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January 31

On This Day in History

January 31

January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 334 days remain until the end of the year (335 in leap years).

Lottery News On This Day

2026: 80-year-old UK man's £2.4 million lottery win bankrolled drug empire. An elderly lottery winner was jailed after using a £2.4 million (US$3.3 million) windfall to build a £288 million (US$394 million) drug empire.
2025: Text from colleague prompts California man to discover he won $1.2 million Mega Millions prize. A casual text message conversation between co-workers prompted a California man to check the results of a Mega Millions lottery drawing, only to discover he had won $1.2 million.
2023: Canadian lottery player wins twice in two months. A twice-lucky lottery player in Ontario won two major prizes in two months.
2022: Eddie Tipton released from prison on parole. Lottery rigging mastermind Eddie Tipton has been released on parole after serving a prison sentence for 4½ years.
2019: Identical winning numbers crop up in hundreds of U.S. lotteries. Are the drawings really random?. America's popular and lucrative lottery drawings, in which computers randomly select numbers that turn a lucky few into instant millionaires, may not be as random as they seem.
2018: Georgia bill would allow lottery winners to remain anonymous — for a price. The Georgia Senate's higher education committee voted in favor Tuesday of allowing a bill to move forward that would allow lottery winners to remain anonymous — but they would have to pay for that privacy.
2017: $4.5 million Hoosier Lotto winning ticket set to expire. A lottery ticket worth $4.5 million bought at an Indianapolis grocery store last August is set to expire in two weeks.
2015: Pa. Lottery drawings go on Thursday despite machine malfunctions. Technical difficulties wreaked havoc with Thursday evening's Pennsylvania Lottery drawings, forcing the Pick 4 and Pick 5 drawings to occur after the telecast ended.
2014: Wyoming Lottery unveils logo. Meet YoLo the Jackalope, the face of the Wyoming Lottery Corporation.
2014: 6 South Floridians become lottery millionaires in January. South Floridians racked up twice as many millionaires this January as can normally be counted on in the southern part of the Sunshine State.
2013: NC lottery bill won't ban welfare recipient sales. A key North Carolina House leader says a bill he's drawing up about the North Carolina state lottery won't include a provision prohibiting ticket sales to people receiving public assistance or who are in bankruptcy.
2011: 2010 Lottery Results Almanac Published. The latest edition of Lottery Post's highly-regarded lottery results reference book officially went on sale today.
2010: Mega Millions, Powerball lottery ticket cross-sales begins today. Today marks the first time both of the USA's huge multi-state lottery games can be purchased within the same state.
2007: Company running most lottery games worldwide has history of scandal. The company behind the more than 16,000 machines that spit out New York Lottery tickets has been linked to scandals across the country and around the globe.
2007: Successful lottery winners don't change too much. Financial planners say the most common mistake made by lottery winners is not understanding their financial limitations.
2007: Nationwide, lotteries struggle to stay competitive. Lotteries across the country are struggling to remain competitive, retaining their players while increasing their bottom lines.
