and explorer (born 1778)

John Torrington, English sailor and explorer (born 1825)

Martin Heinrich Klaproth, German chemist and academic (born 1743)

Francesco Guardi, Italian painter and educator (born 1712)

Fletcher Norton, 1st Baron Grantley, English lawyer and politician, British Speaker of the House of Commons (born 1716)

Johann Christian Bach, German composer (born 1735)

Johann Ludwig Krebs, German organist and composer (born 1713)

James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite pretender (born 1688)

Johann Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and academic (born 1667)

William Wycherley, English playwright and poet (born 1641)

Filippo Baldinucci, Florentine historian and author (born 1625)

Hendrik Goltzius, Dutch painter and illustrator (born 1558)

Joachim du Bellay, French poet and critic (born 1522)

Christian III, king of Denmark (born 1503)

Louis XII, king of France (born 1462)

Charles d'Orléans, count of Angoulême (born 1459)

Charles II, king of Navarre (born 1332)

Haakon III, king of Norway (born 1182)

Henry of Marcy, Cistercian abbot (born c. 1136)

William of Volpiano, Italian abbot (born 962)

Ramiro II, king of León and Galicia

Odo I, Frankish king (born 860)

Telemachus, Christian monk and martyr

Lucius Aelius, adopted son and intended successor of Hadrian (born 101)

Christian feast day: Basil the Great (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Christian feast day: Feast of the Circumcision of Christ Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)

Christian feast day: Fulgentius of Ruspe

Christian feast day: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; and its related observances: World Day of Peace

Christian feast day: January 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The last day of Kwanzaa (African Americans)

The eighth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)

Global Family Day

Jump-up Day (Montserrat)

New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar) Japanese New Year

New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar) Novy God Day (Russia)

Polar Bear Swim Day

Public Domain Day (multiple countries)

Triumph of the Revolution (Cuba)