January 11 facts for kids

January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 354 days remain until the end of the year (355 in leap years).

Events

Pre-1600

• 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the Blues and the Greens—in the Hippodrome escalates into violence.
• 630 – Conquest of Mecca: The prophet Muhammad and his followers conquer the city, and the Quraysh association of clans surrenders.
• 930 – Sack of Mecca by the Qarmatians.
• 1055 – Theodora is crowned empress of the Byzantine Empire.
• 1158 – Vladislaus II, Duke of Bohemia becomes King of Bohemia.
• 1569 – First recorded lottery in England.

1601–1900

• 1654 – Arauco War: A Spanish army is defeated by local Mapuche-Huilliches as it tries to cross Bueno River in Southern Chile.
• 1759 – The first American life insurance company, the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of the Presbyterian Ministers (now part of Unum Group), is incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• 1779 – Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manipur.
• 1787 – William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.
• 1805 – The Michigan Territory is created.
• 1861 – American Civil War: Alabama secedes from the United States.
• 1863 – American Civil War: The three-day Battle of Arkansas Post concludes as General John McClernand and Admiral David Dixon Porter capture Fort Hindman and secure control over the Arkansas River for the Union.
• 1863 – American Civil War: CSS Alabama encounters and sinks the USS Hatteras off Galveston Lighthouse in Texas.
• 1879 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins.

1901–present

• 1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument is created.
• 1912 – Immigrant textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, go on strike when wages are reduced in response to a mandated shortening of the work week.
• 1914 – The Karluk, flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, sank after being crushed by ice.
• 1917 – The Kingsland munitions factory explosion occurs as a result of sabotage.
• 1922 – Leonard Thompson becomes the first person to be injected with insulin.
• 1923 – Occupation of the Ruhr: Troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area to force Germany to make its World War I reparation payments.
• 1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), announces the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, California.
• 1935 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
• 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces capture Kuala Lumpur, the capital of the Federated Malay States.
• 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces attack Tarakan in Borneo, Netherlands Indies (Battle of Tarakan)
• 1943 – The Republic of China agrees to the Sino-British New Equal Treaty and the Sino-American New Equal Treaty.
• 1946 – Enver Hoxha, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Albania, declares the People's Republic of Albania with himself as head of state.
• 1949 – The first "networked" television broadcasts took place as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes on the air connecting the east coast and mid-west programming.
• 1957 – The African Convention is founded in Dakar, Senegal.
• 1959 – 36 people are killed when Lufthansa Flight 502 crashes on approach to Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport in Brazil.
• 1961 – Throgs Neck Bridge over the East River, linking New York City's boroughs of The Bronx and Queens, opens to road traffic.
• 1962 – Cold War: While tied to its pier in Polyarny, the Soviet submarine B-37 is destroyed when fire breaks out in its torpedo compartment.
• 1962 – An avalanche on Huascarán in Peru causes around 4,000 deaths.
• 1964 – Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
• 1966 – The Tbilisi Metro is opened.
• 1972 – East Pakistan renames itself Bangladesh.
• 1973 – Major League Baseball owners vote in approval of the American League adopting the designated hitter position.
• 1983 – United Airlines Flight 2885 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing three.
• 1986 – The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is officially opened.
• 1994 – The Irish Government announces the end of a 15-year broadcasting ban on the IRA and its political arm Sinn Féin.
• 1996 – The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on mission STS-72 to retrieve the Japanese Space Flyer Unit.
• 2003 – Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois's death row based on the Jon Burge scandal.
• 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei: Municipal health officials in Wuhan announce the first recorded death from COVID-19.