2007: N.Y. Lottery: We've got a game for you. Whether you're looking for instant gratification or prefer to dream big with millions in the bank, the New York Lottery has a game for you.
2007: Lottery tickets prove a popular gift. More and more people are giving lottery tickets as holiday gifts, using tickets as raffle prizes, or buying in bulk with co-workers to improve their odds for big winnings.
2007: Meet Yolanda Vega, the lottery queen. One of the most famous names in New York started out as a bookkeeper in Brooklyn. Little did Yolanda Antequera know that one day, she would be introducing herself nightly as "Yolannnn daVegaaaa," the most well-known spokeswoman for the New York Lottery.
2007: Lottery foes try to restrict gambling, with little success. Some New York lawmakers want the state to tell lottery-ticket buyers how slim the odds are of winning, and raise the gambling age from 18 to 21 to try to discourage gambling sprees.
2007: Nationwide, lotteries pay for far more than education. Revenues generated by state lotteries across the United States are used toward a variety of good causes, not just education.
2006: Lottery Post member turns up the heat on the Hoosier Lottery. Lottery Post member Jim Grimes, a retired Noble County engineer, helped spark an investigation that led to three indictments in an alleged million-dollar scam.
2006: Ex-lottery employee claims bias complaint led to firing. A former Texas Lottery employee who was fired in June shortly after receiving an excellent performance evaluation has sued the $3.5 billion agency, claiming she was fired because she complained about "national origin discrimination."
2006: N.C. Lottery accepts bids for $8 million ad contract. Four North Carolina agencies submitted proposals for the advertising contract on the state's new $8 million lottery account, the lottery said.
2006: Penn. woman Loses $20,000 In Jamaican Lottery Scam. A Bethlehem woman was defrauded of nearly $20,000 throughout January after she was led to believe she'd won the Jamaican lottery.
2006: N.C. Lottery Commission Awards Vendor Contracts. The North Carolina Education Lottery Commission awarded contracts for both instant-win tickets and lotto-style games to GTECH Holdings Corp. on Monday. The deals were estimated to be worth $19.2 million in the first year alone.
2005: Record lottery winner's wealth cost him dearly. When West Virginian Jack Whittaker won a $314 million Powerball jackpot on Christmas Day 2002, his life would be changed forever -- in both good and bad ways.
2005: Mega Millions lottery jackpot increases to $25 million. The jackpot in the multistate Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $25 million Friday.
2005: $3.8 million Michigan lottery ticket unclaimed after 9 months. Michigan lottery officials are concerned that a $3.8 million winning lottery ticket purchased at Tania's Pizza and party store in Royal Oak on April 9 soon may become a loser.
2004: $70 million Texas Lotto ticket sold in Houston. One ticket matching all 5 numbers and the bonus ball was sold for the Saturday Texas Lotto drawing worth $70 million.
2004: Colorado lottery official retires amid controversy. George Turner, one of the most powerful bureaucrats at the Colorado Department of Revenue, who for years oversaw the state's lottery and casino industry, abruptly retired a week after facing questions about whether he had offered immunity from prosecution to three gambling regulators who worked under him.
2004: Mega Millions jackpot increases to $85 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $85 million Saturday.

