January 4

January 4 is the fourth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 361 days remaining until the end of the year (362 in leap years).

Events

• 46 BCE – Julius Caesar defeats Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
• 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex fights, and is defeated by, a Danish invasion army.
• 1490 – Anne of Brittany announces that all those who would ally with the King of France will be considered guilty of the crime of lèse-majesté.
• 1642 – King Charles I of England sends soldiers to arrest members of Parliament, commencing England's slide into civil war.
• 1649 – English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial.
• 1717 – The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance.
• 1762 – Great Britain declares war on Spain and Naples.
• 1798 – Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire.
• 1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government.
• 1854 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.
• 1863 – The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany.
• 1865 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York City.
• 1878 – Sofia is emancipated from Ottoman rule.
• 1884 – The Fabian Society is founded in London, England, United Kingdom.
• 1889 – The Oklahoma Land Run opens 2 million acres of unused Oklahoma Territory to first serve first come settlers on April 22.
• 1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
• 1903 – Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. Thomas Edison's movie company shoots the film Electrocuting an Elephant of the execution.
• 1912 – The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter.
• 1944 – World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.
• 1948 – Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1951 – Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul.
• 1955 – The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis.
• 1958 – Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from orbit.
• 1959 – Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
• 1965 – United States President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaims his "Great Society" during his State of the Union address.
• 1966 – A military coup takes place in Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso), dissolving the National Parliament and leading to a new national constitution.
• 1970 – A magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Tonghai County, China, killing at least 15,000 people.
• 1972 – Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, England.
• 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
• 1976 – The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.
• 1987 – The 1987 Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, killing 16 people.
• 1989 – Second Gulf of Sidra incident: a pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.
• 1990 – In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.
• 1998 – Wilaya of Relizane massacres in Algeria: over 170 are killed in three remote villages.
• 1998 – A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.
• 1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota.
• 2000 – Two trains on the Røros Line collide in Åsta, Norway, resulting in an explosive fire and 19 deaths.
• 2004 – Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.
• 2004 – Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.
• 2006 – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
• 2007 – The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
• 2010 – Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is officially opened.
• 2013 – A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, the Philippines.

Births

• 1077 – Emperor Zhezong of Song (d. 1100)
• 1334 – Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy (d. 1383)
• 1581 – James Ussher, Irish archbishop (d. 1656)
• 1664 – Lars Roberg, Swedish physician and academic (d. 1742)
• 1672 – Hugh Boulter, Anglo-Irish archbishop (d. 1742)
• 1710 – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer, violinist, and organist (d. 1736)
• 1720 – Johann Friedrich Agricola, German organist and composer (d. 1774)
• 1785 – Jacob Grimm, German author and philologist (d. 1863)