Births

Pre-1600

• 347 – Theodosius I, Roman emperor (d. 395)
• 889 – Abd-ar-Rahman III, first Caliph of Córdoba (d. 961)
• 1113 – Wang Chongyang, Chinese religious leader and poet (d. 1170)
• 1209 – Möngke Khan, Mongolian emperor (d. 1259)
• 1322 – Emperor Kōmyō of Japan (d. 1380)
• 1359 – Emperor Go-En'yū of Japan (d. 1393)
• 1395 – Michele of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France (d. 1422)
• 1503 – Parmigianino, Italian artist (d. 1540)
• 1589 – William Strode, English politician (d. 1666)
• 1591 – Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire (d. 1646)

1601–1900

• 1624 – Bastiaan Govertsz van der Leeuw, Dutch painter (d. 1680)
• 1630 – John Rogers, English-American minister, physician, and academic (d. 1684)
• 1638 – Nicolas Steno, Danish bishop and anatomist (d. 1686)
• 1642 – Johann Friedrich Alberti, German organist and composer (d. 1710)
• 1650 – Diana Glauber, Dutch-German painter (d. 1721)
• 1671 – François-Marie, 1st duc de Broglie, French general and diplomat (d. 1745)
• 1755 – Alexander Hamilton, Nevisian-American general, economist and politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (d. 1804)
• 1757 – Samuel Bentham, English engineer and architect (d. 1831)
• 1760 – Oliver Wolcott Jr., American lawyer and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of the Treasury, 24th Governor of Connecticut (d. 1833)
• 1777 – Vincenzo Borg, Maltese merchant and rebel leader (d. 1837)
• 1786 – Joseph Jackson Lister, English physicist (d. 1869)
• 1788 – William Thomas Brande, English chemist and academic (d. 1866)
• 1800 – Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist and engineer (d. 1895)
• 1807 – Ezra Cornell, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Western Union and Cornell University (d. 1874)
• 1814 – James Paget, English surgeon and pathologist (d. 1899)
• 1814 – Socrates Nelson, American businessman and politician (d. 1867)
• 1815 – John A. Macdonald, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1891)
• 1825 – Bayard Taylor, American poet, author, and critic (d. 1878)
• 1839 – Eugenio María de Hostos, Puerto Rican lawyer, philosopher, and sociologist (d. 1903)
• 1842 – William James, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1910)
• 1843 – Adolf Eberle, German painter (d. 1914)
• 1845 – Albert Victor Bäcklund, Swedish mathematician and physicist (d. 1912)
• 1850 – Joseph Charles Arthur, American pathologist and mycologist (d. 1942)
• 1852 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, 4th Chancellor of Weimar Germany (d. 1926)
• 1853 – Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter and sculptor (d. 1932)
• 1856 – Christian Sinding, Norwegian pianist and composer (d. 1941)
• 1857 – Fred Archer, English jockey (d. 1886)
• 1858 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-English businessman, founded Selfridges (d. 1947)
• 1859 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (d. 1925)
• 1864 – Thomas Dixon, Jr., American minister, lawyer, and politician (d. 1946)
• 1867 – Edward B. Titchener, English psychologist and academic (d. 1927)
• 1868 – Cai Yuanpei, Chinese philosopher, academic, and politician (d. 1940)
• 1870 – Alexander Stirling Calder, American sculptor and educator (d. 1945)
• 1872 – G. W. Pierce, American physicist and academic (d. 1956)
• 1873 – John Callan O'Laughlin, American soldier and journalist (d. 1949)
• 1875 – Reinhold Glière, Russian composer and academic (d. 1956)
• 1876 – Elmer Flick, American baseball player (d. 1971)
• 1876 – Thomas Hicks, American runner (d. 1952)
• 1878 – Theodoros Pangalos, Greek general and politician, President of Greece (d. 1952)
• 1885 – Alice Paul, American activist and suffragist (d. 1977)
• 1886 – George Zucco, British actor (d. 1960)
• 1887 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (d. 1948)
• 1888 – Joseph B. Keenan, American jurist and politician (d. 1954)
• 1889 – Calvin Bridges, American geneticist and academic (d. 1938)
• 1890 – Max Carey, American baseball player and manager (d. 1976)
• 1890 – Oswald de Andrade, Brazilian poet and critic (d. 1954)
• 1891 – Andrew Sockalexis, American runner (d. 1919)
• 1893 – Ellinor Aiki, Estonian painter (d. 1969)
• 1893 – Charles Fraser, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1981)
• 1893 – Anthony M. Rud, American journalist and author (d. 1942)
• 1895 – Laurens Hammond, American engineer and businessman, founded the Hammond Clock Company (d. 1973)
• 1897 – Bernard DeVoto, American historian and author (d. 1955)
• 1897 – August Heissmeyer, German SS officer (d. 1979)
• 1899 – Eva Le Gallienne, English-American actress, director, and producer (d. 1991)

