April 6
Events
Pre–1600
1601–1900
- 1652 - At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town.
- 1712 - The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins near Broadway.
- 1776 - American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy fail in their attempt to capture a Royal Navy dispatch boat.
- 1782 - King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke of Siam establishes the Chakri dynasty.
- 1793 - During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic.
- 1800 - The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Septinsular Republic, the first autonomous Greek state since the Fall of the Byzantine Empire.
- 1808 - John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America's first millionaire.
- 1812 - British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington assault the fortress of Badajoz. This would be the turning point in the Peninsular War against Napoleon-led France.
- 1814 - Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration; anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba.
- 1830 - Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, is organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York.
- 1841 - U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become president upon William Henry Harrison's death.
- 1860 - The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois.
- 1862 - American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.
- 1865 - American Civil War: The Battle of Sailor's Creek: Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fights and loses its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia, during the Appomattox Campaign.
- 1866 - The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.
- 1896 - In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I.
1901–present
- 1909 - Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first people to reach the North Pole; Peary's claim has been disputed because of failings in his navigational ability.
- 1911 - During the Battle of Deçiq, Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after George Kastrioti.
- 1917 - World War I: The United States declares war on Germany.
- 1918 - Finnish Civil War: The battle of Tampere ends.
- 1926 - Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight.
- 1929 - Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives.
- 1930 - At the end of the Salt March, Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire."
- 1936 - Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.
- 1941 - World War II: Nazi Germany launches Operation 25 and Operation Marita.
- 1945 - World War II: Sarajevo is liberated from German and Croatian forces by the Yugoslav Partisans.
- 1945 - World War II: The Battle of Slater's Knoll on Bougainville comes to an end.
- 1947 - The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievement.
- 1948 - The Finno-Soviet Treaty is signed in Moscow.
- 1957 - The flag carrier airline of Greece for decades, Olympic Airways, is founded by Aristotle Onassis following the acquisition of "TAE - Greek National Airlines".
- 1958 - Capital Airlines Flight 67 crashes in Tittabawassee Township, Michigan, near Freeland Tri-City Airport, killing 47.
- 1965 - Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
- 1968 - In the downtown district of Richmond, Indiana, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150.
- 1968 - Pierre Elliott Trudeau wins the Liberal Party leadership election, and becomes Prime Minister of Canada soon afterward.
- 1970 - Newhall massacre: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed in a shootout.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: Easter Offensive: American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.
- 1973 - Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
- 1973 - The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter.
- 1974 - In Brighton, United Kingdom, ABBA wins the 1974 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo", the first of a joint-record seven Swedish wins.
- 1974 - The first California Jam festival takes place at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. Co-headlined by Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The festival set what were then records for the loudest amplification system ever installed, the highest paid attendance, and highest gross in history.
- 1984 - Members of Cameroon's Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
- 1985 - Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab.
- 1992 - The Bosnian War begins.
- 1994 - The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down.
- 1997 - In Greene County, Tennessee, the Lillelid murders occur.
- 1998 - Nuclear weapons testing: Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India.
- 2004 - Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment.
- 2005 - Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.
- 2008 - The 2008 Egyptian general strike starts led by Egyptian workers later to be adopted by April 6 Youth Movement and Egyptian activists.
- 2009 - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing 307.
- 2010 - Maoist rebels April [2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada|kill] 76 CRPF officers in Dantewada district, India.
- 2011 - In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, over 193 victims of Los Zetas were exhumed from several mass graves.
- 2012 - Azawad declares itself independent from the Republic of Mali.
- 2017 - U.S. military launches 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at an air base in Syria. Russia describes the strikes as an "aggression", adding they significantly damage US-Russia ties.
- 2018 - A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team collides with a semi-truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.