• 1809 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (d. 1852)
• 1813 – Isaac Pitman, English linguist and educator (d. 1897)
• 1832 – George Tryon, English admiral (d. 1893)
• 1838 – General Tom Thumb, American circus performer (d. 1883)
• 1839 – Carl Humann, German archaeologist, architect, and engineer (d. 1896)
• 1842 – Frederic T. Greenhalge, American politician, 38th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
• 1848 – Katsura Tarō, Japanese general and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1913)
• 1858 – Carter Glass, American publisher and politician, 47th United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1946)
• 1869 – Tommy Corcoran, American baseball player and umpire (d. 1960)
• 1870 – Percy Pitt, English organist and conductor (d. 1932)
• 1872 – Ottilie Sutro, American pianist (d. 1970)
• 1872 – Albert Tyler, American pole vaulter (d. 1945)
• 1874 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (d. 1935)
• 1877 – Marsden Hartley, American painter (d. 1943)
• 1878 – A. E. Coppard, English poet and author (d. 1957)
• 1878 – Rosa Grünberg, Swedish actress and soprano (d. 1960)
• 1878 – Augustus John, Welsh painter and illustrator (d. 1961)
• 1881 – Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German sculptor (d. 1919)
• 1881 – Patrick Ryan, Irish-American hammer thrower (d. 1964)
• 1882 – Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian painter and set designer (d. 1943)
• 1883 – Max Eastman, American author and poet (d. 1969)
• 1883 – Johanna Westerdijk, Dutch plant pathologist (d. 1961)
• 1884 – Guy Pène du Bois, American painter, critic, and educator (d. 1958)
• 1889 – M. Patanjali Sastri, Indian jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of India (d. 1963)
• 1890 – Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, American publisher, founded DC Comics (d. 1965)
• 1891 – Edward Brooker, English-Australian sergeant and politician, 31st Premier of Tasmania (d. 1948)
• 1892 – María Díaz Cortés, Spanish super-centenarian (d. 2009)
• 1893 – Yone Minagawa, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2007)
• 1894 – Manuel de Abreu, Brazilian physician and poet (d. 1962)
• 1895 – Leroy Grumman, American engineer and businessman; co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. (d. 1982)
• 1896 – Everett Dirksen, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1969)
• 1896 – André Masson, French painter (d. 1987)
• 1896 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (d. 1968)
• 1900 – James Bond, American ornithologist (d. 1989)
• 1901 – C. L. R. James, Trinidadian journalist and theorist (d. 1989)
• 1902 – John McCone, American businessman and politician, 6th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1991)
• 1905 – Sterling Holloway, American actor and singer (d. 1992)
• 1909 – J. R. Simplot, American businessman, founded the Simplot Company (d. 2008)
• 1910 – Arthur Villeneuve, Canadian painter (d. 1990)
• 1911 – Clara Østø, Danish actress (d. 1983)
• 1911 – Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz, Greek-Polish athlete and resistance member (d. 1943)
• 1912 – Noro Morales, Puerto Rican-American pianist and bandleader (d. 1964)
• 1913 – Malietoa Tanumafili II, Samoan ruler (d. 2007)
• 1914 – Herman Franks, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2009)
• 1915 – Meg Mundy, English-American actress
• 1916 – Slim Gaillard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Slim & Slam) (d. 1991)
• 1916 – Lionel Newman, American pianist and composer (d. 1989)
• 1916 – Robert Parrish, American actor and director (d. 1995)
• 1920 – William Colby, American intelligence officer; 10th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1996)
• 1922 – Rosalie Crutchley, English actress (d. 1997)
• 1922 – Mart Port, Estonian architect (d. 2012)
• 1922 – Frank Wess, American saxophonist and flute player (New York Jazz Quartet) (d. 2013)
• 1923 – Tito Rodríguez, Puerto Rican-American singer and bandleader (d 1973)
• 1924 – Sebastian Kappen, Indian priest and theologian (d. 1993)
• 1924 – Meta Vannas, Estonian politician (d. 2002)
• 1924 – Marianne Werner, German shot putter
• 1925 – Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish skier and technician (d. 2003)
• 1927 – Paul Desmarais, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Barbara Rush, American actress