1901–present

• 1901 – Kwon Ki-ok, Korean pilot (d. 1988)
• 1902 – Maurice Duruflé, French organist and composer (d. 1986)
• 1903 – Alan Paton, South African author and activist (d. 1988)
• 1905 – Clyde Kluckhohn, American anthropologist and theorist (d. 1960)
• 1906 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic (d. 2008)
• 1907 – Pierre Mendès France, French lawyer and politician, 142nd Prime Minister of France (d. 1982)
• 1907 – Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher (d. 1972)
• 1908 – Lionel Stander, American actor and activist (d. 1994)
• 1910 – Arthur Lambourn, New Zealand rugby player (d. 1999)
• 1910 – Shane Paltridge, Australian soldier and politician (d. 1966)
• 1911 – Tommy Duncan, American singer-songwriter (d. 1967)
• 1911 – Nora Heysen, Australian painter (d. 2003)
• 1911 – Zenkō Suzuki, Japanese politician, 70th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2004)
• 1912 – Don "Red" Barry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1980)
• 1913 – Karl Stegger, Danish actor (d. 1980)
• 1915 – Luise Krüger, German javelin thrower (d. 2001)
• 1915 – Paddy Mayne, British colonel and lawyer (d. 1955)
• 1916 – Bernard Blier, Argentinian-French actor (d. 1989)
• 1917 – John Robarts, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Ontario (d. 1982)
• 1918 – Robert C. O'Brien, American author and journalist (d. 1973)
• 1918 – Spencer Walklate, Australian rugby league player and soldier (d. 1945)
• 1920 – Mick McManus, English wrestler (d. 2013)
• 1921 – Gory Guerrero, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1990)
• 1921 – Juanita M. Kreps, American economist and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 2010)
• 1923 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (d. 1998)
• 1923 – Ernst Nolte, German historian and philosopher (d. 2016)
• 1923 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver, engineer, and businessman, founded Carroll Shelby International (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Roger Guillemin, French-American physician and endocrinologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2024)
• 1924 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1994)
• 1924 – Slim Harpo, American blues singer-songwriter and musician (d. 1970)
• 1925 – Grant Tinker, American television producer, co-founded MTM Enterprises (d. 2016)
• 1926 – Lev Dyomin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1998)
• 1928 – David L. Wolper, American director and producer (d. 2010)
• 1929 – Dmitri Bruns, Estonian architect and theorist (d. 2020)
• 1930 – Ron Mulock, Australian lawyer and politician, 10th Deputy Premier of New South Wales (d. 2014)
• 1930 – Rod Taylor, Australian-American actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
• 1931 – Betty Churcher, Australian painter, historian, and curator (d. 2015)
• 1931 – Mary Rodgers, American composer and author (d. 2014)
• 1932 – Alfonso Arau, Mexican actor and director
• 1933 – Goldie Hill, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
• 1934 – Jean Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of Canada
• 1934 – Mitchell Ryan, American actor (d. 2022)
• 1936 – Eva Hesse, German-American sculptor and educator (d. 1970)
• 1937 – Felix Silla, Italian character actor, circus performer, voice artist, and stuntman (d. 2021)
• 1938 – Arthur Scargill, English miner, activist, and politician
• 1939 – Anne Heggtveit, Canadian alpine skier
• 1940 – Andres Tarand, Estonian geographer and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Estonia
• 1941 – Gérson, Brazilian footballer
• 1942 – Bud Acton, American basketball player
• 1942 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist and actor (d. 2011)
• 1944 – Mohammed Abdul-Hayy, Sudanese poet and academic (d. 1989)
• 1944 – Shibu Soren, Indian politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Jharkhand
• 1945 – Christine Kaufmann, German actress, author, and businesswoman (d. 2017)
• 1946 – Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2022)
• 1946 – Tony Kaye, English progressive rock keyboard player and songwriter
• 1946 – John Piper, American theologian and author
• 1947 – Hamish Macdonald, New Zealand rugby player
• 1948 – Fritz Bohla, German footballer and manager
• 1948 – Joe Harper, Scottish footballer and manager
• 1948 – Wajima Hiroshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 54th Yokozuna (d. 2018)
• 1948 – Madeline Manning, American runner and coach
• 1948 – Terry Williams, Welsh drummer
• 1949 – Daryl Braithwaite, Australian singer-songwriter
• 1949 – Chris Ford, American basketball player and coach (d. 2023)
• 1949 – Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Iranian lawyer and politician, 2nd Vice President of Iran
• 1951 – Charlie Huhn, American rock singer and guitarist
• 1951 – Willie Maddren, English footballer and manager (d. 2000)
• 1951 – Philip Tartaglia, Scottish archbishop (d. 2021)
• 1952 – Bille Brown, Australian actor and playwright (d. 2013)
• 1952 – Ben Crenshaw, American golfer and architect
• 1952 – Michael Forshaw, Australian lawyer and politician
• 1952 – Diana Gabaldon, American author
• 1952 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist, composer, and producer
• 1953 – Graham Allen, English politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
• 1953 – Kostas Skandalidis, Greek engineer and politician, Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food
• 1954 – Jaak Aaviksoo, Estonian physicist and politician, 26th Estonian Minister of Defence
