• 627 – Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II's Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.
• 884 – King Carloman II dies after a hunting accident. He is succeeded by his cousin, emperor Charles the Fat, who for the last time reunites the Frankish Empire.
• 1098 – First Crusade: Siege of Ma'arrat al-Numan: Crusaders breach the town's walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism.
• 1388 – Mary of Enghien sells the lordship of Argos and Nauplia to the Republic of Venice.
• 1408 – The Order of the Dragon, a monarchical chivalric order, is created by Sigismund of Luxembourg, then king of Hungary.
• 1781 – American Revolutionary War: Second Battle of Ushant: A British fleet led by HMS Victory defeats a French fleet.
• 1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.
• 1862 – American Civil War: USS Cairo sinks on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armored ship to be sunk by a controlled mine.
• 1866 – Oaks explosion: The worst mining disaster in England kills 361 miners and rescuers.
• 1870 – Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina becomes the second black U.S. congressman, the first being Hiram Revels.
• 1897 – Belo Horizonte, the first planned city in Brazil, is founded.
• 1901 – Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal (the letter "S" [***] in Morse Code), at Signal Hill in St John's, Newfoundland.
• 1911 – Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.
• 1911 – King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck are enthroned as Emperor and Empress of India.
• 1915 – President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai, announces his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.
• 1917 – In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
• 1918 – The Flag of Estonia is raised atop the Pikk Hermann for the first time.
• 1925 – The Majlis of Iran votes to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran, starting the Pahlavi dynasty.
• 1935 – Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, is founded by Heinrich Himmler.
• 1936 – Xi'an Incident: The Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is kidnapped by Zhang Xueliang.
• 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: USS Panay incident: Japanese aircraft bomb and sink U.S. gunboat USS Panay on the Yangtze river in China.
• 1939 – Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi: Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.
• 1939 – HMS Duchess sinks after a collision with HMS Barham off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.
• 1940 – World War II: Approximately 70 people are killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, as a result of a German air raid.
• 1941 – World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.
• 1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.
• 1941 – Adolf Hitler declares the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery
• 1942 – World War II: German troops begin Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad.
• 1946 – A fire at an ice plant in Hudson Heights, Manhattan spreads to an adjacent tenement, killing 37 people.
• 1948 – Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali massacre: Fourteen members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaya allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.
• 1950 – Paula Ackerman, the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.
• 1956 – Beginning of the Irish Republican Army's "Border Campaign".
• 1963 – Kenya gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1964 – Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta becomes the first President of the Republic of Kenya.
• 1969 – Years of Lead: Piazza Fontana bombing: The offices of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana, Milan, are bombed.
• 1979 – Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-ha, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung-hee.
• 1979 – President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.
• 1979 – The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
• 1979 – The 8.2 M_w Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
• 1983 – The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floats the Australian dollar.
• 1984 – Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya becomes the third president of Mauritania after a coup d'état against Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla while the latter is attending a summit.
• 1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division.
• 1988 – The Clapham Junction rail crash kills thirty-five and injures hundreds after two collisions of three commuter trains—one of the worst train crashes in the United Kingdom.
• 1991 – The Russian Federation gains independence from the USSR.
• 2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore.
• 2001 – Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Văn Khải announces the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.
• 2012 – North Korea successfully launches its first satellite, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, using an Unha-3 carrier rocket.

Births[edit]