Births
Pre–1600
1601–1900
- 1632 - Maria Leopoldine of Austria
- 1651 - André Dacier, French scholar and academic
- 1660 - Johann Kuhnau, German organist and composer
- 1664 - Arvid Horn, Swedish general and politician, Governor of Västerbotten County
- 1671 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet and playwright
- 1672 - André Cardinal Destouches, French composer
- 1706 - Louis de Cahusac, French playwright and composer
- 1708 - Johann Georg Reutter, Austrian organist and composer
- 1725 - Pasquale Paoli, French soldier and politician
- 1726 - Gerard Majella, Italian saint
- 1741 - Nicolas Chamfort, French author and playwright
- 1766 - Wilhelm von Kobell, German painter and educator
- 1773 - James Mill, Scottish historian, economist, and philosopher
- 1787 - Celestina Cordero, Puerto Rican educator
- 1810 - Philip Henry Gosse, English biologist and academic
- 1812 - Alexander Herzen, Russian philosopher and author
- 1815 - Robert Volkmann, German organist, composer, and conductor
- 1818 - Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian journalist and poet
- 1820 - Nadar, French photographer, journalist, and author
- 1823 - Joseph Medill, Canadian-American publisher and politician, 26th Mayor of Chicago
- 1824 - George Waterhouse, English-New Zealand politician, 7th Prime Minister of New Zealand
- 1826 - Gustave Moreau, French painter and academic
- 1844 - William Lyne, Australian politician, 13th Premier of New South Wales
- 1851 - Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer and academic
- 1852 - Will Crooks, English trade unionist and politician
- 1855 - Charles Huot, Canadian painter and illustrator
- 1857 - Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter and photographer
- 1860 - René Lalique, French sculptor and jewellery designer
- 1861 - Stanislas de Guaita, French poet and author
- 1864 - William Bate Hardy, English biologist and academic
- 1866 - Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal
- 1869 - Levon Shant, Armenian author, poet, and playwright
- 1878 - Erich Mühsam, German author, poet, and playwright
- 1881 - Karl Staaf, Swedish pole vaulter and hammer thrower
- 1884 - J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer
- 1886 - Athenagoras I of Constantinople
- 1886 - Walter Dandy, American physician and neurosurgeon
- 1886 - Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, Indian ruler
- 1888 - Hans Richter, Swiss painter, illustrator, and director
- 1888 - Gerhard Ritter, German historian and academic
- 1890 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch engineer and businessman, founded Fokker Aircraft Manufacturer
- 1892 - Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company
- 1892 - Lowell Thomas, American journalist and author
- 1895 - Dudley Nichols, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1898 - Jeanne Hébuterne, French painter and author
- 1900 - Leo Robin, American composer and songwriter
1901–present
- 1901 - Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian activist
- 1902 - Julien Torma, French author, poet, and playwright
- 1903 - Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player and manager
- 1903 - Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic
- 1904 - Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German lawyer, politician and Chancellor of Germany
- 1904 - Erwin Komenda, Austrian car designer and engineer
- 1906 - Virginia Hall, American who was a spy in France for the UK and US during WWII
- 1908 - Marcel-Marie Desmarais, Canadian preacher, missionary, and author
- 1908 - Ernie Lombardi, American baseball player
- 1909 - William M. Branham, American minister and theologian
- 1909 - Hermann Lang, German race car driver
- 1910 - Barys Kit, Belarusian-American rocket scientist
- 1911 - Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1913 - Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune, American geographer and academic
- 1915 - Tadeusz Kantor, Polish director, painter, and set designer
- 1916 - Phil Leeds, American actor
- 1916 - Vincent Ellis McKelvey, American geologist and author
- 1917 - Leonora Carrington, English-Mexican painter and author
- 1918 - Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian general and politician, 56th President of Bolivia
- 1919 - Georgios Mylonas, Greek politician, 11th Greek Minister of Culture
- 1920 - Jack Cover, American pilot and physicist, invented the Taser gun
- 1920 - Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1921 - Wilbur Thompson, American shot putter
- 1922 - Gordon Chater, English-Australian comedian and actor
- 1923 - Herb Thomas, American race car driver
- 1926 - Sergio Franchi, Italian-American singer and actor
- 1926 - Gil Kane, Latvian-American author and illustrator
- 1926 - Ian Paisley, Northern Irish evangelical minister and politician, 2nd First Minister of Northern Ireland
- 1926 - Randy Weston, American jazz pianist and composer
- 1927 - Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer
- 1928 - James Watson, American biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1929 - Willis Hall, English playwright and author
- 1929 - Joi Lansing, American model, actress and nightclub singer
- 1929 - André Previn, American pianist, composer, and conductor
- 1929 - Christos Sartzetakis, Greek jurist, supreme justice and President of Greece
- 1930 - Qiu Dahong, Chinese coastal and offshore engineer, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 1931 - Ram Dass, American author and educator
- 1931 - Ivan Dixon, American actor, director, and producer
- 1932 - Connie Broden, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1932 - Helmut Griem, German actor and director
- 1933 - Roy Goode, English lawyer and academic
- 1933 - Tom C. Korologos, American journalist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Belgium
- 1933 - Eduardo Malapit, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Kauai
- 1934 - Enrique Álvarez Félix, Mexican actor
- 1934 - Anton Geesink, Dutch martial artist and wrestler
- 1934 - Guy Peellaert, Belgian painter, illustrator, and photographer
- 1935 - Douglas Hill, Canadian author and critic
- 1936 - Helen Berman, Dutch-Israeli painter and illustrator
- 1936 - Jean-Pierre Changeux, French neuroscientist, biologist, and academic
- 1937 - Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1937 - Tom Veivers, Australian cricketer and politician
- 1937 - Billy Dee Williams, American actor, singer, and writer
- 1938 - Paul Daniels, English magician and television host
- 1938 - Roy Thinnes, American television and film actor
- 1939 - André Ouellet, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1939 - John Sculley, American businessman, co-founded Zeta Interactive
- 1940 - Homero Aridjis, Mexican journalist, author, and poet
- 1940 - Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., Mexican-American actor and producer
- 1941 - Christopher Allsopp, English economist and academic
- 1941 - Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
- 1941 - Hans W. Geißendörfer, German director and producer
- 1941 - Angeliki Laiou, Greek-American Byzantinist and politician
- 1941 - Don Prudhomme, American race car driver and manager
- 1941 - Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian flute player and composer
- 1942 - Barry Levinson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1942 - Anita Pallenberg, Italian-English model, actress, and fashion designer
- 1943 - Max Clifford, English journalist and publicist
- 1943 - Roger Cook, New Zealand-English journalist and academic
- 1943 - Ian MacRae, New Zealand rugby player
- 1943 - Mitchell Melton, American lawyer and politician
- 1944 - Felicity Palmer, English operatic soprano
- 1944 - Charles Sobhraj, French serial killer
- 1945 - Rodney Bickerstaffe, English trade union leader
- 1945 - Peter Hill, English journalist
- 1946 - Paul Beresford, New Zealand-English dentist and politician
- 1947 - John Ratzenberger, American actor and director
- 1947 - André Weinfeld, French-American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1947 - Mike Worboys, English mathematician and computer scientist
- 1949 - Alyson Bailes, English academic and diplomat
- 1949 - Patrick Hernandez, French singer-songwriter
- 1949 - Ng Ser Miang, Singaporean athlete, entrepreneur and diplomat
- 1949 - Horst Ludwig Störmer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1950 - Claire Morissette, Canadian cycling activist
- 1950 - Cleo Odzer, American anthropologist and author
- 1951 - Bert Blyleven, Dutch-American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1951 - Jean-Marc Boivin, French skier, mountaineer, and pilot
- 1951 - Pascal Rogé, French pianist
- 1952 - Udo Dirkschneider, German singer-songwriter
- 1952 - Marilu Henner, Greek-Polish American actress and author
- 1952 - Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
- 1953 - Patrick Doyle, Scottish actor and composer
- 1953 - Christopher Franke, German-American drummer and songwriter
- 1955 - Rob Epstein, American director and producer
- 1955 - Michael Rooker, American actor, director, and producer
- 1955 - Cathy Jones, Canadian actress, comedian, and writer
- 1956 - Michele Bachmann, American lawyer and politician
- 1956 - Normand Corbeil, Canadian composer
- 1956 - Mudassar Nazar, Pakistani cricketer
- 1956 - Lee Scott, English politician
- 1956 - Sebastian Spreng, Argentinian-American painter and journalist
- 1956 - Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and coach
- 1957 - Giorgio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
- 1957 - Maurizio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
- 1957 - Jaroslava Maxová, Czech soprano and educator
- 1957 - Paolo Nespoli, Italian soldier, engineer, and astronaut
- 1958 - Graeme Base, Australian author and illustrator
- 1959 - Gail Shea, Canadian politician
- 1960 - Warren Haynes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1960 - Richard Loe, New Zealand rugby player
