January 2

Events

Pre-1600

• 69 – The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 366 – The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• 1492 – Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.<ref>Kamen, Henry. "Spain 1469 – 1714 A Society of Conflict." Third edition. pp. 37–38</ref>

1601–1900

• 1680 – Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1776 – Empress Maria Theresa of Austria amends the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana to include the abolition of torture throughout the Habsburg-ruled countries of Austria and Bohemia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of General George Washington repulse a British attack led by General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1791 – Northwest Indian War: The Big Bottom massacre is committed by Lenape and Wyandot warriors in the Ohio Country, North America.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1863 – American Civil War: The three-day Battle of Stones River ends in a Union victory when the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg are repulsed for the final time by the Army of the Cumberland under General William S. Rosecrans.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1865 – Uruguayan War: The Siege of Paysandú ends as the Brazilians and Coloradans capture Paysandú, Uruguay.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1900 – American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1900 – Chicago Canal opens.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1901–present

• 1920 – The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1921 – World premiere of the science fiction play R.U.R. by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a theater in Hradec Králové.<ref name="JMB">Jarka M. Burien, "Čapek, Karel" in Gabrielle H. Cody, Evert Sprinchorn (eds.) The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama, Volume One. Columbia University Press, 2007. Template:ISBN, (pp. 224–225).</ref>
• 1941 – World War II: The Cardiff Blitz severely damages the cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history; Also known as the Duquesne Spy Ring.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1942 – World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces, enabling them to control the Philippines.<ref name="Alford2006">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1949 – Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1954 – India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1955 – Following the assassination of the Panamanian president José Antonio Remón Cantera, his deputy, José Ramón Guizado, takes power, but is quickly deposed after his involvement in Cantera's death is discovered.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1963 – Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1967 – Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1971 – The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football match.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1974 – United States President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 mph in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Subscription required</ref>
• 1975 – At the opening of a new railway line, a bomb blast at Samastipur, Bihar, India, fatally wounds Lalit Narayan Mishra, Minister of Railways.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – The Federal Rules of Evidence are approved by the United States Congress.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1976 – The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 1978 – On the orders of the President of Pakistan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protesting workers in Multan, Pakistan; it is known as 1978 massacre at Multan Colony Textile Mills.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1981 – One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1988 – Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782 crashes near Seferihisar, Turkey, killing 16 people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Sharon Pratt Dixon becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1993 – Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lanka Navy kill 35–100 civilians on the Jaffna Lagoon.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2004 – Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2022 – Massive nationwide protests and unrest break out in Kazakhstan over the sudden increase of liquefied petroleum gas prices, leading to 238 people dead and thousands injured by January 11.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2024 – Two aircraft collide on a runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, killing 5 and injuring 18.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Births

Pre-1600

• 869 – Yōzei, Japanese emperor (d. 949)<ref>Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon, pp. 121–124</ref>
• 1462 – Piero di Cosimo, Italian painter (d. 1522)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1509 – Henry of Stolberg, German nobleman (d. 1572)<ref>Template:De-ADB</ref>