• 1298 – Albert II, Duke of Austria (d. 1358)
• 1418 – Archduke Albert VI of Austria (d. 1463)
• 1526 – Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, Spanish admiral (d. 1588)
• 1574 – Anne of Denmark (d. 1619)
• 1610 – Basil of Ostrog, Serbian monk and saint (d. 1671)
• 1685 – Lodovico Giustini, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1743)
• 1724 – Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood, English admiral and politician (d. 1816)
• 1731 – Erasmus Darwin, English physician and poet (d. 1802)
• 1766 – Nikolay Karamzin, Russian poet and historian (d. 1826)
• 1779 – Madeleine Sophie Barat, French nun and saint, founded the Society of the Sacred Heart (d. 1865)
• 1786 – William L. Marcy, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 21st United States Secretary of State (d. 1857)
• 1792 – Alexander Ypsilantis, Greek-Russian general and politician, Military ruler of Moldavia (d. 1828)
• 1799 – Karl Bryullov, Russian painter (d. 1852)
• 1805 – Henry Wells, American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (d. 1878)
• 1806 – Stand Watie, American general (d. 1871)
• 1812 – John Sandfield Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Ontario (d. 1872)
• 1814 – Juan Prim, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, Spanish general and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (d. 1870)
• 1821 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (d. 1880)
• 1842 – Adolf Bötticher, German journalist and historian (d. 1901)
• 1845 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the American Surety Building and Bank of the Metropolis (d. 1903)
• 1849 – William Kissam Vanderbilt, American businessman and horse breeder (d. 1920)
• 1862 – J. Bruce Ismay, English businessman (d. 1937)
• 1863 – Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter and illustrator (d. 1944)
• 1864 – Paul Elmer More, American journalist, author, and critic (d. 1937)
• 1866 – Alfred Werner, Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1919)
• 1870 – Walter Benona Sharp, American businessman, co-founded Hughes Tool Company (d. 1912)
• 1875 – Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (d. 1953)
• 1876 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American hurdler and runner (d. 1928)
• 1881 – Harry Warner, Polish-American businessman, co-founded Warner Bros (d. 1958)
• 1882 – Ioannis Demestichas, Greek admiral and politician (d. 1960)
• 1884 – Zinaida Serebriakova, Ukrainian-French painter (d. 1967)
• 1887 – Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer (d. 1974)
• 1892 – Milko Kos, Slovenian historian and academic (d. 1972)
• 1893 – Edward G. Robinson, American actor (d. 1973)
• 1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr., American actor and dancer (d. 1988)
• 1901 – Harald Kaarmann, Estonian footballer (d. 1942)
• 1902 – Adele Dunlap, American educator and supercentenarian (d. 2017)
• 1903 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter (d. 1963)
• 1904 – Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and journalist (d. 1981)
• 1905 – Manès Sperber, Austrian-French psychologist and author (d. 1984)
• 1905 – Vasily Grossman, Russian journalist and author (d. 1964)
• 1907 – Roy Douglas, English pianist and composer (d. 2015)
• 1908 – Gustav Ernesaks, Estonian composer and conductor (d. 1993)
• 1909 – Hans Keilson, German-Dutch psychologist, author, and poet (d. 2011)
• 1909 – Karen Morley, American actress and political activist (d. 2003)
• 1911 – Boun Oum, Laotian politician, 5th Prime Minister of Laos (d. 1980)
• 1912 – Henry Armstrong, American boxer (d. 1988)
• 1914 – Patrick O'Brian, English author and translator (d. 2000)
• 1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998)
• 1918 – Joe Williams, American singer and pianist (d. 1999)
• 1919 – Olivia Barclay, English astrologer and author (d. 2001)
• 1919 – Dan DeCarlo, American soldier and illustrator (d. 2001)
• 1920 – Josef Doležal, Czech race walker (d. 1999)
• 1920 – Fred Kida, American illustrator (d. 2014)
• 1922 – Christian Dotremont, Belgian painter and poet (d. 1979)
• 1923 – Bob Barker, American game show host and producer
• 1923 – Bob Dorough, American musician, composer, and producer
• 1924 – Ed Koch, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 105th Mayor of New York City (d. 2013)
• 1925 – Ted Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2009)
• 1925 – Dattu Phadkar, Indian cricketer (d. 1985)
• 1925 – Vladimir Shainsky, Ukrainian-Russian pianist and composer
• 1925 – Ahmad Shamloo, Iranian journalist and poet (d. 2000)
• 1927 – Robert Noyce, American inventor and businessman, co-founded the Intel Corporation (d. 1990)
• 1928 – Chinghiz Aitmatov, Kyrgyzstani diplomat and author (d. 2008)
• 1928 – Helen Frankenthaler, American painter and academic (d. 2011)
• 1929 – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Japanese pianist and composer
• 1929 – John Osborne, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1994)
• 1930 – Silvio Santos, Brazilian television host and businessman, founded Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão
• 1931 – Lionel Blair, English actor
• 1932 – Bob Pettit, American basketball player and coach
• 1933 – Manu Dibango, Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player
• 1933 – Christa Stubnick, German sprinter
• 1934 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican lawyer and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (d. 2012)
• 1935 – John Wise, Canadian farmer and politician, 23rd Minister of Agriculture (d. 2013)
• 1936 – Iolanda Balaș, Romanian high jumper and educator (d. 2016)
• 1936 – Denise Coffey, English actress and director
• 1937 – Michael Jeffery, Australian general and politician, 24th Governor-General of Australia
• 1937 – Philip Ledger, English pianist, composer, and academic (d. 2012)
• 1937 – Buford Pusser, American police officer (d. 1974)
• 1938 – Connie Francis, American singer and actress
• 1939 – Terry Kirkman, American singer-songwriter and musician
• 1940 – Sharad Pawar, Indian politician, Indian Minister of Agriculture
• 1940 – Dionne Warwick, American singer
• 1942 – Morris Sadek, Egyptian-American lawyer and activist
• 1942 – Brough Scott, English jockey and journalist
• 1943 – Vassilis Alexakis, Greek-French author and translator
• 1943 – Dickey Betts, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1943 – Sadeq Tabatabaei, Iranian journalist and politician (d. 2015)
• 1943 – Grover Washington, Jr., American singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and producer (d. 1999)
• 1944 – Jean Doré, Canadian lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Montreal (d. 2015)
• 1944 – Cara Duff-MacCormick, Canadian actress
• 1944 – Zoe Laskari, Greek actress
• 1944 – Rob Tyner, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 1991)
• 1945 – Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaican politician, 7th Prime Minister of Jamaica
• 1945 – Tony Williams, American drummer, composer, and producer (d. 1997)
• 1946 – Emerson Fittipaldi, Brazilian race car driver
• 1947 – Will Alsop, English architect and academic
• 1947 – Wings Hauser, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1947 – Chris Mullin, English journalist and politician
• 1948 – Colin Todd, English football player and coach
• 1949 – Gopinath Munde, Indian lawyer and politician, 3rd Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2014)
• 1949 – Bill Nighy, English actor
• 1949 – Marc Ravalomanana, Malagasy businessman and politician, President of Madagascar
• 1950 – Pedro Ferriz de Con, Mexican journalist
• 1950 – Martina Hellmann, German athlete
• 1950 – Heiner Flassbeck, German economist and academic
• 1950 – Gorman Thomas, American baseball player
• 1950 – Rajinikanth, Indian actor
• 1950 – Billy Smith, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
• 1951 – Rehman Malik, Pakistani politician, Pakistani Minister of Interior
• 1952 – Herb Dhaliwal, Indian-Canadian businessman and politician, 3rd Canadian Minister of Natural Resources
• 1952 – Sarah Douglas, English actress
• 1952 – Cathy Rigby, American gymnast
• 1953 – Martin Ferguson, Australian lawyer and politician
• 1953 – Bruce Kulick, American guitarist and songwriter
• 1953 – Rafael Septién, Mexican-American football player
• 1955 – Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Greek businesswoman
• 1955 – Eddy Schepers, Belgian cyclist
• 1955 – Stephen Smith, Australian lawyer and politician, 53rd Australian Minister of Defence
• 1956 – Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
• 1957 – Sheila E., American singer-songwriter, drummer, and actress
• 1958 – Alexander Crutchfield, American businessman, financier and investor
• 1959 – Jasper Conran, English fashion designer
• 1960 – Martina Hellmann, German discus thrower
• 1961 – Andrey Perlov, Russian race walker
• 1962 – Tracy Austin, American tennis player and sportscaster
• 1962 – Arturo Barrios, Mexican-American runner
• 1962 – Peter Bergen, American-English journalist and author
• 1962 – Mike Golic, American football player and radio host
• 1962 – Ulrike Tillmann, German mathematician and academic
• 1963 – Eduardo Castro Luque, Mexican businessman and politician (d. 2012)
• 1964 – Reeta Chakrabarti, English journalist
• 1964 – Haywood Jeffires, American football player and coach
• 1965 – Will Carling, English rugby player
• 1966 – Royce Gracie, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and actor
• 1966 – Ian Paisley, Jr., Northern Irish politician
• 1967 – Yuzo Koshiro, Japanese composer and producer
• 1967 – John Randle, American football player
• 1968 – Rory Kennedy, American director and producer
• 1968 – Sašo Udovič, Slovenian footballer
• 1968 – Laurie Williams, Jamaican cricketer (d. 2002)
• 1969 – Sophie Kinsella, English author and educator
• 1969 – Wilfred Kirochi, Kenyan runner
• 1969 – Fiona May, English-Italian long jumper
• 1969 – Michael Möllenbeck, German discus thrower
• 1970 – Jennifer Connelly, American actress
• 1970 – Regina Hall, American actress
• 1971 – Sammy Korir, Kenyan runner
• 1972 – Nicky Eaden, English footballer and coach
• 1972 – Craig Field, Australian rugby league player
• 1972 – Wilson Kipketer, Kenyan-Danish runner
• 1972 – Georgios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter
• 1972 – Hank Williams III, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1973 – Tony Hsieh, American businessman, founded LinkExchange
• 1973 – Walter Otta, Argentinian footballer
• 1974 – Bernard Lagat, Kenyan-American runner
• 1974 – Nolberto Solano, Peruvian footballer and manager
• 1975 – Mayim Bialik, American actress
• 1975 – Wesley Charles, Vincentian footballer
• 1975 – Craig Moore, Australian footballer and manager
• 1976 – Dan Hawkins, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• 1976 – Brent Johnson, Canadian football player
• 1976 – Lloyd Owusu, Ghanaian footballer
• 1977 – Yoel Hernández, Cuban hurdler
• 1977 – Orlando Hudson, American baseball player
• 1977 – Dean Macey, English decathlete and bobsledder
• 1977 – Colin White, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 – Gbenga Akinnagbe, American actor and screenwriter
• 1978 – Shin Seung-hwan, South Korean actor
• 1979 – Garrett Atkins, American baseball player
• 1979 – Nate Clements, American football player
• 1979 – John Salmons, American basketball player
• 1980 – Dejene Berhanu, Ethiopian runner (d. 2010)
• 1980 – Dorin Goian, Romanian footballer
• 1980 – Berkant Göktan, Turkish-German footballer
• 1981 – Ronnie Brown, American football player
• 1981 – Jeret Peterson, American skier (d. 2011)
• 1981 – Pedro Ríos, Spanish footballer
• 1981 – Yuvraj Singh, Indian cricketer
• 1981 – Stephen Warnock, English footballer
• 1982 – Dmitry Tursunov, Russian tennis player
• 1984 – Daniel Agger, Danish footballer
• 1984 – Daniel Merrett, Australian footballer
• 1985 – Pat Calathes, Greek-American basketball player
• 1985 – Chris Jennings, American football player
• 1985 – David Veikune, American football player
• 1985 – Giannis Zaradoukas, Greek footballer
• 1986 – Daddy Birori, Rwandan footballer
• 1986 – Përparim Hetemaj, Finnish footballer
• 1986 – Nina Kolarič, Slovenian long jumper
• 1986 – T. J. Ward, American football player
• 1987 – Marte Eberson, Norwegian keyboard player and composer
• 1988 – Isaac John, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1988 – Tony Williams, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
• 1989 – Mike Glennon, American football player
• 1990 – Nixon Chepseba, Kenyan runner
• 1990 – Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer
• 1990 – Seungri, South Korean singer-songwriter
• 1991 – Joseph Leilua, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
• 1993 – Zeli Ismail, English footballer
• 1994 – Mitchell Pinnock, English footballer
• 1994 – Otto Warmbier, American student imprisoned in North Korea (d. 2017)
• 1996 – Lachlan Croker, Australian rugby league player