• 1954 – Kailash Satyarthi, Indian engineer, academic, and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1956 – David Grant, Australian rugby league player (d. 1994)
• 1956 – Big Bank Hank, American rapper (d. 2014)
• 1956 – Robert Earl Keen, American singer-songwriter
• 1956 – Phyllis Logan, Scottish actress
• 1957 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1957 – Peter Moore, Australian rules footballer and coach
• 1957 – Bryan Robson, English footballer and manager
• 1958 – Vicki Peterson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1959 – Brett Bodine, American NASCAR driver
• 1959 – Rob Ramage, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1961 – Jasper Fforde, English author
• 1961 – Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish racing driver (d. 1989)
• 1961 – Karl von Habsburg, Austrian politician, Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine
• 1962 – Chris Bryant, Welsh politician, Minister of State for Europe
• 1962 – Kim Coles, American actress and comedian
• 1962 – Susan Lindauer, American journalist and activist
• 1962 – Brian Moore, English rugby player
• 1963 – Tracy Caulkins, American-Australian swimmer
• 1963 – Jason Connery, Italian-born British actor and director
• 1963 – Petra Schneider, German swimmer
• 1964 – Albert Dupontel, French actor and director
• 1964 – Ralph Recto, Filipino lawyer and politician
• 1965 – Mascarita Sagrada, Mexican wrestler
• 1965 – Aleksey Zhukov, Russian footballer and coach
• 1966 – Marc Acito, American author and screenwriter
• 1967 – Michael Healy-Rae, Irish politician
• 1968 – Anders Borg, Swedish economist and politician, Swedish Minister for Finance
• 1968 – Tom Dumont, American guitarist and producer
• 1968 – Steve Mavin, Australian rugby league player
• 1969 – Manny Acta, Dominican-American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster
• 1970 – Manfredi Beninati, Italian painter and sculptor
• 1970 – Chris Jent, American basketball player and coach
• 1970 – Malcolm D. Lee, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor
• 1970 – Ken Ueno, American composer
• 1971 – Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1971 – Jeff Orford, Australian rugby league player
• 1972 – Christian Jacobs, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
• 1972 – Anthony Lledo, Danish composer
• 1972 – Amanda Peet, American actress and playwright
• 1973 – Rahul Dravid, Indian cricketer and captain
• 1973 – Rockmond Dunbar, American actor
• 1974 – Roman Görtz, German footballer
• 1974 – Cody McKay, Canadian baseball player
• 1974 – Jens Nowotny, German footballer
• 1975 – Rory Fitzpatrick, American ice hockey player
• 1975 – Dan Luger, English rugby player and coach
• 1975 – Matteo Renzi, Italian politician, 56th Prime Minister of Italy
• 1976 – Efthimios Rentzias, Greek basketball player
• 1977 – Shamari Buchanan, American football player
• 1977 – Anni Friesinger-Postma, German speed skater
• 1977 – Shane Kelly, Australian rugby league player
• 1977 – Olexiy Lukashevych, Ukrainian long jumper
• 1978 – Vallo Allingu, Estonian basketball player
• 1978 – Holly Brisley, Australian actress
• 1978 – Michael Duff, Irish footballer
• 1978 – Emile Heskey, English footballer
• 1979 – Darren Lynn Bousman, American director and screenwriter
• 1979 – Michael Lorenz, German footballer
• 1979 – Terence Morris, American basketball player
• 1979 – Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer-songwriter and businesswoman
• 1979 – Henry Shefflin, Irish hurler
• 1980 – Josh Hannay, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1980 – Damien Wilkins, American basketball player
• 1982 – Tony Allen, American basketball player
• 1982 – Clint Greenshields, Australian-French rugby league player
• 1982 – Blake Heron, American actor (d. 2017)
• 1982 – Son Ye-jin, South Korean actress
• 1983 – André Myhrer, Swedish skier
• 1983 – Ted Richards, Australian rules footballer
• 1983 – Adrian Sutil, German racing driver
• 1984 – Kevin Boss, American football player
• 1984 – Dario Krešić, Croatian footballer
• 1984 – Matt Mullenweg, American web developer and businessman, co-created WordPress
• 1984 – Stijn Schaars, Dutch footballer
• 1984 – Glenn Stewart, Australian rugby league player
• 1985 – Dennis Dixon, American football player
• 1985 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1985 – Aja Naomi King, American actress
• 1987 – Scotty Cranmer, American BMX rider
• 1987 – Danuta Kozák, Hungarian sprint canoer
• 1987 – Daniel Semenzato, Italian footballer
• 1987 – Jamie Vardy, English footballer
• 1987 – Kim Young-kwang, South Korean actor and model
• 1988 – Epiphanny Prince, American-Russian basketball player
• 1989 – Demario Davis, American football player
• 1989 – Kane Linnett, Australian rugby league player
• 1990 – Malik Jackson, American football player
• 1991 – Andrea Bertolacci, Italian footballer
• 1992 – Dani Carvajal, Spanish footballer
• 1992 – Lee Seung-hoon, South Korean rapper and dancer
• 1993 – Chris Boucher, Saint Lucian-Canadian basketball player
• 1993 – Park Junghwan, South Korean Go player
• 1993 – Michael Keane, English footballer
• 1993 – Will Keane, Irish footballer
• 1995 – Nick Solak, American baseball player
• 1996 – Leroy Sané, German footballer
• 1997 – Cody Simpson, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
• 1998 – Thomas Mikaele, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1999 – Brandon Wakeham, Australian-Fijian rugby league player
• 2000 – Chaeyeon, South Korean singer-songwriter

