January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 344 days remaining until the end of the year (345 in leap years). [edit] Events - 1189 – Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
- 1287 – The treaty of San Agayz is signed. Minorca is conquered by King Alfons III of Aragon.
- 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.
- 1643 – Abel Tasman is the first European to reach Tonga.
- 1720 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm.
- 1749 – The Verona Philharmonic Theatre is destroyed by fire. It is rebuilt in 1754.
- 1789 – The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth, is printed in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1793 – After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.
- 1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
- 1864 – The Tauranga Campaign starts during the Maori Wars.
- 1887 – Brisbane receives a daily rainfall of 465 millimetres (18.3 inches), a record for any Australian capital city.
- 1893 – The Tati Concessions Land, formerly part of Matabeleland, is formally annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate, which is now Botswana.
- 1899 – Opel manufactures its first automobile.
- 1908 – New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only to have the measure vetoed by the mayor.
- 1911 – The first Monte Carlo Rally.
- 1915 – Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1919 – Meeting of the First Dáil Éireann in the Mansion House Dublin. Sinn Féin adopts Ireland's first constitution. The first engagement of Irish War of Independence, Sologhead Beg, County Tipperary.
- 1921 – The Italian Communist Party is founded at Livorno.
- 1925 – Albania declares itself a republic.
- 1948 – The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Quebec Flag Day.
- 1950 – Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
- 1954 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.
- 1958 – The last Fokker C.X in military service, the Finnish Air Force FK-111 target tower, crashes, killing the pilot and winch-operator.
- 1960 – Miss Sam, a female rhesus monkey, lifts off from Wallops Island, Virginia, aboard Little Joe 1B – an unmanned test of the Mercury spacecraft.
- 1968 – Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh – One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.
- 1968 – A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.
- 1972 – Meghalaya becomes a full-fledged state in India.
- 1972 – Tripura becomes a full-fledged state in India.
- 1976 – Commercial service of Concorde begins with London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes.
- 1977 – President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all American Vietnam War draft evaders, some of whom had emigrated to Canada.
- 1981 – Tehran releases United States hostages after 444 days.
- 1997 – Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct.
- 1999 – War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4,300 kg (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board.
- 2002 – The Canadian Dollar sets all-time low against the US Dollar (US$0.6179).
- 2004 – The residence of reporter Juliet O'Neill is searched by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigating leaks concerning the deportation of Maher Arar.
- 2004 – NASA's MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceases communication with mission control. The problem lies with Flash Memory management and is fixed remotely from Earth on February 6.
- 2005 – In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government's new taxes erupts into riots.
- 2007 – Awashima Marine Park in Japan catches a video tape of the rare frilled shark.
- 2008 – Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks closed with their worst result since 11 September 2001, and Asian stocks drop as much as 15%.
[edit] Births - 1338 – King Charles V of France (d. 1380)
- 1721 – James Murray, British military officer, governor of Quebec (d. 1794)
- 1804 – Eliza Roxcy Snow, American poet (d. 1887)
- 1813 – John C. Frémont, American army officer, explorer and presidential candidate (d. 1890)
- 1815 – John Bingham, American politician and lawyer (d. 1900)