Top 25 Lottery Jackpots On This Day

1.$646.1 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2023
2.€360.07 Million US$390.71 Million: Italy
SuperEnalotto
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2023
3.$333 Million: Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Feb 2, 2024
4.$323 Million: Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Feb 3, 2026
5.$285.8 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2015
6.€183 Million US$220.88 Million: Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Feb 3, 2006
7.$206 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2017
8.$194 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2014
9.$191 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 2, 2019
10.$187.9 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2024
11.$176 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 2, 2013
12.$170 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2012
13.€148.88 Million
US$167.66 Million: Italy
SuperEnalotto
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2022
14.$156 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2006
15.$155 Million: Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2020
16.€120 Million
US$137.51 Million: Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2019
17.€100 Million
US$136.73 Million: Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Feb 5, 2010
18.€114.13 Million
US$135.32 Million: Italy
SuperEnalotto
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2026
19.€108 Million
US$134.67 Million: Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Feb 2, 2018
20.$127 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2018
21.$125 Million: Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2019
22.€100.6 Million
US$121.14 Million: Italy
SuperEnalotto
Draw Date
Feb 2, 2021
23.€107.47 Million
US$116.61 Million: Multi-Country
EuroJackpot
Draw Date
Jan 31, 2023
24.€93.05 Million
US$116.01 Million: Italy
SuperEnalotto
Draw Date
Feb 1, 2018
25.$115 Million: Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Feb 3, 2010

Lottery Post Member Birthdays On This Day

1987: Lunaesmeralda
Saturday, Jan 31, 1987
39 years old
1986: Serious305
Friday, Jan 31, 1986
40 years old
1981: Pooh$
Saturday, Jan 31, 1981
45 years old
1978: Andreaxxx
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1978
48 years old
1977: Bran77
Monday, Jan 31, 1977
49 years old
1973: angel4u2luv36
Wednesday, Jan 31, 1973
53 years old
1973: BlessedTan73
Wednesday, Jan 31, 1973
53 years old
1971: mycashflows
Sunday, Jan 31, 1971
55 years old
1971: Brooklynboy140
Sunday, Jan 31, 1971
55 years old
1967: frmurphy
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1967
59 years old
1965: abates
Sunday, Jan 31, 1965
61 years old
1961: bdf4030
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1961
65 years old
1961: Climax1961
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1961
65 years old
1957: jhnby333
Thursday, Jan 31, 1957
69 years old
1956: qrsron
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1956
70 years old
1950: ladydarlee
Tuesday, Jan 31, 1950
76 years old
1937: CHADNJ1
Sunday, Jan 31, 1937
89 years old
: iamPACmomx3
(year not provided)
: jerseygirl
(year not provided)
: kirklund111
(year not provided)