Deaths[edit]

• 884 – Carloman II, Frankish king (b. 866)
• 894 – Guy III, king of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor
• 948 – Li Song, Chinese official and chancellor
• 1143 – Kogyo-Daishi, restorer of Shingon Buddhism in Japan (b. 1095)
• 1204 – Maimonides, Egyptian religious scholar, philosopher and physician (b. 1135)
• 1212 – Geoffrey, English archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1152)
• 1475 – Joan of Portugal, Queen of Castile (b. 1439)
• 1476 – Frederick I, Elector Palatine (b. 1425)
• 1569 – Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow (b. 1507)
• 1574 – Selim II, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1524)
• 1586 – Stephen Báthory, Polish king (b. 1533)
• 1685 – John Pell, English mathematician and linguist (b. 1610)
• 1751 – Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English philosopher and politician, Secretary at War (b. 1678)
• 1758 – Françoise de Graffigny, French lettrist (b. 1695)
• 1766 – Johann Christoph Gottsched, German philosopher, author, and critic (b. 1700)
• 1782 – Charles Gray, English lawyer and politician (b. 1696)
• 1789 – John Ponsonby, Irish lawyer and politician (b. 1713)
• 1790 – Mikhail Shcherbatov, Russian historian and philosopher (b. 1733)
• 1794 – Meshullam Feivush Heller, Ukrainian author (b. 1742)
• 1803 – Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden (b. 1750)
• 1817 – Tekle Giyorgis I, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1751)
• 1843 – William I of the Netherlands (b. 1772)
• 1858 – Jacques Viger, Canadian archeologist and politician, 1st Mayor of Montreal (b. 1787)
• 1889 – Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (b. 1812)
• 1889 – Viktor Bunyakovsky, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (b. 1804)
• 1894 – John Sparrow David Thompson, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1845)
• 1913 – Menelik II, Ethiopian emperor (b. 1844)
• 1921 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt, American astronomer and academic (b. 1868)
• 1923 – Raymond Radiguet, French author and poet (b. 1903)
• 1924 – Alexander Parvus, Russian-German theorist and politician (b. 1867)
• 1926 – Jean Richepin, French author, poet, and playwright (b. 1849)
• 1934 – Thorleif Haug, Norwegian skier (b. 1894)
• 1939 – Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1883)
• 1941 – César Basa, Filipino lieutenant and pilot (b. 1915)
• 1951 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (b. 1907)
• 1952 – Bedřich Hrozný, Czech orientalist and linguist (b. 1879)
• 1958 – Albert Walsh, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1900)
• 1963 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
• 1964 – Maithili Sharan Gupt, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1866)
• 1964 – William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes, English businessman, founded Rootes Group (b. 1894)
• 1966 – Karl Ruberl, Austrian-American swimmer (b. 1880)
• 1968 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (b. 1902)
• 1970 – Doris Blackburn, Australian politician (b. 1889)
• 1970 – George Terwilliger, American director and screenwriter (b. 1882)
• 1971 – Yechezkel Kutscher, Israeli philologist and linguist (b. 1909)
• 1971 – David Sarnoff, Belarusian-American businessman (b. 1891)
• 1975 – Richard Baggallay, English colonel and cricketer (b. 1884)
• 1976 – Jack Cassidy, American actor (b. 1927)
• 1978 – Fay Compton, English actress (b. 1894)
• 1980 – Jean Lesage, Canadian lawyer and politician, 19th Premier of Quebec (b. 1912)
• 1985 – Anne Baxter, American actress (b. 1923)
• 1985 – Ian Stewart, Scottish keyboard player and manager (b. 1938)
• 1986 – Paul Verner, German politician (b. 1911)
• 1987 – Enrique Jorrín, Cuban violinist and composer (b. 1926)
• 1992 – Suzanne Lilar, Belgian author and playwright (b. 1901)
• 1993 – József Antall, Hungarian historian and politician, 35th Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1932)
• 1994 – Stuart Roosa, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1933)
• 1994 – Donna J. Stone, American poet and philanthropist (b. 1933)
• 1996 – Vance Packard, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1914)
• 1997 – Evgenii Landis, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
• 1998 – Lawton Chiles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida (b. 1930)
• 1998 – Marco Denevi, Argentinian author and screenwriter (b. 1922)
• 1998 – Mo Udall, American captain and politician (b. 1922)
• 1999 – Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator (b. 1904)
• 1999 – Joseph Heller, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright(b. 1923)
• 2000 – George Montgomery, American actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1916)
• 2000 – Ndabaningi Sithole, Zimbabwean militant leader, founded Zimbabwe African National Union (b. 1920)
• 2001 – Ardito Desio, Italian geologist and explorer (b. 1897)
• 2002 – Dee Brown, American historian and author (b. 1908)
• 2003 – Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijani general and politician, 3rd President of Azerbaijan (b. 1923)
• 2003 – Gangodawila Soma Thero, Sri Lankan monk and educator (b. 1948)
• 2005 – Robert Newmyer, American actor and producer (b. 1956)
• 2005 – Ramanand Sagar, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1917)
• 2005 – Annette Stroyberg, Danish actress (b. 1936)
• 2005 – Gebran Tueni, Lebanese journalist and politician (b. 1957)
• 2006 – Paul Arizin, American basketball player (b. 1928)
• 2006 – Peter Boyle, American actor (b. 1935)
• 2006 – Kenny Davern, American clarinet player and saxophonist (b. 1935)
• 2006 – Raymond P. Shafer, American lawyer and politician, 38th Governor of Pennsylvania (b. 1917)
• 2006 – Alan Shugart, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Seagate Technology (b. 1930)
• 2007 – François al-Hajj, Lebanese general (b. 1953)
• 2007 – Ike Turner, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1931)
• 2008 – Avery Dulles, American cardinal and theologian (b. 1918)
• 2008 – Van Johnson, American actor (b. 1916)
• 2008 – Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot lawyer and politician, 5th President of Cyprus (b. 1934)
• 2010 – Tom Walkinshaw, Scottish race car driver, founded Tom Walkinshaw Racing (b. 1946)
• 2012 – Joe Allbritton, American banker, publisher, and philanthropist, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (b. 1924)
• 2012 – Nityanand Swami, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (b. 1927)
• 2012 – David Tait, English rugby player (b. 1987)
• 2013 – Tom Laughlin, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Abdul Quader Molla, Bangladeshi journalist and politician (b. 1948)
• 2013 – Leo Sachs, German-Israeli biologist and academic (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Jang Sung-taek, North Korean general and politician (b. 1946)
• 2013 – Audrey Totter, American actress (b. 1917)
• 2014 – Norman Bridwell, American author and illustrator, created Clifford the Big Red Dog (b. 1928)
• 2014 – Ivor Grattan-Guinness, English mathematician, historian, and academic (b. 1941)
• 2014 – Herb Plews, American baseball player (b. 1928)
• 2014 – Yury Shutov, Russian politician (b. 1946)
• 2015 – Luis Bermejo, Spanish illustrator (b. 1931)
• 2015 – Frans Geurtsen, Dutch footballer (b. 1942)
• 2015 – Sharad Anantrao Joshi, Indian farmer and politician (b. 1935)
• 2015 – Evelyn S. Lieberman, American politician, White House Deputy Chief of Staff (b. 1944)
• 2016 – Shirley Hazzard, Australian-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1931)