1601–1900

• 1642 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman sultan (d. 1693)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1647 – Nathaniel Bacon, English-American rebel leader (d. 1676)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1699 – Osman III, Ottoman sultan (d. 1757)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1713 – Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1727 – James Wolfe, English general (d. 1759)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1732 – František Brixi, Czech organist and composer (d. 1771)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1777 – Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor and educator (d. 1857)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1803 – Guglielmo Libri Carucci dalla Sommaja, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1869)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1822 – Rudolf Clausius, Polish-German physicist and mathematician (d. 1888)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1827 – Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, Russian geographer and statistician (d. 1914)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1833 – Frederick A. Johnson, American banker and politician (d. 1893)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1836 – Mendele Mocher Sforim, Russian author (d. 1917)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1836 – Queen Emma of Hawaii (d. 1885)<ref name="Kanahele1999">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1837 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist and composer (d. 1910)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1857 – M. Carey Thomas, American educator and activist (d. 1935)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1860 – Dugald Campbell Patterson, Canadian engineer (d. 1931)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1860 – William Corless Mills, American historian and curator (d. 1928)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1866 – Gilbert Murray, Australian-English playwright and scholar (d. 1957)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1870 – Ernst Barlach, German sculptor and playwright (d. 1938)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1870 – Tex Rickard, American boxing promoter and businessman (d. 1929)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• 1873 – Antonie Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer and theorist (d. 1960)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1873 – Thérèse of Lisieux, French nun and saint (d. 1897)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1878 – Jaakko Mäki, Finnish politician (d. 1938)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1878 – Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, Indian activist, founded the Nair Service Society (d. 1970)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1884 – Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-Israeli historian and politician, 4th Israeli Minister of Education (d. 1973)<ref name="Arthur Saul Super 1969 119">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1885 – Gordon Flowerdew, Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1886 – Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English explorer and author (d. 1959)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1889 – Bertram Stevens, Australian accountant and politician, 25th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1973)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1891 – Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect and urban planner, designed the Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (d. 1990)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1892 – Seiichiro Kashio, Japanese tennis player (d. 1962)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1895 – Folke Bernadotte, Swedish diplomat (d. 1948)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1896 – Dziga Vertov, Polish-Russian director and screenwriter (d. 1954)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1896 – Lawrence Wackett, Australian commander and engineer (d. 1982)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1897 – Theodore Plucknett, English legal historian (d. 1965)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1900 – Una Ledingham, British physician, known for research on diabetes in pregnancy (d. 1965)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1901–present