Worldwide Events On This Day

2025: Med Jets Flight 056 crashes near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, killing 8 people and injuring 23.
2023: The last Boeing 747, the first wide-body airliner, is delivered to Atlas Air and operated for ApexLogistics. The aircraft was registered as N863GT and named "Empower"
2022: Sue Gray, a senior civil servant in the United Kingdom, publishes an initial version of her report on the Downing Street Partygate controversy.
2020: The United Kingdom's membership within the European Union ceases in accordance with Article 50, after 47 years of being a member state.
2019: Abdullah of Pahang is sworn in as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
2009: At least 113 people are killed in Kenya and over 200 injured following an oil spillage ignition in Molo, days after a massive fire at a Nakumatt supermarket in Nairobi killed at least 25 people.
2007: Emergency officials in Boston mistakenly identified battery-powered LED placards depicting characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force as Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing a panic.
2003: The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
2001: In the Netherlands, a Scottish court convicts Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and acquits another Libyan citizen for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
2001: Two Japan Airlines planes nearly collide over Suruga Bay in Japan.
2000: Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash: An MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 aboard.
1996: An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo, killing at least 86 people and injuring 1,400.
1988: Doug Williams becomes the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl and leads the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII.
1978: The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) goes on public display after being returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II.
1971: Apollo program: Apollo 14: Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.
1971: The Winter Soldier Investigation, organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War to publicize alleged war crimes and atrocities by Americans and allies in Vietnam, begins in Detroit.
1968: Vietnam War: Viet Cong guerrillas attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
1966: The Soviet Union launches the unmanned Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the Luna program.
1961: Project Mercury: Mercury-Redstone 2: The chimpanzee Ham travels into outer space.
1958: Cold War: Space Race: The Explorer 1, the first successful American satellite, detects the Van Allen radiation belt.
1957: Eight people (five total crew from two aircraft and three on the ground) in Pacoima, California are killed following the mid-air collision between a Douglas DC-7 airliner and a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet.
1953: A North Sea flood causes over 1,800 deaths in the Netherlands and over 300 in the United Kingdom.
1951: United Nations Security Council Resolution 90 relating to the Korean War is adopted.
1949: These Are My Children, the first television daytime soap opera, is broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago, United States.
1946: Cold War: Yugoslavia's new constitution, modeling that of the Soviet Union, establishes six constituent republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
1946: The Democratic Republic of Vietnam introduces the đồng to replace the French Indochinese piastre at par.
1945: US Army private Eddie Slovik is executed for desertion, the first such execution of an American soldier since the Civil War.
1945: World War II: About 3,000 inmates from the Stutthof concentration camp are forcibly marched into the Baltic Sea at Palmnicken (now Yantarny, Russia) and executed.
1945: World War II: The end of fighting in the Battle of Hill 170 during the Burma Campaign, in which the British 3 Commando Brigade repulsed a Japanese counterattack on their positions and precipitated a general retirement from the Arakan Peninsula.
1944: World War II: American forces land on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
1944: World War II: During the Anzio campaign, the 1st Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) is destroyed behind enemy lines in a heavily outnumbered encounter at Battle of Cisterna, Italy.
1943: World War II: German field marshal Friedrich Paulus surrenders to the Soviets at Stalingrad, followed two days later by the remainder of his Sixth Army, ending one of the war's fiercest battles.
1942: World War II: Allied forces are defeated by the Japanese at the Battle of Malaya and retreat to Singapore.
1928: Leon Trotsky is exiled to Alma-Ata.
1919: The Battle of George Square takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, during a campaign for shorter working hours.
1918: A series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night leads to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines with over a hundred lives, and damage to another five British warships.
1918: Finnish Civil War: The Suinula massacre, which changes the nature of the war in a more hostile direction, takes place in Kangasala.
1917: World War I: Kaiser Wilhelm II orders the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1915: World War I: Germany is the first to make large-scale use of poison gas in warfare in the Battle of Bolimów against Russia.
1901: Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters premieres at Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.
1900: Datu Muhammad Salleh is killed in Kampung Teboh, Tambunan, ending the Mat Salleh Rebellion.
1891: History of Portugal: The first attempt at a Portuguese republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto.
1865: American Civil War: The United States Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery, and submits it to the states for ratification.
1865: American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee becomes general-in-chief of all Confederate armies.
1862: Alvan Graham Clark discovers the white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of Sirius, through an 18.5-inch (47 cm) telescope now located at Northwestern University.
1848: John C. Frémont is court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders.
1846: After the Milwaukee Bridge War, the United States towns of Juneautown and Kilbourntown unify to create the City of Milwaukee.
1814: Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).
1747: The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
1703: Forty-seven rōnin, under the command of Ōishi Kuranosuke, avenged the death of their master, by killing Kira Yoshinaka.
1609: Wisselbank of Amsterdam established
1606: Gunpowder Plot: Four of the conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, are executed for treason by hanging, drawing and quartering, for plotting against Parliament and King James.
1578: Eighty Years' War and Anglo-Spanish War: The Battle of Gembloux is a victory for Spanish forces led by Don John of Austria over a rebel army of Dutch, Flemish, English, Scottish, German, French and Walloons.
1504: The Treaty of Lyon ends the Italian War, confirming French domination of northern Italy, while Spain receives the Kingdom of Naples.
1266: The Mudéjar of Murcia, who had rebelled against the Crown of Castile during the Mudéjar revolt of 1264-1266, surrender the city to James I of Aragon after a siege lasting a month.
1208: The Battle of Lena takes place between King Sverker II of Sweden and his rival, Prince Eric, whose victory puts him on the throne as King Eric X of Sweden.
314: Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as successor to the late Pope Miltiades.