- 1960 - John Pizzarelli, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1961 - Rory Bremner, Scottish impressionist and comedian
- 1961 - Peter Jackson, English footballer and manager
- 1962 - Iris Häussler, German sculptor and academic
- 1962 - Marco Schällibaum, Swiss footballer, coach, and manager
- 1963 - Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian economist and politician, 54th President of Ecuador
- 1964 - Tim Walz, American politician, Governor of Minnesota & vice presidential candidate
- 1965 - Black Francis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1965 - Sterling Sharpe, American football player and sportscaster
- 1966 - Vince Flynn, American author
- 1966 - Young Man Kang, South Korean-American director and producer
- 1967 - Julian Anderson, English composer and educator
- 1967 - Kathleen Barr, Canadian voice actress and singer
- 1967 - Tanya Byron, English psychologist and academic
- 1967 - Jonathan Firth, English actor
- 1968 - Archon Fung, American political scientist, author, and academic
- 1968 - Affonso Giaffone, Brazilian race car driver
- 1969 - Bret Boone, American baseball player and manager
- 1969 - Bison Dele, American basketball player
- 1969 - Philipp Peter, Austrian race car driver
- 1969 - Paul Rudd, American actor
- 1969 - Spencer Wells, American geneticist and anthropologist
- 1970 - Olaf Kölzig, South African-German ice hockey player and coach
- 1970 - Roy Mayorga, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
- 1970 - Huang Xiaomin, Chinese swimmer
- 1972 - Anders Thomas Jensen, Danish director and screenwriter
- 1972 - Dickey Simpkins, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1973 - Donnie Edwards, American football player
- 1973 - Randall Godfrey, American football player
- 1973 - Rie Miyazawa, Japanese model and actress
- 1973 - Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
- 1975 - Zach Braff, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1975 - Hal Gill, American ice hockey player
- 1976 - Candace Cameron Bure, American actress and talk show panelist
- 1976 - James Fox, Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
- 1976 - Chris Hoke, American football player
- 1976 - Georg Hólm, Icelandic bass player
- 1976 - Hirotada Ototake, Japanese author and educator
- 1977 - Ville Nieminen, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1977 - Andy Phillips, American baseball player and coach
- 1978 - Imani Coppola, American singer-songwriter and violinist
- 1978 - Robert Glasper, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
- 1978 - Tim Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
- 1978 - Myleene Klass, Austrian/Filipino-English singer, pianist, and model
- 1978 - Martín Méndez, Uruguayan bass player and songwriter
- 1978 - Blaine Neal, American baseball player
- 1978 - Igor Semshov, Russian footballer
- 1979 - Lord Frederick Windsor, English journalist and financier
- 1979 - Clay Travis, American sports journalist, blogger, and broadcaster
- 1980 - Tommi Evilä, Finnish long jumper
- 1980 - Tanja Poutiainen, Finnish skier
- 1981 - Robert Earnshaw, Welsh footballer
- 1981 - Jeff Faine, American football player
- 1981 - Lucas Licht, Argentine footballer
- 1981 - Alex Suarez, American bass player
- 1982 - Travis Moen, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1982 - Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Spanish actor
- 1983 - Mehdi Ballouchy, Moroccan footballer
- 1983 - Jerome Kaino, New Zealand rugby player
- 1983 - Mitsuru Nagata, Japanese footballer
- 1983 - Remi Nicole, English singer-songwriter and actress
- 1983 - James Wade, English darts player
- 1983 - Katie Weatherston, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1984 - Max Bemis, American singer-songwriter
- 1984 - Michaël Ciani, French footballer
- 1984 - Siboniso Gaxa, South African footballer
- 1984 - Diana Matheson, Canadian soccer player
- 1985 - Fatau Dauda, Ghanaian footballer
- 1985 - Clarke MacArthur, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 - Frank Ongfiang, Cameroonian footballer
- 1985 - Sinqua Walls, American basketball player and actor
- 1986 - Nikolas Asprogenis, Cypriot footballer
- 1986 - Aaron Curry, American football player
- 1986 - Goeido Gotaro, Japanese sumo wrestler
- 1986 - Ryota Moriwaki, Japanese footballer
- 1987 - Benjamin Corgnet, French footballer
- 1987 - Heidi Mount, American model
- 1987 - Levi Porter, English footballer
- 1987 - Hilary Rhoda, American model
- 1988 - Jucilei, Brazilian footballer
- 1988 - Leigh Adams, Australian footballer
- 1988 - Daniele Gasparetto, Italian footballer
- 1988 - Carlton Mitchell, American football player
- 1988 - Fabrice Muamba, Congolese-English footballer
- 1988 - Ivonne Orsini, Puerto Rican model and television host, Miss World Puerto Rico 2008
- 1990 - Lachlan Coote, Australian rugby league player
- 1990 - Charlie McDermott, American actor
- 1990 - Andrei Veis, Estonian footballer
- 1992 - Ken, South Korean singer