• 1930 – Sorrell Booke, American actor and director (d. 1994)
• 1930 – Don Shula, American football player and coach
• 1931 – William Deane, Australian judge and politician, 22nd Governor-General of Australia
• 1931 – Lala Mara, Fijian wife of Kamisese Mara (d. 2004)
• 1932 – Clint Hill, American secret service agent and author
• 1932 – Thelma Holt, English actress and producer
• 1932 – Roman Personov, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2002)
• 1932 – Carlos Saura, Spanish director and screenwriter
• 1933 – Ilia II of Georgia, current Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church
• 1933 – Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, American author
• 1934 – Rudolf Schuster, Slovak politician; 2nd President of Slovakia
• 1935 – Walter Mahlendorf, German sprinter
• 1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer (d. 2006)
• 1935 – Toru Terasawa, Japanese runner
• 1937 – Grace Bumbry, American soprano and actress
• 1937 – Dyan Cannon, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1937 – Mick O'Connell, Irish footballer
• 1938 – Eddie Southern, American hurdler
• 1940 – Alexander Chancellor, English journalist
• 1940 – Gao Xingjian, Chinese-French author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1940 – Helmut Jahn, German-American architect; designed Liberty Place and Messeturm
• 1940 – Brian Josephson, Welsh physicist and academic; Nobel Prize laureate
• 1940 – Jill Pitkeathley, Baroness Pitkeathley, English politician
• 1941 – George P. Cosmatos, Italian-Canadian director and screenwriter (d. 2005)
• 1941 – John Bennett Perry, American actor and singer
• 1941 – Kalpnath Rai, Indian politician (d. 1999)
• 1941 – Maureen Reagan, American actress and activist (d. 2001)
• 1941 – K. Thurairetnasingam, Sri Lankan politician
• 1942 – Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigerian professor of political science
• 1942 – Precious Bryant, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
• 1942 – John McLaughlin, English guitarist and songwriter
• 1943 – Doris Kearns Goodwin, American historian and author
• 1943 – Hwang Sok-yong, South Korean author and educator
• 1943 – Priit Vesilind, Estonian-American author and photographer
• 1944 – Angela Harris, Baroness Harris of Richmond, English politician
• 1944 – Charlie Manuel, American baseball player and manager
• 1945 – Vesa-Matti Loiri, Finnish actor and singer
• 1945 – Richard R. Schrock, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1946 – Lisa Appignanesi Polish-English author and academic
• 1946 – Arthur Conley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
• 1946 – S. Rajasekharan, Indian poet and critic
• 1947 – Chris Cutler, American-English drummer and songwriter
• 1947 – Marie-Thérèse Letablier, French sociologist
• 1947 – Doc Neeson, Irish-Australian singer-songwriter (The Angels) (d. 2014)
• 1947 – Rick Stein, English chef and author
• 1948 – Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (d. 1992)
• 1948 – Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé, Malian politician, Prime Minister of Mali
• 1948 – Eugeniusz Wycisło, Polish politician
• 1949 – Margaret Anne Marshall, Scottish soprano
• 1949 – Mick Mills, English footballer and manager
• 1950 – John Louis Evans, American murderer (d. 1983)
• 1950 – Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (d. 2013)
• 1951 – Bob Black, American author and activist
• 1951 – Barbara Cochran, American skier
• 1951 – Ronald Corp, English priest, composer, and conductor
• 1953 – Norberto Alonso, Argentinian footballer
• 1953 – Jackie Ballard, English journalist and politician
• 1953 – Richard Boden, English director and producer
• 1953 – Vicki Bruce, English psychologist and academic
• 1953 – James Warren, American journalist
• 1954 – Eugene Chadbourne, American guitarist and songwriter
• 1954 – Tina Knowles, American fashion designer; founded House of Deréon
• 1955 – Cecilia Conrad, Norwegian economist and academic
• 1955 – Mark Hollis, English singer-songwriter
• 1956 – Alex Cline, American drummer and educator
• 1956 – Nels Cline, American guitarist and songwriter (Wilco)
• 1956 – Ann Magnuson, American actress and singer
• 1956 – Sarojini Sahoo, Indian journalist, author, and poet