Births On This Day

2006: Sára Bejlek, Czech tennis player
2002: Hong Ye-ji, South Korean actress
2002: Beñat Turrientes, Spanish footballer
2000: Julián Álvarez, Argentine footballer
1998: Jalen McDaniels, American basketball player
1997: Arnaut Danjuma, Dutch footballer
1997: Donte DiVincenzo, American basketball player
1997: Miyeon, South Korean singer and actress
1996: Joel Courtney, American actor
1996: Nikita Dragun, American YouTuber
1994: Kenneth Zohore, Danish footballer
1993: Qiu Bo, Chinese diver
1992: Tyler Seguin, Canadian ice hockey player
1990: Cro, German rapper
1990: Nicolás Laprovíttola, Argentine basketball player
1989: Tommy La Stella, American baseball player
1988: Brett Pitman, English footballer
1988: Taijo Teniste, Estonian footballer
1987: Marcus Mumford, American-English singer-songwriter
1986: Walter Dix, American sprinter
1986: Megan Ellison, American film producer, founded Annapurna Pictures
1986: George Elokobi, Cameroonian footballer
1986: Yves Ma-Kalambay, Belgian footballer
1986: Pauline Parmentier, French tennis player
1985: Adam Federici, Australian footballer
1984: Vernon Davis, American football player
1984: Mikhail Grabovski, German-Belarusian ice hockey player
1983: Fabio Quagliarella, Italian footballer
1982: Maret Ani, Estonian tennis player
1982: Allan McGregor, Scottish footballer
1982: Jānis Sprukts, Latvian ice hockey player
1981: Julio Arca, Argentine footballer
1981: Mark Cameron, Australian cricketer
1981: Gemma Collins, English media personality and businesswoman
1981: Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
1980: James Adomian, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
1980: Gary Doherty, Irish footballer
1980: Shim Yi-young, South Korean actress
1979: Daniel Tammet, English author and educator
1978: Fabián Caballero, Argentine footballer and manager
1977: Bobby Moynihan, American actor and comedian
1977: Kerry Washington, American actress
1976: Traianos Dellas, Greek footballer and manager
1976: Buddy Rice, American racing driver
1975: Preity Zinta, Indian actress, producer, and television host
1974: Othella Harrington, American basketball player and coach
1974: Ariel Pestano, Cuban baseball player
1973: Portia de Rossi, Australian-American actress
1971: Patricia Velásquez, Venezuelan model and actress
1970: Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress
1970: Danny Michel, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
1969: Dov Charney, Canadian-American fashion designer and businessman, founded American Apparel
1969: Daniel Moder, American cinematographer
1968: John Collins, Scottish footballer and manager
1968: Matt King, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
1968: Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician, 2nd Swedish Minister for Infrastructure
1968: Patrick Stevens, Belgian sprinter
1967: Fat Mike, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
1966: Dexter Fletcher, English actor and director
1966: Thant Myint-U, Myanmar historian, diplomat, conservationist, and former presidential advisor.
1965: Giorgos Gasparis, Greek basketball player and coach
1965: Ofra Harnoy, Israeli-Canadian cellist
1965: Peter Sagal, American author and radio host
1964: Martha MacCallum, American journalist
1964: Dawn Prince-Hughes, American scientist
1963: Gwen Graham, American lawyer and politician
1962: Bruce McGuire, Australian rugby league player
1961: Elizabeth Barker, Baroness Barker, English politician
1961: Fatou Bensouda, Gambian lawyer and judge
1961: Lloyd Cole, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1960: Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist and author
1960: Grant Morrison, Scottish author and screenwriter
1960: Željko Šturanović, Montenegrin politician, 31st Prime Minister of Montenegro (died 2014)
1959: Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor and producer
1959: Kelly Lynch, American model and actress
1958: Armin Reichel, German footballer and manager
1957: Shirley Babashoff, American swimmer
1956: John Lydon, English singer-songwriter
1956: Guido van Rossum, Dutch programmer, creator of the Python programming language
1955: Virginia Ruzici, Romanian tennis player and manager
1954: Faoud Bacchus, Guyanese cricketer
1954: Adrian Vandenberg, Dutch guitarist and songwriter
1951: Harry Wayne Casey, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
1950: Denise Fleming, American author and illustrator
1950: Alexander Korzhakov, Russian general and bodyguard
1950: Janice Rebibo, American-Israeli author and poet (died 2015)
1949: Johan Derksen, Dutch footballer and journalist
1949: Norris Church Mailer, American model and educator (died 2010)
1949: Ken Wilber, American sociologist, philosopher, and author
1948: Volkmar Groß, German footballer (died 2014)
1948: Muneo Suzuki, Japanese politician
1947: Jonathan Banks, American actor
1947: Matt Minglewood, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1947: Nolan Ryan, American baseball player
1947: Glynn Turman, American actor
1946: Mike Carlton, Australian journalist and radio host
1946: Terry Kath, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (died 1978)
1946: Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (died 2012)
1945: Rynn Berry, American historian and author (died 2014)
1945: Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, English lawyer, judge, and academic
1945: Joseph Kosuth, American sculptor and theorist
1944: John Inverarity, Australian cricketer and coach
1944: Charlie Musselwhite, American musician and singer-songwriter
1942: Daniela Bianchi, Italian actress
1942: Derek Jarman, English director, stage designer, and author (died 1994)
1941: Len Chappell, American basketball player (died 2018)
1941: Dick Gephardt, American lawyer and politician