The 11 most expensive homes for sale in America's most expensive zip code

The median price for a home in Atherton, California, is about $9.6 million.Pacific Union

• The most expensive zip code in America is 94027, or Atherton, California, according to Forbes.
• The median price for a home there is $9,686,164.
• We put together a list of the most expensive homes currently for sale there.

---

If you're looking for luxurious homes, the most expensive zip code in America is a good place to start.

Atherton, California — or 94027 — has been crowned that title in 2017, according to Forbes' annual ranking.

The median price for a home in that area is $9,686,164, and homes spend about 190 days on the market. 

With the help of the team at Yardi, we put together a list of the 11 most expensive homes currently for sale in Atherton.

11. 65 Selby Lane — $10,800,000

Gullixson

10. 102 Encinal Avenue — $12,900,000

Zach Trailer Group

9. 333 Atherton Avenue— $12,980,000

Green Banker

8. 1 Ridge View Drive — $16,500,000

Alain Pinel

7. 147 Stockbridge Avenue — $16,900,000

Pacific Union

6. 60 Monte Vista Avenue — $17,500,000

Gullixson

5. 369 Fletcher Drive — $18,750,000

Pacific Union

4. 113 Atherton Avenue — $18,800,000

Alain Pinel

3. 1 Belbrook Way — $19,880,000

Alain Pinel

2. 178 Patricia Drive — $19,980,000

Alain Pinel

1. 150 Almendral Avenue — $29,950,000

Jay Leno reportedly just bought a $13.5 million mansion in Rhode Island 

Lila Delman Real Estate

• Jay Leno reportedly just bought a $13.5 million mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.
• The nine-acre property features a pool, tennis court, gardens, terraces, and a six-car garage.
• The home features an ornate, French-inspired interior design.

---

While Jay Leno has apparently practiced financial discipline throughout his career, he made a recent exception by purchasing a $13.5 million mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, according to the Boston Globe.

The nine-acre property would give Leno and his wife, Mavis, plenty of room to house and entertain guests, as there are eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a tennis court, pool, and private beach.

And the most appealing feature for Leno might be the six-car garage, which will give the antique car enthusiast the opportunity to keep his newest purchases safe from the elements.

The sprawling property is spread over nine acres.

Lila Delman Real Estate

The house was built in 1936.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Its previous owner was Verner Zevola Reed Jr., who was the US ambassador to Morocco under President Ronald Reagan and vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank.

Lila Delman Real Estate

The house has eight total bedrooms. This one looks larger than many New York City apartments.

Lila Delman Real Estate

With 11 bathrooms throughout the house, no residents or guests have to share.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Much of the home features ornate furniture and decorations and an emphasis on whites and yellows.

Lila Delman Real Estate

The interior design has a distinctly French influence.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

The kitchen is a little less ornate than the rest of the home.

Lila Delman Real Estate

The pool room also has a more casual vibe.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Outdoor amenities include a tennis court, gardens, terraces, and a private beach.

Lila Delman Real Estate

The pool offers views of the ocean.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Leno won't be the only celebrity with a mansion in Rhode Island, as Taylor Swift paid $17.75 million for one in Westerly in 2013.

Lila Delman Real Estate

Το πιο ακριβό αρχοντικό της Νέας Υόρκης: Αξεπέραστη χλιδή, έχει δικό του θέατρο, δωμάτιο πανικού 

Έναντι 80 εκατομμυρίων δολαριών αναμένεται να πουληθει 

αυτό το αρχοντικό στο κέντρο της Νέας Υόρκης, με 

αποτέλεσμα να πάρει κιόλας και τον τίτλο του πιο ακριβού 

σπιτιού εκεί.

Το αρχοντικό των 1.860 τετραγωνικών μέτρων βρίσκεται στην καρδιά της Νέας 

Υόρκης και θα πουληθεί σε τιμή ρεκόρ, καθώς κανένα άλλο σπίτι εκεί δεν έχει 

αγγίξει τα 80 εκατομμύρια.

Το πολυτελές αρχοντικό ανήκει μέχρι στιγμής στο  Βίνσεντ Βαϊόλα, πρώην 

υπουργός άμυνας του Τραμπ και δισεκατομμυριούχο με 1,89 δισ. δολάρια 

προσωπική περιουσία. Γνωστός ως Βίνι, ο Βαϊόλα είναι ιδρυτής και διευθύνων

 σύμβουλος της εταιρείας Virtu Financial, ενώ από το 2013 διοικεί την ομάδα χόκεϊ,

 Florida Partners, της αμερικανικής λίγκας.

Φαίνεται πως μετά την εγκατάλειψη της θέσης του από Υπουργός Άμυνας,

 ο Βαϊόλα δεν χρειάζεται ένα τόσο ακριβό ακίνητο με αποτέλεσμα να το πουλά 80

 εκατ. δολάρια, ενώ η τιμή που το απέκτησε το 2005 ήταν μόλις 20 εκατομμύρια.

Βέβαια,  ένας από τους λόγους που είναι τόσο ακριβό είναι πως έχει ανακαινιστεί 

πολλές φορές από τότε που αγοράστηκε από τον Βαιόλα, ενώ στην αρχή ήταν

 1.500 τ.μ, αλλά στη συνέχεια επεκτάθηκε.

Ωστόσο,  μόνο και μόνο από την τιμή καταλαβαίνει κανείς πως εκτός από το

 πλεονέκτημα της τοποθεσίας, το αρχοντικό είναι προικισμένο με πολλά κομφόρ.

