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January 21 Gregorian calendar . There are 344 days remaining until the end of the year (345 in leap years ).
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 was the first European to reach Tonga .1720 - Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm .1749 - The Verona Philharmonic Theatre was destoyed by fire . It was rebuilt in 1754 .1789 - The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth Boston, Massachusetts .1793 - After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention , Louis XVI of France was executed by the 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 , was formally annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate which is now Botswana .1899 - Opel manufactured 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 was 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 was founded at Livorno .1924 - Vladimir Lenin dies; a lengthy power struggle emerges between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin begins, culminating to the latter's consolidation of power c. 1928.1925 - Albania declares itself a republic.1941 - World War II : Australian and British forces attack Tobruk , Libya .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 , was launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower , then the First Lady of the United States .1958 - The last Fokker C.X in military service, the Finnish Air Force FK-111 target tower, crashed, killing the pilot and winch-operator.1968 - Vietnam War : Battle of Khe Sanh - One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.1969 - An experimental underground nuclear reactor at Lucens Vad, Switzerland, released radiation into a cavern, which was then sealed.1972 - Tripura becomes a full-fledged state in India .1976 - Commercial service of Concorde 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 .1985 - Because January 20 had fallen on a Sunday , Ronald Reagan 's public inaugural ceremony (for his second term as President ) was moved to Monday , January 21. Due to bad weather, the ceremony was held indoors in the United States Capital Rotunda .[1] 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 - Canada: 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 9/11, and Asian stocks drop as much as 15%.2008 - The Eyak language in Alaska becomes extinct as its last native speaker dies.
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 )
1882 - Pavel Florensky , Russian mathematician (d. 1937 )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 )1912 - Konrad Emil Bloch , German-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000 )1918 - Richard D. Winters , American war hero1918 - Chichay , Filipino actress (d. 1993 )
1921 - Howard Unruh , American mass murderer1922 - 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 )1932 - John Chaney , American basketball coach1933 - Joseph W. Eschbach , American doctor (d. 2007 )1934 - Audrey Dalton , Irish actress1936 - 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 golfer1941 - Plácido Domingo , Spanish tenor1941 - 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
1946 - Johnny Oates , American baseball player and manager (d. 2004 )1947 - Jill Eikenberry , American actress1947 - Pye Hastings , English singer and musician (Caravan )
1947 - Michel Jonasz , French singer and composer
1950 - Billy Ocean , West Indian musician1952 - Marco Camenisch , Swiss environmental activist1952 - Louis Menand , American writer and critic
1953 - Paul Allen , American entrepreneur, co-founder of Microsoft 1955 - Jeff Koons , American artist1956 - Robby Benson , American actor1956 - Geena Davis , American actress
1957 - Greg Ryan , American soccer coach1958 - Michael Wincott , Canadian actor1959 - Alex McLeish , Scottish footballer and manager1962 - Marie Trintignant , French actress (d. 2003 )1962 - Tyler Cowen , American economist
1963 - Hakeem Olajuwon , Nigerian-born American basketball player1963 - Detlef Schrempf , German basketball player
1965 - Jam Master Jay , American disc jockey (d. 2002 )1966 - Robert Del Naja , English musician1966 - Candi Milo , American voice actress
1968 - Ulrica Messing , Swedish politician1968 - Charlotte Ross , American actress
1969 - Karina Lombard , American actress1969 - Tsubaki Nekoi , Japanese manga artist
1970 - Ken Leung , American actor1970 - Mark Trojanowski , American musician (Sister Hazel )
1971 - Alan McManus , Scottish snooker player1971 - Doug Weight , American ice hockey player
1972 - Alan Benes , American baseball player1972 - Rick Falkvinge , Swedish politician
1972 - Yasunori Mitsuda , Japanese composer
1972 - Cat Power (Chan Marshall), American musician
1974 - Rove McManus , Australian television host and comedian1974 - Alex Sperafico , Brazilian racing driver
1975 - Ito , Spanish footballer1975 - Nicky Butt , English footballer
1975 - Casey FitzRandolph , American speed skater
1975 - Yuji Ide , Japanese racing driver
1976 - Emma Bunton , English singer (Spice Girls )1977 - Al Baxter , Australian rugby union footballer1977 - Phil Neville , English footballer
1977 - Rick Ross , American rapper
1978 - Bryan Gilmore , National Football League player1978 - 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 player1979 - Spider Loc , American rapper, member of G-Unit
1979 - Brian O'Driscoll , Irish rugby union footballer
1980 - Dave Kitson , English footballer1980 - Nana Mizuki , Japanese voice actress and singer
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 footballer1983 - Maryse Ouellet , French-Canadian model and professional wrestler1983 - Moritz Volz , German footballer
1983 - Peter Philipakos , Greek-American soccer player
1985 - Alex Pérez , Spanish footballer1985 - Sasha Pivovarova , Russian Model
1985 - Matt Unicomb , Australian basketball player
1986 - Coffin Joe , English drummer ( The Horrors )
1987 - Joe Ledley , Welsh footballer1988 - William Johansson , Swedish composer1990 - Jacob Smith , American actor2004 - Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
Deaths
304 - Saint Agnes (martyred) (b. 291 )917 - Erchanger, Duke of Swabia (c. 880 )1118 - Pope Paschal II 1519 - Vasco Núñez de Balboa , Spanish explorer (b. 1475 )1527 - Juan de Grijalva , Spanish conquistador (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 (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 (b. 1740 or 1742 )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 laureate (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 )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 )
Holidays and observances
External links