• 1901 – Bob Marshall, American activist, co-founded The Wilderness Society (d. 1939)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1902 – Dan Keating, Irish Republican Army volunteer (d. 2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1903 – Kane Tanaka, Japanese Supercentenarian, Oldest Japanese person ever, Second oldest verified person in world history (d. 2022)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1904 – Walter Heitler, German physicist and chemist (d. 1981)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1905 – Michael Tippett, English composer and conductor (d. 1998)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1905 – Luigi Zampa, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 1991)<ref name="Andrews1992">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1909 – Riccardo Cassin, Italian mountaineer and author (d. 2009)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1909 – Barry Goldwater, American politician, businessman, and author (d. 1998)<ref>Internet Accuracy Project, Senator Barry Goldwater Template:Webarchive. Retrieved September 23, 2010.</ref>
• 1913 – Juanita Jackson Mitchell, American lawyer and activist (d. 1992)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1913 – Anna Lee, English-American actress (d. 2004)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1917 – Vera Zorina, German-Norwegian actress and dancer (d. 2003)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1918 – Willi Graf, German physician and activist (d. 1943)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1919 – Ernest Bender, American Indologist (d. 1996)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• 1919 – Beatrice Hicks, American engineer (d. 1979)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1920 (probable) – Isaac Asimov, American writer and professor of biochemistry (d. 1992)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1920 – Bob Feerick, American basketball player and coach (d. 1976)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1921 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1926 – Gino Marchetti, American football player (d. 2019)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1928 – Dan Rostenkowski, American politician (d. 2010)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1929 – Charles Beaumont, screenwriter and American author of speculative fiction (d. 1967)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1929 – Tellervo Koivisto, Finnish politician, former First Lady of Finland<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1931 – Toshiki Kaifu, Japanese lawyer and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2022)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1934 – John Hollowbread, English footballer, goalkeeper (d. 2007)<ref name="worldfootball.net">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1936 – Roger Miller, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor (d. 1992)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1938 – David Bailey, English photographer and painter<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1938 – Lynn Conway, American computer scientist and electrical engineer (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1938 – Robert Smithson, American sculptor and photographer (d. 1973)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1940 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1940 – Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1942 – Thomas Hammarberg, Swedish lawyer and diplomat<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1942 – Dennis Hastert, American educator and politician, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1943 – Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish-American astronomer (d. 2004)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1944 – Charlie Davis, Trinidadian cricketer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1944 – Péter Eötvös, Hungarian composer and conductor (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1944 – Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian field marshal and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia (d. 2021)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1944 – Mohamed Ali Yusuf, Somali politician (d. 2024)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1947 – Jack Hanna, American zoologist and author<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1947 – Calvin Hill, American football player<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1947 – David Shapiro, American poet, historian, and critic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (d. 2024)
• 1948 – Judith Miller, American journalist<ref name="UPI">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1948 – Deborah Watling, English actress (d. 2017)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1949 – Christopher Durang, American playwright and screenwriter<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> (d. 2024)
• 1949 – Iris Marion Young, American political scientist and academic (d. 2006)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1952 – Indulis Emsis, Latvian biologist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Latvia<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1952 – Wendy Phillips, American actress<ref name="AP" />
• 1954 – Henry Bonilla, American broadcaster and politician<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1954 – Évelyne Trouillot, Haitian playwright and author<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1961 – Gabrielle Carteris, American actress<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1961 – Paula Hamilton, English model<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1961 – Todd Haynes, American film director, screenwriter, and producer<ref name="UPI" />