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 140 – Pope Hyginus, Bishop of Rome (b. 74)
• 705 – Pope John VI (b. 655)
• 782 – Emperor Kōnin of Japan (b. 709)
• 812 – Staurakios, Byzantine emperor
• 844 – Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine emperor (b. 770)
• 887 – Boso of Provence, Frankish nobleman
• 937 – Cao, empress of Later Tang
• 937 – Li Chongmei, prince of Later Tang
• 937 – Li Congke, emperor of Later Tang (b. 885)
• 937 – Liu, empress of Later Tang
• 1055 – Constantine IX Monomachos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1000)
• 1068 – Egbert I, Margrave of Meissen
• 1083 – Otto of Nordheim (b. 1020)
• 1266 – Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania
• 1344 – Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford and Lord Chancellor of Ireland
• 1372 – Eleanor of Lancaster, English noblewoman (b. 1318)
• 1396 – Isidore Glabas, Metropolitan bishop of Thessalonica (b.c. 1341)
• 1397 – Skirgaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania
• 1494 – Domenico Ghirlandaio, Italian painter (b. 1449)
• 1495 – Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal (b. 1428)
• 1546 – Gaudenzio Ferrari, Italian painter and sculptor (b. c. 1471)
• 1554 – Min Bin, king of Arakan (b. 1493)