- 1824 – Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, American, Confederate army general (d. 1863)
- 1825 – Imre Madách, Hungarian writer (d. 1864)
- 1827 – Ivan Mikheevich Pervushin, Russian mathematician (d. 1900)
- 1829 – King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (d. 1907)
- 1848 – Henri Duparc, French composer (d. 1933)
- 1860 – Karl Staaff, Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 1915)
- 1867 – Ludwig Thoma, German writer (d. 1921)
- 1867 – Maxime Weygand, French general (d. 1965)
- 1881 – Arch McCarthy, American baseball player (d. unknown)
- 1882 – Pavel Florensky, Russian mathematician (d. 1937)
- 1883 – Amang Rodriguez, Filipino politician (d. 1964)
- 1883 – Olav Aukrust, Norwegian poet (d. 1929)
- 1884 – Roger Baldwin, American social activist (d. 1981)
- 1885 – Umberto Nobile, Italian politician (d. 1978)
- 1887 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1926)
- 1895 – Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish couturier (d. 1972)
- 1897 – René Iché, French sculptor (d. 1954)
- 1899 – Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian born American composer (d. 1977)
- 1901 – Ricardo Zamora, Spanish footballer (d. 1978)
- 1905 – Christian Dior, French fashion designer (d. 1957)
- 1905 – Karl Wallenda, German acrobat (d. 1978)
- 1906 – Igor Moiseyev, Russian choreographer (d. 2007)
- 1909 – Todor Skalovski, Macedonian composer (d. 2004)
- 1910 – Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai composer and bandleader (d. 1981)
- 1910 – Albert Rosellini, American politician
- 1912 – Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
- 1918 – Richard D. Winters, American war hero
- 1918 – Chichay, Filipino actress (d. 1993)
- 1921 – Howard Unruh, American mass murderer (d. 2009)
- 1922 – Telly Savalas, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1922 – Paul Scofield, English actor (d. 2008)
- 1923 – Lola Flores, Spanish singer (d. 1995)
- 1924 – Benny Hill, English actor, comedian, and singer (d. 1992)
- 1926 – Steve Reeves, American actor (d. 2000)
- 1926 – Brian Brockless, English organist (d. 1995)
- 1927 – Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league footballer (d. 1985)
- 1928 – Gene Sharp, American political theorist and pacifist
- 1932 – John Chaney, American basketball coach
- 1933 – Joseph W. Eschbach, American doctor (d. 2007)
- 1934 – Audrey Dalton, Irish actress
- 1936 – Koji Hashimoto, Japanese film director (d. 2005)
- 1937 – Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria
- 1938 – Wolfman Jack, American disk jockey and actor (d. 1995)
- 1938 – John Savident, British actor
- 1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
- 1941 – Plácido Domingo, Spanish tenor
- 1941 – Stathis Giallelis, Greek actor
- 1941 – Richie Havens, American musician
- 1941 – Mike Medavoy, American film producer
- 1941 – Ivan Putski, Polish-born American professional wrestler
- 1942 – Edwin Starr, American singer (d. 2003)
- 1942 – Mac Davis, American musician
- 1943 – Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek actor, songwriter and singer
- 1946 – Johnny Oates, American baseball player and manager (d. 2004)
- 1947 – Jill Eikenberry, American actress
- 1947 – Pye Hastings, English singer and musician (Caravan)
- 1947 – Michel Jonasz, French singer and composer
- 1950 – Billy Ocean, West Indian musician
- 1951 – Eric Holder, American attorney
- 1952 – Marco Camenisch, Swiss environmental activist
- 1952 – Cyril and Libbye Hellier, identical-twin sopranos
- 1952 – Louis Menand, American writer and critic
- 1953 – Paul Allen, American entrepreneur, co-founder of Microsoft
- 1954 – Phil Thompson, English footballer and coach
- 1955 – Jeff Koons, American artist
- 1956 – Robby Benson, American actor
- 1956 – Geena Davis, American actress
- 1957 – Greg Ryan, American soccer coach
- 1958 – Frank Ticheli, American composer
- 1958 – Michael Wincott, Canadian actor
- 1959 – Alex McLeish, Scottish footballer and manager
- 1962 – Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
- 1962 – Tyler Cowen, American economist
- 1963 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigerian-born American basketball player
