- 1077 Emperor Zhezong of Song Dynasty in China (d. 1100)
- 1334 Amadeus VI, [Green Count], Count of Savoy (d. 1383)
- 1567 Franciscus Aguilon, physicist/mathematician/jesuit/architect
- 1579 Willem Teellinck, Dutch theologist/vicar
- 1581 James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh (claimed world began 4004 BC).
- 1664 Lars Roberg, Swedish physician (d. 1742)
- 1672 Hugh Boulter, Irish Archbishop of Armagh (d. 1742)
- 1726 Cornelis Ploos van Amstel, Dutch engraver/art collector
- 1739 Henrik C Cras, Dutch lawyer (Laudatio Hugonis Grotii)
- 1756 Anne Nagell van Ampsen, Dutch politician
- 1772 Paul-Louis Courier, (de Mere), French writer/interpreter
Jacob Grimm
1785 Jacob Grimm, German philologist, folklorist and editor of "Grimm's Fairy Tales", born in Hanau, Hesse-Cassel, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1863)
Jacob Grimm
Louis Braille
1809 Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, born in Coupvray, France (d. 1852)
Louis Braille
- 1813 Alexander Freiherr von Bach, Austria attorney/premier (1852-59)
- 1813 Isaac Pitman, Britain, inventor (stenographic shorthand)
- 1813 Louis L Bonaparte, English/French linguist/senator
- 1821 John James Peck, American Major General (Union Army), born in Manlius, New York (d. 1878)
- 1822 Joseph Jones Reynolds, American engineer, educator, and Major General (Union Army), born in Flemingsburg, Kentucky (d. 1899)
- 1823 Otto van Rees, gov-gen of Dutch-Indies (1884-88)
- 1823 Peter Joseph Osterhaus, German-American diplomat and Major General (Union Army), born in Koblenz, Germany (d. 1917)
- 1832 George Tryon, British admiral (d. 1893)
- 1837 Casimiro de Abreu, Brazil, poet (Camoes e o jau)
- 1838 Charles Stratton, [General Tom Thumb] (famous short person)
- 1839 Carl Humann, German engineer (d. 1896)
- 1842 Frederic T. Greenhalge, 38th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1896)
- 1847 Hendrik Goeman Borgesius, Dutch politician
- 1848 Katsura Taro, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1913)
- 1872 Edmund Rumpler, Austrian auto/airplane builder
- 1874 Svend Fleuron, Danish writer, born on Good Katrinedal (d. 1966)
- 1878 Alfred Edgar Coppard, England, writer (Black Dogs & Other Stories)
- 1878 Augustus John, Welsh painter (d. 1961)
- 1881 Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German painter/poet/sculptor (Seated Youth)
- 1882 Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian artist (d. 1943)
- 1883 Johanna Westerdijk, botanist/Neth 1st female prof (Utrecht, 1917-52)
- 1883 Max Eastman, American critic/essayist and editor of The Masses (d. 1969)
- 1890 Mosa Pijade, Yugoslavia, MP (communist)
- 1891 Edward Brooker, Premier of Tasmania (d. 1948)
- 1893 Yone Minagawa, Japanese, became worlds oldest living person January 29, 2007. (d. Aug. 13, 2007)
- 1894 Manuel de Abreu, Brazilian physician (d. 1962)
- 1895 Lourens G M Baas Becking, Dutch botanist/resistance fighter
- 1895 Leroy Grumman, American industrialist (d. 1982)
- 1896 Everett Dirksen, American politician (Sen-R-Ill) (d. 1969)
- 1900 James Bond, American ornithologist (d. 1989)
- 1901 C. L. R. James, writer and journalist (d. 1989)
- 1902 John McCone, CIA Director (d. 1991)
- 1910 Arthur Villeneuve, Quebec painter (d. 1990)
- 1913 Malietoa Tanumafili II, King of West-Samoa (1962- )
- 1914 Mohammed Sahir, shah (Afghanistan)
- 1916 Catherina Elisabeth "Tootje" Vreede, portrait painter
- 1916 Robert Parrish, director (Casino Royale), born in Columbus, Georgia
- 1917 Maurice Wohl, English broker/multi-millionaire
- 1919 Al "Jazbo" Collins, American DJ (Tonight! America After Dark), born in NYC, New York
- 1919 Havelock Henry Trevor Hudson, underwriter (Lloyd's of London)
- 1920 William Egan Colby, CIA director (Nixon)
- 1924 Sebastian Kappen, Indian theologian (d. 1993)
- 1927 Paul Desmarais, Canadian businessman
- 1929 Amitai W Etzioni, US sociologist (Active Society)
- 1929 Bobby Tulloch, ornithologist
- 1931 Adi Lady Lala Mara, First Lady of Fiji (d. 2004)
- 1931 Sir William Deane, Governor-General of Australia 1996-2001
- 1932 Carlos Saura, Spanish director
- 1933 Ed Jenkins, (Rep-D-GA, 1977- )
- 1933 Ilia II Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia.
- 1934 Rudolf Schuster, President of Slovakia
- 1935 Kenneth Money, Canadian astronaut (STS 42-alt)
- 1940 Brian Josephson, British physicist (Nobel 1973)
- 1940 Helmut Jahn, German architect
- 1940 Gao Xingjian, Chinese-born French novelist and dramatist, Nobel laureate
- 1941 Maureen Reagan, 1st daughter of Ronald and Jane Wyman, born in Los Angeles, California
- 1942 Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait (2011-present), born in Kuwait City, Kuwait
Doris Kearns Goodwin
1943 Doris Kearns Goodwin, American historian and writer (Team of Rivals, No Ordinary Time), born in Brooklyn, New York
Doris Kearns Goodwin
- 1945 Vesa-Matti Loiri, Finnish entertainer
- 1945 Richard R. Schrock, American chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1948 Eugeniusz Wycisło, Polish politician
- 1959 Yoshitomo Nara, Japanese pop artist
- 1960 Cory Everson, American body builder (6X Ms Olympia), born in Racine Wisconsin
- 1965 Jergus Baca, Liptovsky Mikulas CZE, IHL defenseman (Team Slovakia 98)
- 1968 Mike Wilpolt, American football player & coach, born in Broomfield, Colorado
- 1971 Junichi Kakizaki, Japanese artist & sculptor, born in Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture
- 1977 Dan Shanahan, Irish hurler, born in Lismore, Republic of Ireland
- 1988 Nabila Jamshed, Indian writer
January in History
The Beatles? 'They have no future in show business'
In 1962, an unknown group called the Beatles travelled to London for a recording contract audition with one of the major record labels. They were rejected.
January 1, 1962
'The Most Famous of All Streaks'
Erika Roe bounced into the history books on this day when, topless, she skipped onto the pitch at a rugby game to the roar of 60,000 cheering spectators.
January 2, 1982
Designer 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 5, 1797
A Crackdown on Lovers in New York
New York wasn't always a free and easy city. Time was when not only adultery was a crime, but even looking at a lady in the wrong way could land a guy in trouble.
January 8, 1902