• 1956 – Bernard Sumner, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1957 – Brian Roy Goble, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
• 1957 – Patty Loveless, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1957 – Gurdas Maan, Indian singer-songwriter and actor
• 1957 – Vesna Zmijanac, Serbian singer and actress
• 1958 – Andy Borowitz, American comedian and author
• 1958 – Matt Frewer, American-Canadian actor and singer
• 1958 – Gary Jones, Welsh-Canadian actor and screenwriter
• 1958 – Jim Powers, American wrestler
• 1958 – Julian Sands, English actor
• 1960 – Jane Halton, Australian public servant
• 1960 – Art Paul Schlosser, American singer-songwriter
• 1960 – Michael Stipe, American singer-songwriter and producer (R.E.M. and Automatic Baby)
• 1960 – April Winchell, American actress, singer, and screenwriter
• 1961 – Lee Curreri, American actor and pianist
• 1961 – Sidney Green, American basketball player and coach
• 1962 – Natalya Bochina, Russian sprinter
• 1962 – Harlan Coben, American author
• 1962 – Laila Elwi, Egyptian actress
• 1962 – Michael France, American screenwriter (d. 2013)
• 1962 – Robin Guthrie, Scottish guitarist and producer (Cocteau Twins)
• 1962 – Joe Kleine, American basketball player and coach
• 1962 – André Rouvoet, Dutch educator and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
• 1962 – Peter Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2010)
• 1963 – Igor Astapkovich, Belarusian hammer thrower
• 1963 – Dave Foley, Canadian comedian, actor, director, and producer
• 1963 – Till Lindemann, German singer-songwriter
• 1964 – Dot Jones, American actress
• 1965 – Yvan Attal, French actor and director
• 1965 – Guy Forget, Moroccan-American tennis player
• 1965 – Beth Gibbons, English singer-songwriter
• 1965 – Rick Hearst, American actor
• 1965 – Craig Revel Horwood, Australian-English dancer, choreographer, and director
• 1965 – Cait O'Riordan, Nigerian-English bass player and songwriter
• 1965 – Julia Ormond, English actress and producer
• 1965 – Rob Wilson, English politician
• 1966 – Deana Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1966 – La Parka II, Mexican wrestler
• 1967 – David Berman, American singer-songwriter
• 1967 – Johnny Nelson, English boxer and sportscaster
• 1967 – Marina Orsini, Canadian actress
• 1967 – David Toms, American golfer
• 1968 – Mike Wilpolt, American football player and coach
• 1969 – Corie Blount, American basketball player
• 1969 – Kostas Frantzeskos, Greek footballer
• 1969 – Mary Macleod, English politician
• 1969 – Marla Runyan, American runner and long jumper
• 1969 – Kees van Wonderen, Dutch footballer and manager
• 1970 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (d. 2010)
• 1971 – Junichi Kakizaki, Japanese botanist and floral designer
• 1972 – Charlotte Hudson, English actress
• 1972 – James Longley, American director and producer
• 1973 – Greg de Vries, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1973 – Frank Høj, Danish cyclist
• 1973 – Harmony Korine, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1974 – Danilo Hondo, German cyclist
• 1974 – Ian Moor, English singer
• 1974 – Armin Zöggeler, Italian luger
• 1975 – Shane Carwin, American mixed martial artist and wrestler
• 1975 – Jill Marie Jones, American actress
• 1976 – Benoît Joachim, Luxembourgish cyclist
• 1976 – Ted Lilly, American baseball player
• 1977 – Irán Castillo, Mexican actress and singer
• 1977 – David Millar, Maltese-Scottish cyclist
• 1977 – Dan Shanahan, Irish hurler and coach
• 1977 – Ozell Wells, Dominican-American basketball player, coach, and scout
• 1977 – Tim Wheeler, Northern Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1977 – Eric Fructuoso, Filipino actor
• 1977 – Vhong Navarro, Filipino actor, host, and dancer
• 1978 – Dominik Hrbatý, Slovakian tennis player
• 1978 – Paul Licuria, Australian footballer
• 1978 – Mai Meneses, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Nena Daconte)
• 1979 – Shergo Biran, German footballer
• 1979 – Tristan Gommendy, French race car driver
• 1979 – Charity Rahmer, American actress
• 1980 – Greg Cipes, American actor and singer
• 1980 – Bobbi Eden, Dutch porn actress and model
• 1980 – Alexandra Jiménez, Spanish actress
• 1980 – Miguel Monteiro, Portuguese footballer
• 1980 – Yaroslav Popovych, Ukrainian cyclist