1601–1900

• 1641 – Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet and painter (b. 1583)
• 1696 – Charles Albanel, French priest, missionary, and explorer (b. 1616)
• 1703 – Johann Georg Graevius, German scholar and critic (b. 1632)
• 1713 – Pierre Jurieu, French priest and theologian (b. 1637)
• 1735 – Danilo I, Metropolitan of Cetinje (b. 1670)
• 1753 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (b. 1660)
• 1757 – Louis Bertrand Castel, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1688)
• 1762 – Louis-François Roubiliac, French-English sculptor (b. 1695)
• 1763 – Caspar Abel, German poet, historian, and theologian (b. 1676)
• 1771 – Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens, French philosopher and author (b. 1704)
• 1788 – François Joseph Paul de Grasse, French admiral (b. 1722)
• 1791 – William Williams Pantycelyn, Welsh composer and poet (b. 1717)
• 1798 – Heraclius II of Georgia (b. 1720)
• 1801 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer and educator (b. 1749)
• 1824 – Thomas Mullins, 1st Baron Ventry, Anglo-Irish politician and peer (b. 1736)
• 1836 – John Molson, Canadian businessman, founded the Molson Brewing Company (b. 1763)
• 1843 – Francis Scott Key, American lawyer, author, and songwriter (b. 1779)
• 1866 – Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Irish actor (b. 1818)
• 1866 – John Woolley, English minister and academic (b. 1816)
• 1867 – Stuart Donaldson, English-Australian businessman and politician, 1st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1812)
• 1882 – Theodor Schwann, German physiologist and biologist (b. 1810)
• 1891 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French urban planner (b. 1809)