• 1961 – Craig James, American football player and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1961 – Robert Wexler, American lawyer and politician<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1963 – David Cone, American baseball player and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1963 – Edgar Martínez, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1964 – Chris Welp, German-American basketball player (d. 2015)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (d. 2019)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1967 – Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1967 – Tia Carrere, American actress<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1967 – Jón Gnarr, Icelandic actor and politician; 20th Mayor of Reykjavík<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1968 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor and producer<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1968 – Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – István Bagyula, Hungarian pole vaulter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – William Fox-Pitt, English horse rider and journalist<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1969 – Róbert Švehla, Slovak ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1969 – Christy Turlington, American model<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1970 – Eric Whitacre, American composer and conductor<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1971 – Taye Diggs, American actor and singer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1971 – Renée Elise Goldsberry, American actress<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1972 – Rodney MacDonald, Canadian educator and politician, 26th Premier of Nova Scotia<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1972 – Shiraz Minwalla, Indian theoretical physicist and string theorist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1972 – Mattias Norström, Swedish ice hockey player and manager<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Ludmila Formanová, Czech runner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Juha Lind, Finnish ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1974 – Tomáš Řepka, Czech footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Dax Shepard, American actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Jeff Suppan, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1975 – Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1976 – Paz Vega, Spanish actress<ref name="AP">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Brian Boucher, American ice hockey player and sportscaster<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1977 – Stefan Koubek, Austrian tennis player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1979 – Jonathan Greening, English footballer<ref name="Fulham FC » Players from A-Z">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1980 – David Gyasi, British actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Kirk Hinrich, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1981 – Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1983 – Kate Bosworth, American actress<ref>California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Lists Catherine Ann Bosworth born January 2, 1983, in Los Angeles, California.</ref>
• 1983 – Anthony Carrigan, American actor<ref name="AP" />
• 1987 – Shelley Hennig, American actress and model<ref name="UPI" />
• 1987 – Robert Milsom, English footballer<ref name="Fulham FC » Players from A-Z"/>
• 1987 – Loïc Rémy, French footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – Germán Cano, Argentine footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – Luke Harangody, American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1988 – Damien Tussac, French-German rugby player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1991 – Ben Hardy, English actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Paulo Gazzaniga, Argentine footballer<ref name="worldfootball.net"/>
• 1992 – Alexey Marchenko, Russian ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Teemu Pulkkinen, Finnish ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1992 – Korbin Sims, Australian-Fijian rugby league player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1993 – Bryson Tiller, American singer and rapper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Ronald Darby, American football player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1996 – Jonah Bolden, Australian-American basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1997 – Carlos Soler, Spanish footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1998 – Tfue, American online streamer<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>
• 1998 – Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Dutch footballer<ref name="Fulham FC » Players from A-Z"/>
• 1999 – Georgios Kalaitzakis, Greek basketball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Fernando Tatís Jr., Dominican baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Spencer Arrighetti, American baseball player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2001 – Cole Caufield, American ice hockey player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2001 – Luiz Henrique, Brazilian footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2006 – Claudio Echeverri, Argentine footballer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 951 – Liu Chengyou, Emperor Yin of the Later Han (b. 931)<ref name="OH">Old History of the Five Dynasties ch. 103.</ref>
• 951 – Su Fengji, Chinese official and chancellor<ref name="OH"/>
• 1096 – William de St-Calais, Bishop of Durham and chief counsellor of William II of England<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1169 – Bertrand de Blanchefort, sixth Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1109)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1184 – Theodora Komnene, Duchess of Austria, daughter of Andronikos Komnenos<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1298 – Lodomer, Hungarian prelate, Archbishop of Esztergom<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1470 – Heinrich Reuß von Plauen, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1512 – Svante Nilsson, Sweden politician (b. 1460)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1514 – William Smyth, English bishop and academic (b. 1460)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1543 – Francesco Canova da Milano, Italian composer (b. 1497)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1557 – Pontormo, Italian painter and educator (b. 1494)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1598 – Morris Kyffin, Welsh soldier and writer (b. c.1555)<ref>Template:Cite DWB</ref>

