- 1406 Matteo Palmieri, Italian writer (Della vita civile)
- 1505 Joachim II Hector, ruler (Brandenburg)
- 1562 Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish poet (d. 1601)
- 1596 Jan J Goyen, Dutch landscape painter
- 1610 Maria Anna of Austria, Electress of Bavaria (d. 1665)
- 1616 Antoinette Bourignon, Flemish mystic/French religious fanatic
- 1635 Philipp Jakob Spener, German theologian (d. 1705)
- 1651 Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English politician (d. 1694)
- 1720 Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer (d. 1808)
- 1749 Friedrich Müller, painter and dramatist (d. 1825)
- 1787 John Davis, 14th and 17th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1854)
- 1802 Eduard von Bauernfeld, comedic playwright, born in Vienna, Austria
- 1804 Paul Gavarni, French caricaturist (d. 1866)
- 1804 John Pringle Nichol, Scottish Astronomer and educator
- 1805 Thomas Dyer, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1862)
- 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte Buford, American Major General (Union Army), born in Woodford County, Kentucky (d. 1883)
- 1808 Salmon P Chase, (Sen-R) cabinet member, 6th chief justice (1864-73)
- 1812 Humphrey Marshall, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1872)
- 1812 Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (d. 1883)
- 1813 Agostino Depretis, Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy (1876-78, 1778-79, 1881-87), born in Bressana Bottarone, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1887)
- 1815 William Henry French, American Major General (Union Army), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1881)
- 1832 Horatio Alger, American clergyman and author (Disagreeable Woman, Ragged Dick), born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1899)
- 1835 Gustaaf Rolin-Jaequemyns, Belgian jurist/minister of the Interior
- 1845 Félix Tisserand, French Astronomer (d. 1896)
- 1858 Oskar Minkowski, Biologist (d. 1931)
- 1859 Karl Bleibtreu, German author (Revolution of Literature)
- 1859 Kostis Palamas, Greek poet (d. 1943)
- 1861 Max Nonne, German neurologist (d. 1959)
- 1864 Wilhelm K W Wien, German physicist (Nobel 1911)
- 1865 Princess Marie of Orléans (d. 1908)
- 1869 Emanuele F, duke of Aosta, Italian general (WWI)/fascist
- 1870 Ross Granville Harrison, American biologist (d. 1959)
- 1874 Jozef E van Roey, Flemish cardinal/archbishop of Mechlin
- 1878 Lionel Groulx, Canadian nationalist, born in Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada (d. 1967)
- 1881 Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist (d. 1961)
- 1885 Alfred Fuller, CEO (Fuller Brush Man)
- 1887 George Gurdjieff, Armenian-Greek mystic (d. 1949)
- 1890 Jüri Uluots, Estonian Prime Minister (d. 1945)
- 1893 Clarke Ashton Smith, American sci-fi author (Lost Worlds, Genius Loci)
- 1893 Roy Cazaly, Australian rules footballer (d. 1963)
- 1895 Anton Betzner, German writer, born in Cologne (d. 1976)
- 1898 Pedro DE Teixeira de Mattos, Dutch diplomat
- 1898 Kai Munk, Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor, martyr (d. 1944)
- 1901 A. B. Guthrie, American novelist, historian (d. 1991)
- 1901 Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish historian and priest (d. 1978)
- 1906 Zhou Youguang [Zhou Yaoping], Chinese language scholar (father of pinyin), born in Changzhou (d. 2017)
- 1907 Sabine Zlatin, Polish-born French nurse who tried save Izieu children from Nazis), born in Warsaw (d. 1996)
- 1909 Marinus van der Lubbe, Dutch communist
- 1911 Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, premier (Queensland)
- 1915 Edward Frederick Weston Goodman, property developer
- 1916 Bella Lewitsky, choreographer
- 1921 Dachine Rainer, British writer (d. 2000)
- 1924 Philip Rawson, artist/teacher
- 1924 Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-born philosopher (d. 1994)
- 1926 Carolyn Heilbrun, [Amanda Cross], author (Lady Ottoline's Album)
- 1926 Pamela M Cunnington, English architect/author (Change of Use)
- 1926 Michael Bond, British writer
- 1927 Brock Adams, American politician (d. 2004)
- 1927 Sydney Brenner, British Nobel Laureate
- 1930 Roman Ciesiewicz, artist/graphic designer
- 1933 Nurdin Jivraj, Tanzanian-British hotel magnate (Buckingham Intl.)
- 1933 Ron Goulart, American sci-fi author (Deadwalk, Plunder)
- 1935 Mauro Forghieri, Italian automotive & mechanical engineer (Scuderia Ferrari)
- 1936 Edward R Madigan, (Rep-R-IL, 1973- )
- 1938 Jean Cabut [Cabu], French caricaturist (Charlie Hebdo), born in Châlons-en-Champagne, France (d. 2015)
- 1940 Edmund White, American author
- 1941 Pasqual Maragall, Spanish politician
- 1945 [Eileen] Joy[ce] Chant [Rutter], UK, sci-fi author (High Kings)
- 1947 Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Kraków
- 1948 Gaj Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur
- 1949 Rakesh Sharma, Indian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-11), first Indian in space, born in Patiala, India
- 1955 Jay McInerney, American novelist (Bright Lights, Big City), born in Hartford, Connecticut
- 1955 Titus M Mafolo, South African journalist/ANC-leader
- 1957 Lorrie Moore, American writer
- 1963 Kevin McClatchy, American businessman
- 1966 Tabitha Stevens, fictional character (Bewitched)
- 1972 Atoosa Rubenstein, Iranian-born American magazine editor
January in History
The Man Who Saved Elton John's Life
Long John Baldry was born on this day - a friend of stars from Rod Stewart to The Beatles and who, in 1969, famously took Elton John aside and saved the life.
January 12, 1941British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759Designer Throws His Hat Into the Ring; Creates a Sensation
The first time a man stepped out in London wearing a topper it caused a sensation, then a court case. Who now could imagine Fred Astaire without his famous top hat?
January 15, 1797Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927