Σήμερα το αρχοντικό περιλαμβάνει 7 υπνοδωμάτια, εννέα μπάνια, μία πισίνα,

 στούντιο ηχογράφησης, χώρο με σάουνα, ένα δωμάτιο- βιβλιοθήκη, ένα εγχώριο

 θέατρο με βελούδινα καθίσματα και μία γκουρμέ κουζίνα με ξεχωριστό χώρο για

 την παρασκευή πίτσας.

Υπάρχει επίσης κι ένα «δωμάτιο πανικού», ενώ η διακόσμηση φέρνει κάτι από 

βικτωριανή εποχή, με τα χρώματα να εναλλάσσονται σε κάθε δωμάτιο και το

 μάρμαρο να κάνει πιο ιδιαίτερο το αποτέλεσμα.

Μέχρι στιγμής, το σπίτι δεν είναι επισήμως διαθέσιμο προς πώληση, αλλά ο 

κτηματομεσίτης που εκπροσωπεί τον Βαϊόλα θεωρεί πως η συμφωνία θα αγγίξει

 τα 80 εκατ. σύμφωνα με την  WSJ.

Ο αγοραστής του αρχοντικού πιστεύεται μάλιστα πως θα είναι το ίδιο ανώνυμο

 άτομο που αγόρασε το ρετιρέ του πρώην διευθυντή της Barclays Bob Diamond 

στο Σέντραλ Παρκ έναντι $ 50,5 εκατομμύρια δολάρια στις αρχές του έτους.

\ 

Ο Βίνσεντ Βαϊόλα

[edit]

• 902 – Battle of the Holme: Anglo-Saxon forces are defeated by Danish Vikings under Æthelwold (a son of Æthelred of Wessex) who is killed in battle.
• 1294 – Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
• 1545 – Council of Trent begins.
• 1577 – Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.
• 1636 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the National Guard of the United States.
• 1642 – Abel Tasman reaches New Zealand.
• 1643 – English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire.
• 1758 – The English transport ship Duke William sinks in the North Atlantic, killing over 360 people.
• 1769 – Dartmouth College is founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor John Wentworth.
• 1818 – Cyril VI of Constantinople resigns from his position as Ecumenical Patriarch.
• 1862 – American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee defeats Union Major General Ambrose Burnside.
• 1867 – A Fenian bomb explodes in Clerkenwell, London, killing six.
• 1928 – George Gershwin's An American in Paris is first performed.
• 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.
• 1938 – The Holocaust: The Neuengamme concentration camp opens in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.
• 1939 – World War II: Battle of the River Plate: Captain Hans Langsdorff of the German Deutschland-class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles.
• 1943 – World War II: The Massacre of Kalavryta by German occupying forces in Greece.
• 1949 – The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.
• 1959 – Archbishop Makarios III becomes the first President of Cyprus.
• 1960 – While Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Brazil, his Imperial Bodyguard seizes the capital and proclaims him deposed and his son, Crown Prince Asfa Wossen, Emperor.
• 1962 – NASA launches Relay 1, the first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.
• 1967 – Constantine II of Greece attempts an unsuccessful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels.
• 1968 – Brazilian President Artur da Costa e Silva issues AI-5 (Institutional Act No. 5), enabling government by decree and suspending habeas corpus.
• 1972 – Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. To date they are the last humans to set foot on the Moon.
• 1974 – Malta becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.
• 1977 – Air Indiana Flight 216 crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff, and boosters of the team.
• 1981 – General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland, largely due to the actions by Solidarity.
• 1982 – The 6.0 M_s North Yemen earthquake shakes southwestern Yemen with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 2,800, and injuring 1,500.
• 1988 – PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat gives a speech at a UN General Assembly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, after United States authorities refused to grant him a visa to visit UN headquarters in New York.
• 1989 – The Troubles: Attack on Derryard checkpoint: The Provisional Irish Republican Army launches an attack on a British Army temporary vehicle checkpoint near Rosslea, Northern Ireland. Two British soldiers are killed and two others are wounded.
• 2001 – Sansad Bhavan, the building housing the Indian Parliament, is attacked by terrorists. Twelve people are killed, including the terrorists.
• 2002 – European Union enlargement: The EU announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
• 2003 – Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit.
• 2011 – A murder–suicide in Liège, Belgium, kills six and wounds 125 people at a Christmas market.
• 2013 – Arapahoe High School shooting: Murder-suicide: A female student seeking the librarian is shot dead in a hallway by another student after the librarian had demoted him on the debate team. The shooter takes his own life shortly afterwards.

Births[edit]