- 1992 - Julie Ertz, American soccer player
- 1992 - Huh Chan-mi, South Korean singer
- 1994 - Adrián Alonso, Mexican actor
- 1995 - Darya Lebesheva, Belarusian tennis player
- 1996 - Al-Musrati, Libyan footballer
- 1997 - Mingyu, South Korean singer and rapper
- 1998 - Nicolás González, Argentine footballer
- 1998 - Peyton List, American actress and model
- 1998 - Spencer List, American actor
- 1998 - Nahuel Molina, Argentine footballer
- 2000 - Shaheen Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
- 2000 - Maxence Lacroix, French footballer
- 2001 - Oscar Piastri, Australian racing driver
- 2001 - Moritz Seider, German ice hockey player
- 2002 - Andrea Botez, Canadian-American chess player, commentator, Twitch streamer and YouTuber
- 2002 - Leyre Romero Gormaz, Spanish tennis player
- 2009 - Shaylee Mansfield, deaf American actress and YouTuber
- 2009 - Valentina Tronel, French child singer
Deaths
Pre–1600
- 861 - Prudentius, bishop of Troyes
- 885 - Saint Methodius, Byzantine missionary and saint
- 887 - Pei Che, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
- 943 - Liu Churang, Chinese general and chief of staff
- 943 - Nasr II, ruler of the Samanid Empire
- 1147 - Frederick II, duke of Swabia
- 1174 - Umara al-Yamani, Yemeni poet and historian
- 1199 - Richard I, king of England
- 1231 - William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
- 1250 - Guillaume de Sonnac, Grand Master of the Knights Templar
- 1252 - Peter of Verona, Italian priest and saint
- 1340 - Basil, emperor of Trebizond
- 1362 - James I, count of La Marche
- 1376 - Preczlaw of Pogarell, Cardinal and Bishop of Wrocław
- 1490 - Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490
- 1520 - Raphael, Italian painter and architect
- 1523 - Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman
- 1528 - Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician
- 1551 - Joachim Vadian, Swiss scholar and politician
- 1571 - John Hamilton, Scottish archbishop and academic
- 1590 - Francis Walsingham, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- 1593 - Henry Barrowe, English Puritan and separatist
1601–1900
- 1605 - John Stow, English historian and author
- 1621 - Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
- 1641 - Domenico Zampieri (Domenichino), Italian painter
- 1655 - David Blondel, French minister, historian, and scholar
- 1670 - Leonora Baroni, Italian composer
- 1676 - John Winthrop the Younger, English politician, 1st Governor of Connecticut
- 1686 - Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, Irish-English politician
- 1707 - Willem van de Velde the Younger, Dutch-English painter
- 1755 - Richard Rawlinson, English minister and historian
- 1790 - Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
- 1825 - Vladimir Borovikovsky, Ukrainian-Russian painter and educator
- 1827 - Nikolis Apostolis, Greek naval commander during the Greek War of Independence
- 1829 - Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician and theorist
- 1833 - Adamantios Korais, Greek philosopher and scholar
- 1838 - José Bonifácio de Andrada, Brazilian poet, academic, and politician
- 1860 - James Kirke Paulding, American author and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Navy
- 1862 - Albert Sidney Johnston, American general
- 1883 - Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago
- 1886 - William Edward Forster, English businessman, philanthropist, and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland
- 1899 - Alvan Wentworth Chapman, American physician and botanist
1901–present
- 1906 - Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician, 6th County Governor of Møre og Romsdal
- 1913 - Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore
- 1927 - Florence Earle Coates, American poet
- 1935 - Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet and playwright
- 1944 - Rose O'Neill, American cartoonist, illustrator, artist, and writer
- 1947 - Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician
- 1950 - Louis Wilkins, American pole vaulter
- 1953 - Idris Davies, Welsh poet and author
- 1959 - Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic
- 1961 - Jules Bordet, Belgian microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1963 - Otto Struve, Ukrainian-American astronomer and academic
- 1970 - Maurice Stokes, American basketball player
- 1971 - Igor Stravinsky, Russian-American pianist, composer, and conductor
- 1974 - Willem Marinus Dudok, Dutch architect
- 1974 - Hudson Fysh, Australian pilot and businessman, co-founded Qantas Airways Limited
- 1977 - Kōichi Kido, Japanese politician, 13th Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
- 1979 - Ivan Vasilyov, Bulgarian architect, designed the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
- 1983 - Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, Indian General who served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1962 to 1966 and the Military Governor of Hyderabad State from 1948 to 1949.