- 1963 – Detlef Schrempf, German basketball player
- 1965 – Jam Master Jay, American disc jockey (d. 2002)
- 1966 – Robert Del Naja, English musician
- 1966 – Candi Milo, American voice actress
- 1968 – Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician
- 1968 – Charlotte Ross, American actress
- 1969 – Karina Lombard, American actress
- 1969 – Tsubaki Nekoi, Japanese manga artist
- 1970 – Ken Leung, American actor
- 1970 – Mark Trojanowski, American musician (Sister Hazel)
- 1971 – Tweet (singer), American singer
- 1971 – Alan McManus, Scottish snooker player
- 1971 – Doug Weight, American ice hockey player
- 1972 – Alan Benes, American baseball player
- 1972 – Rick Falkvinge, Swedish politician
- 1972 – Yasunori Mitsuda, Japanese composer
- 1972 – Cat Power (Chan Marshall), American musician
- 1973 – Duane Lee Chapman Jr (American bounty hunter)
- 1974 – Rove McManus, Australian television host and comedian
- 1974 – Alex Sperafico, Brazilian racing driver
- 1975 – Ito, Spanish footballer
- 1975 – Nicky Butt, English footballer
- 1975 – Casey FitzRandolph, American speed skater
- 1975 – Thomas Castaignede, French rugby player
- 1975 – Yuji Ide, Japanese racing driver
- 1976 – Emma Bunton, English singer (Spice Girls)
- 1977 – Al Baxter, Australian rugby union footballer
- 1977 – Phil Neville, English footballer
- 1977 – Matt Perry, English rugby player
- 1977 – Rick Ross, American rapper
- 1978 – Bryan Gilmore, National Football League player
- 1978 – Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, American Singer
- 1978 – Faris al-Sultan, German-Iraqi triathlete
- 1978 – Phil Stacey, American Idol finalist
- 1978 – Andrei Zyuzin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Byung-Hyun Kim, Korean baseball player
- 1979 – Spider Loc, American rapper, member of G-Unit
- 1979 – Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union footballer
- 1980 – Dave Kitson, English footballer
- 1980 – Nana Mizuki, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1980 – Mari Possa, Salvatorian-American Adult-Films actress
- 1981 – Gillian Chung Yan-tung, Hong Kong singer (Twins)
- 1981 – Jamie Dalrymple, English cricketer
- 1981 – Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer
- 1981 – Dany Heatley, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1981 – Andy Lee, Korean singer (Shinhwa)
- 1981 – Izabella Miko, Polish-born actress and model
- 1981 – Alex Ubago, Spanish-Basque singer-songwriter
- 1982 – Dean Whitehead, English footballer
- 1982 – Go Shiozaki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1982 – Simon Rolfes, German footballer
- 1983 – Maryse Ouellet, French-Canadian model and professional wrestler
- 1983 – Moritz Volz, German footballer
- 1983 – Katie Griffiths, English Actress
- 1983 – Peter Philipakos, Greek-American soccer player
- 1984 – Richard Gutierrez and Raymond Gutierrez, Filipino (Twin) Actor/Host
- 1984 – Robert Ray and Raymond Gutierrez, Filipino (Twin) Actor/Host
- 1985 – Alex Pérez, Spanish footballer
- 1985 – Sasha Pivovarova, Russian Model
- 1985 – Matt Unicomb, Australian basketball player
- 1985 – Adrian Lewis, English Dart Player
- 1987 – Joe Ledley, Welsh footballer
- 1988 – William C. Woxlin, Swedish composer
- 1990 – Jacob Smith, American actor
- 1994 – Laura Robson, Tennis Player
- 2001 – Jackson Brundage, American Actor
- 2004 – Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
[edit] Deaths - 304 – Saint Agnes (martyred) (b. 291)
- 917 – Erchanger, Duke of Swabia (b. c. 880)
- 1118 – Pope Paschal II
- 1519 – Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Spanish explorer (b. 1475)
- 1527 – Juan de Grijalva, Spanish conquistador (b. c. 1489)
- 1546 – Azai Sukemasa, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1491)
- 1609 – Joseph Justus Scaliger, French Protestant scholar (b. 1540)
- 1638 – Ignazio Donati, Italian composer (b. c. 1570)
- 1683 – Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, British politician (b. 1621)
- 1699 – Obadiah Walker, English writer (b. 1616)
- 1706 – Adrien Baillet, French scholar and critic (b. 1649)
- 1710 – Johann Georg Gichtel, German mystic (b. 1638)