• 1272 – King Frederick III of Sicily (d. 1337)
• 1363 – Jean Gerson, chancellor of the University of Paris (d. 1429)
• 1476 – Lucy Brocadelli, Dominican tertiary and stigmatic (d. 1544)
• 1484 – Paul Speratus, German Lutheran (d. 1551)
• 1491 – Martín de Azpilcueta, Spanish theologian and economist (d. 1586)
• 1499 – Justus Menius, German Lutheran pastor (d. 1558)
• 1521 – Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590)
• 1533 – Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577)
• 1553 – Henry IV of France (d. 1610)
• 1560 – Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, 2nd Prime Minister of France (d. 1641)
• 1585 – William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (d. 1649)
• 1640 – Robert Plot, English chemist and academic (d. 1696)
• 1662 – Francesco Bianchini, Italian astronomer and philosopher (d. 1729)
• 1678 – Yongzheng Emperor of China (d. 1735)
• 1720 – Carlo Gozzi, Italian playwright (d. 1804)
• 1724 – Franz Aepinus, German astronomer and philosopher (d. 1802)
• 1769 – James Scarlett Abinger, English judge (d. 1844)
• 1780 – Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner, German chemist, invented the Döbereiner's lamp (d. 1849)
• 1784 – Archduke Louis of Austria (d. 1864)
• 1797 – Heinrich Heine, German journalist, poet, and critic (d. 1856)
• 1804 – Joseph Howe, Canadian journalist and politician, 5th Premier of Nova Scotia (d. 1873)
• 1814 – Ana Néri, Brazilian nurse and philanthropist (d. 1880)
• 1816 – Werner von Siemens, German engineer and businessman, founded Siemens (d. 1892)
• 1818 – Mary Todd Lincoln, 16th First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)
• 1830 – Mathilde Fibiger, Danish feminist, novelist and telegraphist (d. 1892)
• 1836 – Franz von Lenbach, German painter and academic (d. 1904)
• 1854 – Herman Bavinck, Dutch philosopher, theologian, and academic (d. 1921)
• 1856 – Svetozar Boroević, Croatian-Austrian field marshal (d. 1920)
• 1860 – Lucien Guitry, French actor (d. 1925)
• 1864 – Emil Seidel, American woodcarver and politician, 36th Mayor of Milwaukee (d. 1947)
• 1867 – Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist and author (d. 1917)
• 1870 – Edward LeSaint, American actor and director (d. 1940)
• 1871 – Emily Carr, Canadian painter and author (d. 1945)
• 1874 – Josef Lhévinne, Russian pianist and educator (d. 1944)
• 1883 – Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian (d. 1950)
• 1884 – Aimilios Veakis, Greek actor, director, and playwright (d. 1951)
• 1885 – Annie Dale Biddle Andrews, American mathematician (d. 1940)
• 1887 – George Pólya, Hungarian-American mathematician and academic (d. 1985)
• 1887 – Alvin C. York, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
• 1897 – Albert Aalbers, Dutch architect, designed the Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel (d. 1961)
• 1897 – Drew Pearson, American journalist and author (d. 1969)
• 1900 – Jonel Perlea, Romanian-American conductor and educator (d. 1970)
• 1901 – Olev Roomet, Estonian singer, violinist, and bagpipe player (d. 1987)
• 1902 – Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Greek philosopher and politician, 138th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1986)
• 1902 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist and academic (d. 1979)
• 1903 – Ella Baker, American activist (d. 1986)
• 1903 – Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (d. 1993)
• 1906 – Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (d. 1968)
• 1906 – Laurens van der Post, South African-English soldier and author (d. 1996)
• 1908 – Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, Brazilian historian and activist (d. 1995)
• 1908 – Van Heflin, American actor (d. 1971)
• 1908 – Elizabeth Alexander, British geologist, academic, and physicist (d. 1958)
• 1911 – Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
• 1911 – Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972)
• 1912 – Luiz Gonzaga, Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (d. 1989)
• 1913 – Arnold Brown, English-Canadian missionary, 11th General of The Salvation Army (d. 2002)
• 1914 – Alan Bullock, English historian and author (d. 2004)
• 1914 – Larry Noble, English comedian and actor (d. 1993)
• 1915 – B. J. Vorster, South African lawyer and politician, 4th State President of South Africa (d. 1983)
• 1916 – Archie Moore, American boxer (d. 1998)
• 1916 – Leonard Weisgard, American author and illustrator (d. 2000)
• 1918 – Bill Vukovich, Serbian-American racing driver (d. 1955)
• 1919 – Hans-Joachim Marseille, German captain and pilot (d. 1942)
• 1920 – George P. Shultz, American economist and politician, 60th United States Secretary of State
• 1921 – Turgut Demirağ, Turkish film producer, director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
• 1923 – Philip Warren Anderson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1923 – Terence Beckett, English businessman (d. 2013)
• 1923 – Edward Bede Clancy, Australian cardinal (d. 2014)
• 1923 – Larry Doby, American baseball player and manager (d. 2003)
• 1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer
• 1926 – Carl Erskine, American major-league baseball player
• 1926 – George Rhoden, Jamaican runner
• 1927 – James Wright, American poet and academic (d. 1980)
• 1929 – Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor and producer
• 1930 – Robert Prosky, American actor (d. 2008)
• 1933 – Doug Mohns, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 2014)
• 1934 – Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer (d. 2012)
• 1934 – Antoinette Rodez Schiesler, American chemist (d. 1996)
• 1935 – Joe Christopher, Virgin Islander baseball player
• 1935 – Kenneth Hall, American football player
• 1935 – Lindy McDaniel, American baseball player
• 1935 – Türkan Saylan, Turkish physician and academic (d. 2009)
• 1935 – Arthur Summons, Australian rugby player
• 1936 – Aga Khan IV, Swiss-English businessman
• 1936 – J. C. Martin, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1937 – Rob Houwer, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1937 – Ulf G. Lindén, Swedish businessman (d. 2009)
• 1938 – Tom Shaw, American golfer
• 1940 – Sanjaya Lall, Indian economist and academic (d. 2005)
• 1941 – John Davidson, American actor and game show host
• 1942 – Howard Brenton, English playwright and screenwriter
• 1942 – Anna Eshoo, American lawyer and politician
• 1943 – Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball and basketball player
• 1944 – Hwang Jang-lee, Japanese-South Korean martial artist and actor
• 1945 – Herman Cain, American businessman and political activist
• 1948 – Jeff Baxter, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
• 1948 – Lillian Board, South African-English sprinter (d. 1970)
• 1948 – Ted Nugent, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
• 1948 – Brian Wilson, Scottish journalist and politician, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
• 1949 – Robert Lindsay, English actor and singer
• 1949 – R. A. MacAvoy, American computer programmer and author
• 1949 – Randy Owen, American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1949 – Tom Verlaine, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1950 – Linda Bellos, English businesswoman and politician
• 1950 – Wendie Malick, American actress, model and comedian
• 1950 – Julia Slingo, English meteorologist and academic
• 1950 – Tom Vilsack, American lawyer and politician, 30th United States Secretary of Agriculture
• 1952 – Junkyard Dog, American football player and wrestler (d. 1998)
• 1952 – John Francome, English jockey and sportscaster
• 1952 – Larry Kenon, American basketball player
• 1952 – Jean Rouaud, French author
• 1953 – Berton Averre, American guitarist and songwriter
• 1953 – Ben Bernanke, American economist and academic
• 1953 – Bill Castro, Dominican baseball player and coach
• 1953 – Jim Davidson, English comedian, actor, and television host
• 1953 – Bob Gainey, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
• 1953 – Thomas Kurzhals, German keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2014)
• 1954 – John Anderson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1954 – Steve Forbert, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1954 – Harsh Vardhan, Indian otolaryngologist and politician, Indian Minister of Science and Technology
• 1955 – Joseph Mahmoud, Moroccan-French runner
• 1956 – Dale Berra, American baseball player
• 1956 – Phil Hubbard, American basketball player and coach
• 1957 – Steve Buscemi, American actor and director
• 1957 – Eric Marienthal, American saxophonist
• 1957 – Jean-Marie Messier, French businessman
• 1959 – Heino Enden, Estonian basketball player and coach
• 1959 – Staffan William-Olsson, Swedish guitarist and composer
• 1960 – Richard Dent, American football player
• 1961 – Harry Gregson-Williams, English composer, conductor, and producer
• 1961 – Irene Sáez, Venezuelan model and politician, Governor of Nueva Esparta
• 1961 – Gary Zimmerman, American football player
• 1962 – Roger Ilegems, Belgian cyclist
• 1962 – Jamie Raskin, American lawyer, academic, and politician
• 1962 – Rex Ryan, American football player and coach
• 1962 – Rob Ryan, American football player and coach
• 1964 – hide, Japanese singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1998)
• 1966 – Mike Tirico, American sportscaster
• 1967 – Jamie Foxx, American actor, singer, songwriter, producer, and comedian
• 1967 – Bo Pelini, American football player and coach
• 1969 – Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player and manager
• 1970 – Tonja Buford-Bailey, American hurdler and coach
• 1970 – Eoin Jess, Scottish footballer
• 1970 – Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Austrian mountaineer
• 1971 – Naomi Long, Northern Irish engineer and politician, 54th Lord Mayor of Belfast
• 1971 – Scott Sattler, Australian rugby league player and sporstcaster
• 1971 – Leanne Wood, Welsh academic and politician
• 1972 – Chris Grant, Australian footballer
• 1972 – James Murdoch, Australian-American businessman, son of Rupert Murdoch
• 1974 – Sara Cox, English broadcaster (television presenter and disc jockey)
• 1975 – Bates Battaglia, American ice hockey player
• 1975 – Tom DeLonge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1975 – Kostas Kiassos, Greek footballer
• 1975 – Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player and coach
• 1975 – Bahar Mert, Turkish volleyball player
• 1976 – Josh Fogg, American baseball player
• 1976 – Søren Friis, Danish footballer
• 1976 – Radosław Sobolewski, Polish footballer
• 1976 – Rama Yade, Senegalese-French politician
• 1977 – Sascha Kindred, German-English swimmer
• 1978 – Kaspars Kambala, Latvian basketball player
• 1978 – B.J. Penn, American mixed martial artist and wrestler
• 1979 – Matjaž Smodiš, Slovenian basketball player
• 1979 – Luke Steele, Australian singer-songwriter and musician
• 1980 – Patrik Antonius, Finnish tennis player, coach, and poker player
• 1980 – Ryan France, English footballer
• 1980 – Danil Haustov, Estonian swimmer
• 1981 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1982 – Dan Hamhuis, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1982 – Ayumi Kinoshita, Japanese actress and model
• 1982 – Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player
• 1982 – Tuka Rocha, Brazilian race car driver
• 1982 – Koutaro Tanaka, Japanese actor
• 1982 – Dominik Werling, German footballer
• 1983 – Matt Deis, American bass player and songwriter
• 1983 – Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish swimmer
• 1983 – Janeth Jepkosgei, Kenyan runner
• 1984 – Santi Cazorla, Spanish footballer
• 1984 – Hanna-Maria Seppälä, Finnish swimmer
• 1985 – Michael Bumpus, American football player
• 1985 – Laurence Leboeuf, Canadian actress
• 1985 – Alby Mathewson, New Zealand rugby player
• 1986 – Mathieu Gnanligo, Beninese sprinter
• 1988 – Rickie Fowler, American golfer
• 1988 – Olly Lancashire, English footballer
• 1988 – James Tamou, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player
• 1989 – Hellen Onsando Obiri, Kenyan runner
• 1989 – Ben Ridge, Australian rugby league player
• 1989 – Taylor Swift, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
• 1991 – Sénah Mango, Togolese footballer