• 1981 – Silvy De Bie, Belgian singer (Sylver)
• 1981 – Hitomi Obara, Japanese wrestler
• 1982 – Paulo Ferrari, Argentinian footballer
• 1982 – Kang Hye-jung, South Korean actress and singer
• 1982 – Richard Logan, English footballer
• 1982 – Lucie Škrobáková, Czech hurdler
• 1982 – Hollie Stevens, American porn actress (d. 2012)
• 1983 – Spencer Chamberlain, American singer-songwriter
• 1983 – Gemma Hunt, English television host
• 1984 – İbrahim Akın, Turkish footballer
• 1985 – Danielle Campo, Canadian swimmer
• 1985 – Lenora Crichlow, English actress
• 1985 – Al Jefferson, American basketball player
• 1985 – Fernando Rees, Brazilian race car driver
• 1986 – Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwanese tennis player
• 1986 – Younès Kaboul, French footballer
• 1986 – Andrei Krauchanka, Belarusian decathlete
• 1986 – James Milner, English footballer
• 1986 – Steve Slaton, American football player
• 1987 – Nikolaj Misiuk, Lithuanian footballer
• 1988 – Anestis Argyriou, Greek footballer
• 1988 – Nabila Jamshed, Indian author
• 1988 – Maximilian Riedmüller, German footballer
• 1989 – Labrinth, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1989 – Jeff Gyasi, Nigerian footballer
• 1989 – Kevin Pillar, American baseball player
• 1989 – Graham Rahal, American race car driver
• 1990 – Iago Falqué, Spanish footballer
• 1990 – Julia Glushko, Israeli tennis player
• 1990 – Toni Kroos, German footballer
• 1990 – Alberto Paloschi, Italian footballer
• 1991 – Tal al-Mallohi, Syrian blogger and activist
• 1991 – Stefan Nenadović, Montenegrin footballer
• 1991 – Mikk Pinnonen, Estonian handball player
• 1991 – Olivia Tennet, New Zealand actress and dancer
• 1993 – Martin Paasoja, Estonian basketball player
• 1993 – Marlo Mortel, Filipino actor and singer
• 1995 – Maddie Hasson, American actress
• 1995 – María Isabel, Spanish singer
• 1995 – Victonara Galang, Filipino volleyball player
• 1996 – Jade Jones, English wheelchair racer
• 1997 – Răzvan Popa, Romanian footballer
• 1998 – Liza Soberano, Filipino-American actress

Deaths

• 874 – Hasan al-Askari, Saudi Arabian 11th of the Twelve Imams (b. 846)
• 1248 – Sancho II of Portugal (b. 1207)
• 1286 – Anna Komnene Doukaina, Byzantine wife of William II of Villehardouin
• 1428 – Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (b. 1370)
• 1564 – Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Japanese commander (b. 1514)
• 1584 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (b. 1539)
• 1695 – François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg, French general (b. 1628)
• 1752 – Gabriel Cramer, Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1704)
• 1761 – Stephen Hales, English clergyman and physiologist (b. 1677)
• 1782 – Ange-Jacques Gabriel, French architect, designed École Militaire (b. 1698)
• 1786 – Moses Mendelssohn, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1729)
• 1804 – Charlotte Lennox, English author and poet (b. 1730)
• 1821 – Elizabeth Ann Seton, American nun and saint (b. 1774)
• 1825 – Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (b. 1751)
• 1863 – Roger Hanson, American general (b. 1827)
• 1874 – Thomas Gregson, English-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798)
• 1877 – Cornelius Vanderbilt, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1794)
• 1882 – John William Draper, English-American physician, chemist, and photographer (b. 1811)
• 1883 – Antoine Chanzy, French general (b. 1823)
• 1891 – Antoine Labelle, Canadian priest (b. 1833)
• 1896 – Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German bishop (b. 1821)
• 1901 – Nikolaos Gyzis, Greek painter and academic (b. 1842)
• 1903 – Gulstan Ropert, American missionary (b. 1839)
• 1903 – Topsy American elephant (b. 1875)
• 1904 – Anna Winlock American astronomer (b. 1857)
• 1910 – Léon Delagrange, French pilot and sculptor (b. 1873)
• 1912 – Clarence Dutton, American geologist and soldier (b. 1841)
• 1919 – Georg von Hertling, German academic and politician, 7th Chancellor of the German Empire (b. 1843)
• 1920 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish author and playwright (b. 1843)
• 1924 – Alfred Grünfeld, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1852)
• 1931 – Art Acord, American actor and stuntman (b. 1890)