1941: Gerald McDermott, American author and illustrator (died 2012)
1941: Jessica Walter, American actress (died 2021)
1940: Kitch Christie, South African rugby player and coach (died 1998)
1940: Stuart Margolin, American actor and director (died 2022)
1938: Beatrix of the Netherlands
1938: Lynn Carlin, American actress
1938: James G. Watt, American lawyer and politician, 43rd United States Secretary of the Interior (died 2023)
1937: Regimantas Adomaitis, Lithuanian actor (died 2022)
1937: Andrée Boucher, Canadian educator and politician, 39th Mayor of Quebec City (died 2007)
1937: Philip Glass, American composer
1937: Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (died 2008)
1936: Can Bartu, Turkish footballer and basketball player (died 2019)
1935: Kenzaburō Ōe, Japanese author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023)
1934: Ernesto Brambilla, Italian motorcycle racer and racing driver (died 2020)
1934: James Franciscus, American actor and producer (died 1991)
1933: Camille Henry, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1997)
1933: Morton Mower, American cardiologist and inventor (died 2022)
1932: Miron Babiak, Polish sea captain (died 2013)
1931: Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (died 2015)
1931: Christopher Chataway, English runner, journalist, and politician (died 2014)
1930: Joakim Bonnier, Swedish racing driver (died 1972)
1930: Al De Lory, American composer, conductor, and producer (died 2012)
1929: Rudolf Mössbauer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2011)
1929: Jean Simmons, English-American actress (died 2010)
1928: Irma Wyman, American computer scientist and engineer (died 2015)
1927: Norm Prescott, American animator, producer, and composer, co-founded Filmation Studios (died 2005)
1926: Tom Alston, American baseball player (died 1993)
1926: Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (died 1958)
1925: Benjamin Hooks, American minister, lawyer, and activist (died 2010)
1923: Norman Mailer, American journalist and author (died 2007)
1922: Joanne Dru, American actress (died 1996)
1921: John Agar, American actor (died 2002)
1921: Carol Channing, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2019)
1921: E. Fay Jones, American architect, designed the Thorncrown Chapel (died 2004)
1921: Mario Lanza, American tenor and actor (died 1959)
1920: Stewart Udall, American lawyer and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (died 2010)
1920: Bert Williams, English footballer (died 2014)
1919: Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 1972)
1915: Bobby Hackett, American trumpet player and cornet player (died 1976)
1915: Alan Lomax, American historian, author, and scholar (died 2002)
1914: Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer and police officer (died 1994)
1913: Don Hutson, American football player and coach (died 1997)
1909: Miron Grindea, Romanian-English journalist (died 1995)
1905: John O'Hara, American author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 1970)
1902: Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded White Spot (died 1978)
1902: Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (died 1968)
1902: Alva Myrdal, Swedish sociologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1986)
1902: Julian Steward, American anthropologist (died 1972)
1900: Betty Parsons, American artist, art dealer and collector (died 1982)
1896: Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician and historian (died 1966)
1894: Isham Jones, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (died 1956)
1892: Eddie Cantor, American singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer (died 1964)
1889: Frank Foster, English cricketer (died 1958)
1884: Theodor Heuss, German journalist and politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Germany (died 1963)
1884: Mammad Amin Rasulzade, Azerbaijani scholar and politician, 1st President of The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (died 1955)
1881: Irving Langmuir, American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1957)
1878: Marta Sandal, Norwegian singer (died 1930)
1876: Mette Bull, Norwegian actress (died 1946)
1872: Zane Grey, American author (died 1939)
1868: Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1928)
1865: Henri Desgrange, French cyclist and journalist (died 1940)
1865: Shastriji Maharaj, Indian spiritual leader, founded BAPS (died 1951)
1854: David Emmanuel, Romanian mathematician and academic (died 1941)
1835: Lunalilo of Hawaii (died 1874)
1820: William B. Washburn, American politician, 28th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1887)
1799: Rodolphe Töpffer, Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist (died 1846)
1798: Christine Genast, German actress, singer and pianist (died 1860)
1797: Franz Schubert, Austrian pianist and composer (died 1828)
1785: Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, Czech cookbook author (died 1845)
1769: André-Jacques Garnerin, French balloonist and the inventor of the frameless parachute (died 1823)
1759: François Devienne, French flute player and composer (died 1803)
1752: Gouverneur Morris, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to France (died 1816)
1686: Hans Egede, Norwegian missionary and explorer (died 1758)
1673: Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (died 1716)
1624: Arnold Geulincx, Flemish philosopher and academic (died 1669)
1607: James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (died 1651)
1597: John Francis Regis, French priest and saint (died 1640)
1583: Peter Bulkley, English and later American Puritan (died 1659)
1543: Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese shōgun (died 1616)
1512: Henry, King of Portugal (died 1580)