Deaths[edit]

• 558 – Childebert I, Frankish king (b. 496)
• 769 – Du Hongjian, Chinese politician (b. 709)
• 838 – Pepin I of Aquitaine (b. 797)
• 859 – Angilbert II, archbishop of Milan
• 1124 – Pope Callixtus II (b. 1065)
• 1126 – Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1075)
• 1204 – Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (b. 1135)
• 1250 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1194)
• 1272 – Bertold of Regensburg, German preacher
• 1404 – Albert I, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1336)
• 1466 – Donatello, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1386)
• 1516 – Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer and historian (b. 1462)
• 1521 – Manuel I of Portugal (b. 1469)
• 1557 – Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia, Italian mathematician and engineer (b. 1499)
• 1565 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and physician (b. 1516)
• 1621 – Katarina Stenbock, queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1535)
• 1671 – Antonio Grassi, Italian Roman Catholic priest(b. 1592)
• 1716 – Charles de La Fosse, French painter (b. 1640)
• 1721 – Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor (b. 1676)
• 1729 – Anthony Collins, English philosopher and author (b. 1676)
• 1754 – Mahmud I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1696)
• 1758 – Noël Doiron, Canadian Acadia leader (b. 1684)
• 1769 – Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet and hymn-writer (b. 1715)
• 1783 – Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer and demographer (b. 1717)
• 1784 – Samuel Johnson, English poet and lexicographer (b. 1709)
• 1814 – Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, Belgian-Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)
• 1837 – Herman of Alaska, Russian missionary and saint (b. 1756)
• 1849 – Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg, German botanist and entomologist (b. 1766)
• 1862 – Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb, American general, lawyer, and politician (b. 1823)
• 1863 – Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German poet and playwright (b. 1813)
• 1868 – Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist and explorer (b. 1794)
• 1881 – August Šenoa, Croatian author and poet (b. 1838)
• 1883 – Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (b. 1812)
• 1893 – Georg August Rudolph, German lawyer and politician, 3rd Mayor of Marburg (b. 1816)
• 1895 – Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist and engineer (b. 1800)
• 1908 – Augustus Le Plongeon, French photographer and historian (b. 1825)
• 1919 – Woldemar Voigt, German physicist and academic (b. 1850)
• 1922 – Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter and photographer (b. 1857)
• 1922 – Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic poet and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Iceland (b. 1861)
• 1924 – Samuel Gompers, English-born American labor leader, founded the American Federation of Labor (b. 1850)
• 1927 – Mehmet Nadir, Turkish mathematician and academic (b. 1856)
• 1930 – Fritz Pregl, Slovenian-Austrian chemist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1869)
• 1931 – Gustave Le Bon, French psychologist, sociologist, and anthropologist (b. 1840)
• 1932 – Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter and sculptor (b. 1853)
• 1935 – Victor Grignard, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1871)
• 1942 – Wlodimir Ledóchowski, Austrian-Polish religious leader, 26th Superior-General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1866)
• 1942 – Robert Robinson Taylor, American architect (b. 1868)
• 1944 – Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-French painter and theorist (b. 1866)
• 1944 – Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (b. 1908)
• 1945 – Irma Grese, German concentration camp guard (b. 1923)
• 1945 – Josef Kramer, German concentration camp commandant (b. 1906)
• 1945 – Elisabeth Volkenrath, Polish-German concentration camp supervisor (b. 1919)
• 1947 – Henry James, American lawyer and author (b. 1879)
• 1947 – Nicholas Roerich, Russian archaeologist, painter, and philosopher (b. 1874)
• 1950 – Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician and academic (b. 1902)
• 1954 – John Raymond Hubbell, American director and composer (b. 1879)
• 1955 – Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist and neurosurgeon, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
• 1960 – Dora Marsden, English author and activist (b. 1882)
• 1961 – Grandma Moses, American painter (b. 1860)
• 1962 – Harry Barris, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1905)
• 1969 – Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (b. 1886)
• 1973 – Henry Green, English author (b. 1905)
• 1974 – Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (b. 1889)
• 1975 – Cyril Delevanti, English-American actor (b. 1889)
• 1977 – Oğuz Atay, Turkish engineer and author (b. 1934)
• 1979 – Jon Hall, American actor and director (b. 1915)
• 1979 – Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet and translator (b. 1916)
• 1983 – Alexander Schmemann, Estonian-American priest and theologian (b. 1921)
• 1983 – Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet and critic (b. 1933)
• 1986 – Heather Angel, British-American actress (b. 1909)
• 1986 – Ella Baker, American activist (b. 1903)
• 1986 – Smita Patil, Indian actress and journalist (b. 1955)
• 1992 – K. C. Irving, Canadian businessman (b. 1899)
• 1992 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1899)
• 1993 – Vanessa Duriès, French author (b. 1972)
• 1995 – Ann Nolan Clark, American author and educator (b. 1896)
• 1996 – Edward Blishen, English author and educator (b. 1920)
• 1997 – Don E. Fehrenbacher, American historian, author, and academic (b. 1920)
• 2001 – Chuck Schuldiner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1967)
• 2002 – Zal Yanovsky, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1944)
• 2003 – Māris Čaklais, Latvian poet and journalist (b. 1940)
• 2003 – William V. Roth, Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1921)
• 2004 – Bernarda Bryson Shahn, American painter and illustrator (b. 1903)
• 2004 – Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (b. 1934)
• 2004 – David Wheeler, English computer scientist and academic (b. 1927)
• 2005 – Stanley Williams, American gang leader, co-founded the Crips (b. 1953)
• 2006 – Lamar Hunt, American businessman, co-founded the American Football League and World Championship Tennis (b. 1932)
• 2007 – Mark Partridge, Zimbabwean lawyer and politician (b. 1922)
• 2007 – Floyd Red Crow Westerman, American actor and activist (b. 1936)
• 2008 – John Drake, New Zealand rugby player and journalist (b. 1959)
• 2010 – James Dibble, Australian journalist (b. 1923)
• 2010 – Richard Holbrooke, American journalist and diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1941)
• 2010 – Enrique Morente, Spanish singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
• 2011 – T. J. Bass, American physician and author (b. 1932)
• 2011 – Kabir Chowdhury, Bangladeshi author and academic (b. 1923)
• 2011 – Russell Hoban, American author and illustrator (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Ian Black, Scottish footballer (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Marcel Cellier, Swiss organist and producer (b. 1925)
• 2013 – Vivian Kellogg, American baseball player and manager (b. 1922)
• 2013 – Kim Kuk-tae, North Korean politician (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Harvey Littleton, American glass artist and educator (b. 1922)
• 2014 – Ernst Albrecht, German economist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (b. 1930)
• 2014 – William E. May, American theologian and academic (b. 1928)
• 2014 – Phil Stern, American photographer (b. 1919)
• 2014 – Taitetsu Unno, Japanese scholar and author (b. 1929)
• 2015 – Benedict Anderson, Chinese-American political scientist and academic (b. 1936)
• 2015 – John Bannon, Australian academic and politician, 39th Premier of South Australia (b. 1943)
• 2015 – Peter Ryan, Australian journalist and author (b. 1923)
• 2016 – Thomas Schelling, American economist and educator (b. 1921)
• 2016 – David Strangway, Canadian geophysicist and university administrator (b. 1934)
• 2016 – Alan Thicke, Canadian-American actor and composer (b. 1947)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi has critics in raptures