1901–present

• 1902 – Johnny Briggs, English cricketer and rugby player (b. 1862)
• 1904 – William Sawyer, Canadian merchant and politician (b. 1815)
• 1914 – Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer and philanthropist (b. 1842)
• 1920 – Steinar Schjøtt, Norwegian philologist and lexicographer (b. 1844)
• 1923 – Constantine I of Greece (b. 1868)
• 1928 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet (b. 1840)
• 1929 – Elfrida Andrée, Swedish organist, composer, and conductor (b. 1841)
• 1931 – James Milton Carroll, American pastor, historian, and author (b. 1852)
• 1937 – Nuri Conker, Turkish colonel and politician (b. 1882)
• 1941 – Emanuel Lasker, German mathematician, philosopher, and chess player (b. 1868)
• 1944 – Galeazzo Ciano, Italian politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1903)
• 1947 – Eva Tanguay, Canadian singer (b. 1879)
• 1952 – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, French general (b. 1889)
• 1952 – Aureliano Pertile, Italian tenor and educator (b. 1885)
• 1953 – Noe Zhordania, Georgian journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Georgia (b. 1868)
• 1953 – Roberta Fulbright, American businesswoman (b.1874)
• 1954 – Oscar Straus, Austrian composer (b. 1870)
• 1957 – Robert Garran, Australian lawyer and politician, Solicitor-General of Australia (b. 1867)
• 1961 – Elena Gerhardt, German soprano and actress (b. 1883)
• 1963 – Arthur Nock, English-American scholar, theologian, and academic (b. 1902)
• 1965 – Wally Pipp, American baseball player (b. 1893)
• 1966 – Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor and painter (b. 1901)
• 1966 – Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian academic and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of India (b. 1904)
• 1968 – Moshe Zvi Segal, Israeli linguist and scholar (b. 1876)
• 1969 – Richmal Crompton, English author and educator (b. 1890)
• 1972 – Padraic Colum, Irish poet and playwright (b. 1881)
• 1975 – Max Lorenz, German tenor and actor (b. 1901)
• 1980 – Barbara Pym, English author (b. 1913)
• 1981 – Beulah Bondi, American actress (b. 1889)
• 1985 – Edward Buzzell, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1895)
• 1985 – William McKell, Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1891)
• 1986 – Sid Chaplin, English author and screenwriter (b. 1916)
• 1986 – Andrzej Czok, Polish mountaineer (b. 1948)
• 1987 – Albert Ferber, Swiss-English pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
• 1988 – Pappy Boyington, American colonel and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1912)
• 1988 – Isidor Isaac Rabi, Polish-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1898)
• 1989 – Ray Moore, English radio host (b. 1942)
• 1990 – Carolyn Haywood, American author and illustrator (b. 1898)
• 1991 – Carl David Anderson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
• 1994 – Helmut Poppendick, German physician (b. 1902)
• 1995 – Josef Gingold, Belarusian-American violinist and educator (b. 1909)
• 1995 – Onat Kutlar, Turkish author and poet (b. 1936)
• 1995 – Lewis Nixon, U.S. Army captain (b. 1918)
• 1995 – Theodor Wisch, German general (b. 1907)
• 1996 – Roger Crozier, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1942)
• 1999 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1940)
• 1999 – Naomi Mitchison, Scottish author and poet (b. 1897)
• 1999 – Brian Moore, Irish-Canadian author and screenwriter (b. 1921)
• 2000 – Ivan Combe, American businessman, invented Clearasil (b. 1911)
• 2000 – Bob Lemon, American baseball player and manager (b. 1920)
• 2000 – Betty Archdale, English-Australian cricketer and educator (b. 1907)
• 2001 – Denys Lasdun, English architect, co-designed the Royal National Theatre (b. 1914)
• 2002 – Henri Verneuil, French-Armenian director and playwright (b. 1920)
• 2003 – Jože Pučnik, Slovenian sociologist and politician (b. 1932)
• 2004 – Spalding Gray, American actor, writer, and performance artist (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Solveig Dommartin, French-German actress (b. 1961)
• 2007 – Robert Anton Wilson, American psychologist, author, poet, and playwright (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer and explorer (b. 1919)
• 2008 – Carl Karcher, American businessman, co-founded Carl's Jr. (b. 1917)
• 2010 – Miep Gies, Austrian-Dutch humanitarian (b. 1909)
• 2010 – Éric Rohmer, French director, screenwriter, and critic (b. 1920)
• 2011 – David Nelson, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1936)
• 2012 – Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, Iranian physicist and academic (b. 1980)
• 2012 – Gilles Jacquier, French journalist and photographer (b. 1968)
• 2012 – Edgar Kaiser, Jr, American-Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1942)
• 2012 – Wally Osterkorn, American basketball player (b. 1928)
• 2012 – Steven Rawlings, English astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic (b. 1961)
• 2012 – David Whitaker, English composer and conductor (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Guido Forti, Italian businessman, founded the Forti Racing Team (b. 1940)
• 2013 – Nguyễn Khánh, Vietnamese general and politician, 3rd President of South Vietnam (b. 1927)
• 2013 – Mariangela Melato, Italian actress (b. 1941)
• 2013 – Tom Parry Jones, Welsh chemist, invented the breathalyzer (b. 1935)
• 2013 – Alemayehu Shumye, Ethiopian runner (b. 1988)
• 2013 – Aaron Swartz, American programmer and activist (b. 1986)
• 2014 – Keiko Awaji, Japanese actress (b. 1933)
• 2014 – Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (b. 1928)
• 2014 – Chai Trong-rong, Taiwanese educator and politician (b. 1935)
• 2014 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1928)
• 2015 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (b. 1925)
• 2015 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish-Italian model and actress (b. 1931)
• 2015 – Chashi Nazrul Islam, Bangladeshi director and producer (b. 1941)
• 2015 – Vernon Benjamin Mountcastle, American neuroscientist and academic (b. 1918)
• 2016 – Monte Irvin, American baseball player (b. 1919)
• 2016 – David Margulies, American actor (b. 1937)
• 2017 – Adenan Satem, Malaysian politician and Chief Minister of Sarawak, Malaysia (b. 1944)
• 2018 – Edgar Ray Killen, American murderer (b. 1925)
• 2019 – Michael Atiyah, British-Lebanese mathematician (b. 1929)
• 2023 – Carole Cook, American actress and singer (b. 1924)

Holidays and observances

• Children's Day (Tunisia)
• Christian feast day:
  • Anastasius of Suppentonia (Roman Catholic)
  • Leucius of Brindisi (Roman Catholic)
  • Paulinus II of Aquileia
  • Pope Hyginus
  • Theodosius the Cenobiarch
  • Thomas of Cori
  • Vitalis of Gaza (Roman Catholic)
  • January 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Eugenio María de Hostos Day (Puerto Rico)
• Independence Resistance Day (Morocco)
• Kagami biraki (Japan)
• National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (United States)
• Republic Day (Albania)
• Carmentalia (January 11th and January 15th) (Rome)
• Prithvi Jayanti (Nepal)

See also

In Spanish: 11 de enero para niños