- 1992 - Isaac Asimov, American science fiction writer
- 1994 - Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan banker and politician, 3rd President of Rwanda
- 1994 - Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi
- 1995 - Ioannis Alevras, Greek banker and politician, President of Greece
- 1996 - Greer Garson, English-American actress
- 1998 - Norbert Schmitz, German footballer
- 1998 - Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter
- 1999 - Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer
- 2000 - Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician, 1st President of Tunisia
- 2001 - Charles Pettigrew, American singer-songwriter
- 2003 - David Bloom, American journalist
- 2003 - Anita Borg, American computer scientist and educator; founded Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
- 2003 - Gerald Emmett Carter, Canadian cardinal
- 2003 - Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drummer, educator, and activist
- 2003 - Dino Yannopoulos, Greek stage director of the Metropolitan Opera
- 2004 - Lou Berberet, American baseball player
- 2004 - Larisa Bogoraz, Russian linguist and activist
- 2005 - Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
- 2005 - Anthony F. DePalma, American orthopedic surgeon and professor
- 2006 - Maggie Dixon, American basketball player and coach
- 2006 - Francis L. Kellogg, American soldier and diplomat
- 2006 - Stefanos Stratigos, Greek actor and director
- 2007 - Luigi Comencini, Italian director and producer
- 2009 - J. M. S. Careless, Canadian historian and academic
- 2009 - Shawn Mackay, Australian rugby player and coach
- 2010 - Wilma Mankiller, American tribal leader
- 2010 - Corin Redgrave, English actor
- 2011 - Gerald Finnerman, American director and cinematographer
- 2012 - Roland Guilbault, American admiral
- 2012 - Thomas Kinkade, American painter and illustrator
- 2012 - Fang Lizhi, Chinese astrophysicist and academic
- 2012 - Sheila Scotter, Australian fashion designer and journalist
- 2012 - Reed Whittemore, American poet and critic
- 2013 - Hilda Bynoe, Grenadian physician and politician, 2nd Governor of Grenada
- 2013 - Bill Guttridge, English footballer and manager
- 2013 - Bigas Luna, Spanish director and screenwriter
- 2013 - Ottmar Schreiner, German lawyer and politician
- 2014 - Mary Anderson, American actress
- 2014 - Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer
- 2014 - Liv Dommersnes, Norwegian actress
- 2014 - Mickey Rooney, American soldier, actor, and dancer
- 2014 - Chuck Stone, American soldier, journalist, and academic
- 2014 - Massimo Tamburini, Italian motorcycle designer, co-founded Bimota
- 2015 - Giovanni Berlinguer, Italian lawyer and politician
- 2015 - James Best, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 2015 - Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter and conductor
- 2015 - Dollard St. Laurent, Canadian ice hockey player
- 2016 - Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 2017 - Don Rickles, American actor and comedian
- 2019 - Michael O'Donnell, British physician, journalist, author and broadcaster
- 2020 - Al Kaline, American baseball player, broadcaster and executive
- 2021 - Hans Küng, Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author
- 2021 - Alcee Hastings, American politician
- 2022 - Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian and Soviet politician
- 2022 - Jill Knight, British politician
- 2024 - Joseph E. Brennan, American politician, 70th Governor of Maine
- 2025 - Clem Burke, American drummer
- 2025 - Jay North, American actor
Holidays and observances
Other
*