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"Rousing.""Thrilling.""Addictively bold." Just a few of the superlatives the critics are using to describe the latest film in the Star Wars saga.

The Last Jedi, writes the Telegraph, is "enormous fun" and "will leave fans beaming with surprise".

The Guardian calls it "an explosive sugar rush of spectacle" possessing "a tidal wave of energy and emotion".

Variety, though, swims against the tide, describing it as "the longest and least essential chapter in the series".

Rian Johnson's film, says Peter Debruge, is "ultimately a disappointment" that "gives in to the same winking self-parody that is poisoning other franchises of late."

Writing in The Verge, Tasha Robinson tends to agree: "Audiences will likely come away from The Last Jedi with a lot of complaints and questions." 

Released in the UK on Thursday, The Last Jedi sees Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

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British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega also return from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as do Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and trundling robot BB-8.

Driver's Kylo Ren is singled out for praise by USA Today, who describe the character as "blockbuster cinema's most magnetic and unpredictable antagonist since Heath Ledger's Dark Knight Joker."

Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro and relative newcomer Kelly Marie Tran are among the new cast additions.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw calls her "terrifically good", while Digital Spy predicts she will "tear up Tumblr like nobody's business".

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Picking up where 2015's The Force Awakens left off, The Last Jedi sees Rey (Ridley) try to persuade Luke, now a reclusive hermit, to rejoin the Resistance.

Writing for the Radio Times, Alan Jones says "it's great to see [him] back in the Skywalker saddle, albeit now riddled with self-doubt and a broken spirit."

In space, meanwhile, what's left of the Rebellion prepare for a last stand against the all-powerful First Order and their supreme leader Snoke.

The result, writes Total Film's Jamie Graham, is "an excellent middle chapter bursting with wit, wisdom, emotion, shocks, old-fashioned derring-do, state-of-the-art tech, and stonking set-pieces."

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Spectacular effects, light saber duels, outlandish creatures and surprise revelations help fill the film's 152-minute running time.

Some critics, though, feel it would have benefited from some trimming. "The Last Jedi is a long work of art that doesn't know when to quit," writes Forbes' Scott Mendelsohn.

Critics have been asked to avoid plot spoilers in their coverage of the film, which is expected to be an immediate box office smash.

Here are longer excerpts from some of the critics' reviews:

The Guardian

The Last Jedi gives you an explosive sugar rush of spectacle. It's a film that buzzes with belief in itself and its own mythic universe - a euphoric certainty that I think no other movie franchise has. And there is no provisional hesitation or energy dip of the sort that might have been expected between episodes seven and nine.

What there is, admittedly, is an anticlimactic narrative muddle in the military story, but this is not much of a flaw considering the tidal wave of energy and emotion that crashes out of the screen in the final five minutes. It's impossible not to be swept away.

Read the full review

The Telegraph

Rian Johnson's film certainly feels like Star Wars: it even has a supporting cast made up of British character actors and gorgeously CG-augmented rubber creatures, including porgs, a kind of hyper-marketable cross between a puffin and a young Justin Bieber.

But it's not a Star Wars you're entirely sure Lucas would or could have ever made himself. Rather than playing the hits, as JJ Abrams's franchise-reviving The Force Awakens did two Christmases ago, it flexes its fingers before riffing over old chord progressions in ways that will leave fans beaming with surprise. 

Read the full review

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Variety

The Last Jedi possesses the same reverence for the galaxy Lucas created, paying homage in all the right places (from the chills we get from John Williams' iconic fanfare to the new-and-improved walkers that appear during the climactic siege) while barely advancing the narrative.

Ultimately, there's only so much wiggle room Johnson has to play with a property that seems destined to generate a new instalment/spin-off every year until we die - which means that however many Death Stars or Sith Lords the Resistance manages to defeat, there will always be more, and no matter how few Jedi remain, there can never be none.

Read the full review

Empire

Time and again, Johnson finds a cinematic grammar that feels new to Star Wars; big close-ups (tender touching hands), top shots, elegant camera tracks and pulling out in-world sound, leaving just music and image. And Johnson isn't afraid to go trippy, either - a scene in which a character repeatedly clicks their fingers could have come from a '60s arthouse flick.

If The Force Awakens raised a lot of questions, The Last Jedi tackles them head-on, delivering answers that will shock and awe in equal measure. Fun, funny but with emotional heft, this is a mouth-watering set-up for Episode IX and a fitting tribute to Carrie Fisher.

Read the full review

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Digital Spy

When the bits of serious fan service do come, they feel earned rather than rammed down your throat. The film doesn't wallow in nostalgia - it acknowledges the past while moving Star Wars into new, uncharted territory.

At two-and-a-half hours, the film is lengthy, but events move at such a pace that it doesn't drag or threaten to outstay its welcome. Johnson has created a movie that is both quintessentially Star Wars and richer than anything that has come before.

Read the full review

CNN

Running more than two-and-a-half hours, the eighth Star Wars movie built around the Skywalker clan is the longest under that banner and showcases an abundance of action. But despite the enormous scope and visual spectacle, too many key components of the film - including those that have kept die-hard fans guessing and debating - prove unsatisfying.

In crass commercial terms, no clairvoyance is necessary to predict that The Last Jedi will be a huge hit, blunting any criticism. Yet if The Empire Strikes Back stands as the defining chapter in the Star Wars saga, as second movies go, Last Jedi ranks closer to the Attack of the Clones end of the gene pool.