- 1722 – Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, English supporter of William III of England (b. 1661)
- 1731 – Thomas Woolston, English theologian (b. 1669)
- 1766 – James Quin, English actor (b. 1693)
- 1773 – Alexis Piron, French writer (b. 1689)
- 1774 – Mustafa III, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1717)
- 1775 – Yemelyan Pugachev, Russian rebel
- 1793 – King Louis XVI of France (executed) (b. 1754)
- 1795 – Samuel Wallis, English navigator (b. 1728)
- 1809 – Josiah Hornblower, American statesman (b. 1729)
- 1814 – Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, French writer and botanist (b. 1737)
- 1823 – Cayetano José Rodríguez, Argentine cleric, journalist and poet (b. 1761)
- 1831 – Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet (b. 1781)
- 1851 – Albert Lortzing, German composer (b. 1801)
- 1870 – Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (b. 1812)
- 1872 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian writer (b. 1791)
- 1881 – Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1802)
- 1891 – Calixa Lavallée, Canadian composer (b. 1842)
- 1901 – Elisha Gray, American inventor (b. 1835)
- 1914 – Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian artist (b. 1857)
- 1919 – Gojong of Joseon, Emperor of Korea (b. 1852)
- 1924 – Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary (b. 1870)
- 1926 – Camillo Golgi, Italian physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1843)
- 1928 – George Goethals, American army engineer (b. 1858)
- 1931 – Felix Blumenfeld, Russian composer (b. 1863)
- 1932 – Giles Lytton Strachey, British writer (b. 1880)
- 1933 – George A. Moore, Irish novelist (b. 1852)
- 1937 – Marie Prevost, Canadian actress (b. 1898)
- 1948 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer (b. 1876)
- 1950 – George Orwell, British writer (b. 1903)
- 1955 – Archie Hahn, American athlete (b. 1880)
- 1956 – Sam Langford, Canadian boxer (b. 1883)
- 1959 – Cecil B. DeMille, American director (b. 1881)
- 1959 – Carl Switzer, American actor (b. 1927)
- 1961 – Blaise Cendrars, Swiss writer (b. 1887)
- 1967 – Ann Sheridan, American actress (b. 1915)
- 1968 – Will Lang Jr., American magazine executive (b. 1914)
- 1977 – Sandro Penna, Italian poet (b. 1906)
- 1978 – Freda Utley, British scholar and author. (b. 1898)
- 1984 – Giannis Skaribas, Greek writer, dramatist, and poet (b. 1893)
- 1984 – Jackie Wilson, American musician (b. 1934)
- 1985 – James Beard, American chef and author (b. 1903)
- 1985 – Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter (b. 1930)
- 1987 – Charles Goodell, American politician (b. 1926)
- 1989 – Billy Tipton, American musician (b. 1914)
- 1989 – Carl Furillo, American Baseball player (b. 1922)
- 1993 – Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player (b. 1903)
- 1996 – René Marc Jalbert, sergeant-at-Arms at the National Assembly of Quebec (b. 1921)
- 1997 – Colonel Tom Parker, American manager of Elvis Presley (b. 1909)
- 1998 – Jack Lord, American actor (b. 1920)
- 1999 – Charles Brown, American blues singer and pianist (b. 1920)
- 1999 – Susan Strasberg, American actress (b. 1938)
- 2001 – Byron De La Beckwith, American white supremacist (b. 1921)
- 2002 – Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)
- 2003 – Paul Haines, American-born Canadian poet (b. 1933)
- 2004 – Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer (b. 1929)
- 2005 – Theun de Vries, Dutch writer (b. 1907)
- 2005 – John L. Hess, American journalist (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Parveen Babi, Indian actress (b. 1955)
- 2006 – Ibrahim Rugova, President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
- 2006 – Bedanand Jha, Nepalese politician
- 2007 – Maria Cioncan, Romanian athlete (b. 1977)
- 2007 – U;Nee, Korean pop artist (b. 1981)
- 2008 – Pam Barrett, Canadian politician (b. 1953)
- 2008 – Marie Smith Jones, last native speaker of the Eyak language (b. 1918)
- 2009 – Veatrice Rice, Security guard, television personality on Jimmy Kimmel Live (b. 1949)
[edit] Holidays and observances [edit] External links
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