• 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal of England (b. 1867)
• 1931 – Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Indian journalist, activist, and scholar (b. 1878)
• 1940 – Flora Finch, English-American actress and producer (b. 1867)
• 1941 – Henri Bergson, French philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
• 1944 – Kaj Munk, Danish playwright and pastor (b. 1898)
• 1945 – Harold Fraser, American golfer (b. 1872)
• 1960 – Albert Camus, Algerian-French philosopher, author, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
• 1961 – Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
• 1962 – Hans Lammers, German SS officer (b. 1879)
• 1965 – T. S. Eliot, American-English poet, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
• 1967 – Donald Campbell, English race car driver (b. 1921)
• 1970 – Jean-Étienne Valluy, French general (b. 1899)
• 1971 – Arthur Ford, American psychic, founded the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship (b. 1896)
• 1975 – Carlo Levi, Italian painter, author, and activist (b. 1902)
• 1976 – Epameinondas Thomopoulos, Greek painter (b. 1878)
• 1981 – Ruth Lowe, Canadian pianist and songwriter (b. 1914)
• 1985 – Brian Horrocks, Indian-English general (b. 1895)
• 1985 – Lovro von Matačić, Croatian conductor and composer (b. 1899)
• 1986 – Christopher Isherwood, English-American author and academic (b. 1904)
• 1986 – Phil Lynott, Irish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, and Grand Slam) (b. 1949)
• 1988 – Lily Laskine, French harp player (b. 1893)
• 1990 – Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic (b. 1903)
• 1990 – Henry Bolte, Australian sergeant and politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (b. 1908)
• 1994 – Marie Orav, Estonian chess player (b. 1911)
• 1994 – R. D. Burman, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
• 1995 – Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor and composer (b. 1942)
• 1995 – Sol Tax, American anthropologist and academic (b. 1907)
• 1996 – Ramón Vinay, Chilean-Mexican tenor (b. 1911)
• 1997 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (b. 1909)
• 1998 – John Gary, American singer-songwriter (b. 1932)
• 1998 – Mae Questel, American actress and singer (b. 1908)
• 1999 – Iron Eyes Cody, American actor and stuntman (b. 1904)
• 2000 – Spyros Markezinis, Greek lawyer and politician, 170th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1909)
• 2000 – Tom Fears, Mexican-American football player and coach (b. 1922)
• 2001 – Les Brown, American bandleader and composer (b. 1912)
• 2001 – Yoshika Yuhnagi, Japanese model (b. 1983)
• 2003 – Hanno Drechsler, German academic and politician, Mayor of Marburg (b. 1931)
• 2003 – Sabine Ulibarrí, American poet and critic (b. 1919)
• 2003 – Yfrah Neaman, Lebanese-English violinist (b. 1923)
• 2004 – Brian Gibson, English director and screenwriter (b. 1944)
• 2004 – Jake Hess, American singer (The Statesmen Quartet and Masters V) (b. 1927)
• 2004 – Jeff Nuttall, English actor, poet, and painter (b. 1933)
• 2004 – Joan Aiken, English author (b. 1924)
• 2004 – John Toland, American historian and author (b. 1912)
• 2005 – Alton Tobey, American painter and illustrator (b. 1914)
• 2005 – Bud Poile, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (b. 1924)
• 2005 – Frank Harary, American mathematician and academic (b. 1921)
• 2005 – Guy Davenport, American author and scholar (b. 1927)
• 2005 – Humphrey Carpenter, English radio host and author (b. 1946)
• 2005 – Robert Heilbroner, American economist and historian (b. 1919)
• 2006 – Irving Layton, Romanian-Canadian poet and academic (b. 1912)
• 2006 – John Hahn-Petersen, Danish actor (b. 1930)
• 2006 – Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emirati politician, 1st Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (b. 1946)
• 2006 – Milton Himmelfarb, American sociographer, author, and academic (b. 1918)
• 2007 – Gren, Welsh cartoonist (b. 1934)
• 2007 – Helen Hill, American director and producer (b. 1970)
• 2007 – Jan Schröder, Dutch cyclist (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Lewis Hodges, English air marshal and pilot (b. 1918)
• 2007 – Marais Viljoen, South African politician, 5th State President of South Africa (b. 1915)