1601–1900

• 1613 – Salima Sultan Begum, Empress of the Mughal Empire (b. 1539)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1614 – Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza, Spanish mystical poet and Catholic martyr (b. 1566)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1726 – Domenico Zipoli, Italian organist and composer (b. 1688)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1763 – John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (b. 1690)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1850 – Manuel de la Peña y Peña, Mexican lawyer and 20th President (1847) (b. 1789)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1861 – Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1892 – George Biddell Airy, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1801)<ref>Template:Cite ODNB</ref>

1901–present

• 1904 – James Longstreet, American general and diplomat (b. 1821)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1913 – Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1915 – Karl Goldmark, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1830)<ref name="Arthur Saul Super 1969 119"/>
• 1917 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (b. 1877)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1920 – Paul Adam, French author (b. 1862)<ref>Template:Cite EB1911</ref>
• 1924 – Sabine Baring-Gould, English author and scholar (b. 1834)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1939 – Roman Dmowski, Polish politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1941 – Mischa Levitzki, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1898)<ref>Staff. "MISCHA LEVITZKI, NOTED PIANIST, DIES; Virtuoso Who Won Acclaim of Audiences Throughout World Succumbs to Heart Attack KNOWN AS CHILD PRODIGY Composer, 42, Made His Debut Here in 1916 After Giving Many Recitals in Europe" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, January 3, 1941. Accessed December 27, 2016.</ref>
• 1946 – Joe Darling, Australian cricketer and politician (b. 1870)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1950 – James Dooley, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1877)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1951 – William Campion, English colonel and politician, 21st Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1951 – Edith New, English militant suffragette (b. 1877)<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 1953 – Guccio Gucci, Italian businessman and fashion designer, founder of Gucci (b. 1881)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1960 – Paul Sauvé, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Quebec (b. 1907)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1963 – Dick Powell, American actor, singer, and director (b. 1904)<ref name="DPobit">Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1963 – Jack Carson, Canadian-American actor (b. 1910)<ref name="DPobit"/>
• 1974 – Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1975 – Siraj Sikder, Bangladesh revolutionary leader (b. 1944)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1977 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (b. 1921)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1986 – Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1987 – Harekrushna Mahatab, Indian journalist and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Odisha (b. 1899)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1989 – Safdar Hashmi, Indian actor, director, and playwright (b. 1954)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1990 – Alan Hale Jr., American film and television actor (b. 1921)<ref name="AndrewsTurner1990"/>
• 1990 – Evangelos Averoff, Greek historian and politician, Greek Minister for National Defence (b. 1910)<ref name="AndrewsTurner1990">Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1994 – Dixy Lee Ray, American biologist and politician; 17th Governor of Washington (b. 1914)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1994 – Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, French lawyer and businessman (b. 1915)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1995 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 1995 – Siad Barre, Somalian general and politician; 3rd President of Somalia (b. 1919)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Rolf Liebermann, Swiss-French composer and manager (b. 1910)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (b. 1907)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1999 – Aaron Wiggins, American professional basketball player<ref name="WigginsNBA">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Elmo Zumwalt, American admiral (b. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2000 – Patrick O'Brian, English author and translator (b. 1914)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2001 – William P. Rogers, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 55th United States Secretary of State (b. 1913)<ref name=obit>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2005 – Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist and physician (b. 1911)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2006 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, Filipino lawyer and jurist (b. 1913)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• 2006 – Osa Massen, Danish-American actress (b. 1914)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2007 – A. Richard Newton, Australian-American engineer and academic (b. 1951)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2007 – Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian and author (b. 1941)<ref>Template:Citation.</ref>
• 2007 – Teddy Kollek, Hungarian-Israeli politician, Mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2008 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish journalist and author (b. 1925)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2008 – Lee S. Dreyfus, American politician, Governor of Wisconsin (b. 1926)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2009 – Inger Christensen, Danish poet and author (b. 1935)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2010 – David R. Ross, Scottish historian and author (b. 1958)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2011 – Anne Francis, American actress (b. 1930)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2011 – Bali Ram Bhagat, Indian politician; 16th Governor of Rajasthan (b. 1922)<ref name="death">Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2011 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (b. 1946)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Gordon Hirabayashi, American-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1918)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – Silvana Gallardo, American actress and producer (b. 1953)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2012 – William P. Carey, American businessman and philanthropist, founded W. P. Carey (b. 1930)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2013 – Gerda Lerner, Austrian-American historian, author, and academic (b. 1920)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2013 – Teresa Torańska, Polish journalist and author (b. 1944)<ref>Teresa Torańska nie żyje. Template:Webarchive Gazeta.pl. Wiadomości. Retrieved January 2, 2013</ref>
• 2014 – Bernard Glasser, American director and producer (b. 1924)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2014 – Elizabeth Jane Howard, English author and screenwriter (b. 1923)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2015 – Tihomir Novakov, Serbian-American physicist and academic (b. 1929)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Frances Cress Welsing, American psychiatrist and author (b. 1935)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2016 – Nimr al-Nimr, Saudi Arabian religious leader (b. 1959)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2016 – Gisela Mota Ocampo, mayor of Temixco, Morelos, Mexico, assassinated (b. 1982)<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• 2017 – Jean Vuarnet, French ski racer (b. 1933)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2017 – John Berger, English art critic, novelist and painter (b. 1926)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2018 – Guida Maria, Portuguese actress (b. 1950)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2018 – Thomas S. Monson, American religious leader, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1927)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2019 – Daryl Dragon, American musician (b. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – Bob Einstein, American actor and comedian (b. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2019 – Gene Okerlund, American wrestling announcer (b. 1942)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 2025 – Ágnes Keleti, Hungarian Olympic gymnast (b. 1921)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Holidays and observances

• Ancestry Day (Haiti)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Berchtold's Day (Switzerland)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Christian feast day:
  • Basil the Great (Catholic Church and Church of England)<ref name=Metro2022>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Gregory of Nazianzus (Catholic Church)<ref name=Metro2022 />
  • Macarius of Alexandria<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Seraphim of Sarov (Eastern Orthodox Church)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah (Episcopal Church)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• The Day after New Years Day is a Public Holiday in New Zealand<ref name="2003act">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Kaapse Klopse (Cape Town, South Africa)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• The first day of Blacks and Whites' Carnival, celebrated until January 7 (Colombia)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The ninth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)<ref name=Metro2022 />
• The Second of January is a Bank Holiday in Scotland<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• Template:NYT On this day
• Historical Events on January 2