Deaths On This Day

2018: Rasual Butler, American professional basketball player (born 1979)
2018: Leah LaBelle, American singer (born 1986)
2017: Rob Stewart, Canadian filmmaker (born 1979)
2016: Terry Wogan, Irish radio and television host (born 1938)
2015: Vic Howe, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1929)
2015: Udo Lattek, German footballer, coach and journalist (born 1935)
2015: Lizabeth Scott, American actress (born 1922)
2015: Richard von Weizsäcker, German captain and politician, 6th President of Germany (born 1920)
2014: Anna Gordy Gaye, American songwriter and producer, co-founded Anna Records (born 1922)
2014: Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Somalian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Somalia (born 1924)
2014: Miklós Jancsó, Hungarian director and screenwriter (born 1921)
2013: Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Mexican poet and scholar (born 1923)
2013: Hassan Habibi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 1st Vice President of Iran (born 1937)
2012: Mani Ram Bagri, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1920)
2012: Dorothea Tanning, American painter and sculptor (born 1910)
2011: Bartolomeu Anania, Romanian bishop and poet (born 1921)
2008: František Čapek, Czech canoeist (born 1914)
2007: Molly Ivins, American journalist and author (born 1944)
2007: Adelaide Tambo, South African activist and politician (born 1929)
2006: Moira Shearer, Scottish actress and ballerina (born 1926)
2004: Eleanor Holm, American swimmer and actress (born 1913)
2004: Suraiya, Indian actress and playback singer (born 1929)
2002: Gabby Gabreski, American colonel and pilot (born 1919)
2001: Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian American author (born 1923)
2000: Gil Kane, Latvian American author and illustrator (born 1926)
1999: Giant Baba, Japanese wrestler and trainer, co-founded All Japan Pro Wrestling (born 1938)
1997: John Joseph Scanlan, Irish American bishop (born 1930)
1990: Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, German zoologist and academic (born 1901)
1990: Rashad Khalifa, Egyptian American biochemist and academic (born 1935)
1989: William Stephenson, Canadian captain and spy (born 1896)
1987: Yves Allégret, French director and screenwriter (born 1907)
1985: Reginald Baker, English Australian film producer (born 1896)
1985: Tatsuzō Ishikawa, Japanese author (born 1905)
1979: Olga Olgina, Polish opera singer and teacher (born 1904)
1976: Ernesto Miranda, American criminal (born 1941)
1976: Evert Taube, Swedish author and composer (born 1890)
1974: Samuel Goldwyn, Polish American film producer, co-founded Goldwyn Pictures (born 1882)
1973: Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1895)
1971: Viktor Zhirmunsky, Russian historian and linguist (born 1891)
1969: Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master (born 1894)
1967: Eddie Tolan, American sprinter and educator (born 1908)
1966: Arthur Percival, English general (born 1887)
1961: Krishna Singh, Indian politician, 1st Chief Minister of Bihar (born 1887)
1960: Auguste Herbin, French painter (born 1882)
1958: Karl Selter, Estonian politician, 14th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1898)
1956: A. A. Milne, English author, poet and playwright, created Winnie-the-Pooh (born 1882)
1955: John Mott, American activist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1865)
1954: Edwin Howard Armstrong, American engineer, invented FM radio (born 1890)
1944: Jean Giraudoux, French author and playwright (born 1882)
1933: John Galsworthy, English novelist and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1867)
1923: Eligiusz Niewiadomski, Polish painter and critic (born 1869)
1911: Paul Singer, German politician (born 1844)
1900: John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, Scottish nobleman (born 1844)
1892: Charles Spurgeon, English pastor and author (born 1834)
1888: John Bosco, Italian priest and educator, founded the Salesian Society (born 1815)
1870: Cilibi Moise, Moldavian Romanian journalist and author (born 1812)
1856: 11th Dalai Lama (born 1838)
1844: Henri Gatien Bertrand, French general (born 1773)
1836: John Cheyne, English physician and author (born 1777)
1828: Alexander Ypsilantis, Greek general (born 1792)
1815: José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan soldier (born 1775)
1811: Manuel Alberti, Argentinian priest and journalist (born 1763)
1794: Mariot Arbuthnot, English admiral and politician, 12th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (born 1711)
1790: Thomas Lewis, Irish-born American lawyer and surveyor (born 1718)
1736: Filippo Juvarra, Italian architect and set designer, designed the Basilica of Superga (born 1678)
1729: Jacob Roggeveen, Dutch explorer (born 1659)
1720: Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1654)
1686: Jean Mairet, French playwright (born 1604)
1665: Johannes Clauberg, German philosopher and theologian (born 1622)
1632: Jost Bürgi, Swiss clockmaker and mathematician (born 1552)
1615: Claudio Acquaviva, Italian priest, 5th Superior General of the Society of Jesus (born 1543)
1606: Guy Fawkes, English conspirator, leader of the Gunpowder Plot (born 1570)
1606: Ambrose Rookwood, English Gunpowder Plot conspirator (born 1578)
1606: Thomas Wintour, English Gunpowder Plot conspirator (born 1571)
1580: Henry, king of Portugal (born 1512)
1561: Bairam Khan, Mughalan general (born 1501)
1561: Menno Simons, Dutch minister and theologian (born 1496)
1435: Xuande, emperor of China (born 1398)
1418: Mircea I, prince of Wallachia (born 1355)
1398: Sukō, emperor of Japan (born 1334)
1216: Theodore II, patriarch of Constantinople
1030: William V, duke of Aquitaine (born 969)
985: Ryōgen, Japanese monk and abbot (born 912)
876: Hemma of Altdorf, Frankish queen
632: Máedóc of Ferns, Irish bishop and saint (born 550)

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