• 2007 – Sandro Salvadore, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1939)
• 2007 – Steve Krantz, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1923)
• 2008 – Jimmy Nah, Singaporean comedian and actor (b. 1968)
• 2008 – Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Yannis Tamtakos, Greek activist (b. 1908)
• 2009 – Gert Jonke, Austrian poet, playwright, and author (b. 1946)
• 2009 – Giselle Salandy, Trinidadian boxer (b. 1987)
• 2010 – Casey Johnson, American model and actress (b. 1979)
• 2010 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamese educator and politician, 1st President of Suriname (b. 1910)
• 2010 – Rory Markas, American sportscaster (b. 1955)
• 2010 – Sandro de América, Argentine singer and actor (b. 1945)
• 2010 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Japanese engineer (b. 1916)
• 2011 – Ali-Reza Pahlavi, Iranian son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (b. 1966)
• 2011 – Coen Moulijn, Dutch footballer (b. 1937)
• 2011 – Dick King-Smith English author (b. 1922)
• 2011 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (The Humblebums and Stealers Wheel) (b. 1947)
• 2011 – Mick Karn, Cypriot-English bass player and songwriter (Japan, Dalis Car, NiNa, and JBK) (b. 1958)
• 2011 – Mohamed Bouazizi, Tunisian activist (b. 1984)
• 2011 – Salmaan Taseer, Pakistani businessman and politician, 26th Governor of Punjab, Pakistan (b. 1944)
• 2012 – Carmen Naranjo, Costa Rican author and poet (b. 1928)
• 2012 – David Wheeler, American director and producer (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Gatewood Galbraith, American lawyer, author, and politician (b. 1947)
• 2012 – Harry Fowler, English actor (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Kerry McGregor, Scottish singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1974)
• 2012 – Richard Alf, American businessman, co-founded San Diego Comic-Con International (b. 1952)
• 2012 – Rod Robbie, English-Canadian architect, designed the Canadian Pavilion and Rogers Centre (b. 1928)
• 2012 – Ruben Ayala, American politician (b. 1922)
• 2013 – Anwar Shamim, Pakistani general (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Murray Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1921)
• 2013 – Nikos Samaras, Greek volleyball player (b. 1970)
• 2013 – Pete Elliott, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Sammy Johns, American singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
• 2013 – Tony Lip, American actor (b. 1930)
• 2013 – Yevgeny Pepelyaev, Russian colonel and pilot (b. 1918)
• 2013 – Zoran Žižić, Montenegrin politician, 4th Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (b. 1951)
• 2014 – Andy Holden, English runner and coach (b. 1948)
• 2014 – Caixa Eletronica, American race horse (b. 2005)
• 2014 – Gabe Gabler, American baseball player (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Irving Fishman, American lawyer and politician (b. 1921)
• 2014 – Jean Metellus, Haitian neurologist, author, poet, and playwright (b. 1937)
• 2014 – Shirley Jeffrey, Australian biologist and academic (b. 1930)
• 2015 – Ahuti Prasad, Indian actor and director (b. 1958)
• 2015 – Chitresh Das, Indian dancer and choreographer (b. 1944)
• 2015 – Hank Peters, American businessman (b. 1924)
• 2015 – Michele Serros, American author and poet (b. 1966)
• 2015 – Pino Daniele, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1955)
• 2015 – Stu Miller, American baseball player (b. 1927)
• 2015 – Stuart Scott, American sportscaster and actor (b. 1965)

Holidays and observances

• Chōna-hajimeshiki (手斧初式) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. (Kamakura, Japan)
• Christian feast day:
  • Angela of Foligno
  • Elizabeth Ann Seton
  • January 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Day of the Fallen against the Colonial Repression (Angola)
• Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Independence Day (Burma), celebrates the independence of Burma from the United Kingdom in 1948.
• Ogoni Day (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People)
• The eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas. (Western Christianity)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to January 4.

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada