January 3



Perihelion, the point during the year when the Earth is closest to the Sun, occurs around this date.

Events

 * 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
 * 1653 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage.
 * 1749 – Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.
 * 1749  – The first issue of Berlingske, Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, is published.
 * 1777 – American General George Washington defeats British General Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
 * 1815 – Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance against Prussia and Russia.
 * 1823 – Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.
 * 1848 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of the independent African Liberia.
 * 1861 – American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States.
 * 1868 – Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Chōshū seize power.
 * 1870 – Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins.
 * 1871 – Battle of Bapaume, a Franco-Prussian war occurs.
 * 1885 – Sino-French War: Beginning of the Battle of Núi Bop
 * 1888 – The refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory, measuring 91 cm in diameter, is used for the first time. It was the largest telescope in the world at the time.
 * 1911 – A magnitude 7.7 earthquake destroys the city of Almaty in Russian Turkestan.
 * 1913 – An Atlantic coast storm sets the lowest confirmed barometric pressure reading for a non-tropical system in the continental United States.
 * 1919 – At the Paris Peace Conference, Emir Faisal I of Iraq signs an agreement with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann on the development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and an Arab nation in a large part of the Middle East.
 * 1925 – Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy.
 * 1932 – Martial law is declared in Honduras to stop a revolt by banana workers fired by the United Fruit Company.
 * 1933 – Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.
 * 1938 – The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 * 1944 – World War II: Top Ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Vought F4U Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
 * 1945 – World War II: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is placed in command of all U.S. Naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima and Okinawa in Japan.
 * 1946 – Popular Canadian American jockey George Woolf dies in a freak accident during a race; the annual George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award is created to honor him.
 * 1947 – Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time.
 * 1949 – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, is established.
 * 1953 – Frances P. Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.
 * 1956 – A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.
 * 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
 * 1958 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
 * 1959 – Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state.
 * 1959  – Separatists in the Maldives declare the establishment of the United Suvadive Republic.
 * 1961 – The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba over the latter's nationalization of American assets.
 * 1961  – The SL-1 nuclear reactor is destroyed by a steam explosion in the only reactor incident in the United States to cause immediate fatalities.
 * 1961  – A protest by agricultural workers in Baixa de Cassanje, Portuguese Angola, turns into a revolt, opening the Angolan War of Independence, the first of the Portuguese Colonial Wars.
 * 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.
 * 1976 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights comes into effect.
 * 1977 – Apple Computer is incorporated.
 * 1990 – Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to American forces.
 * 1993 – In Moscow, Russia, George Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
 * 1994 – More than seven million people from the former apartheid Homelands receive South African citizenship.
 * 1999 – The Mars Polar Lander is launched.
 * 2002 – Israeli forces seize the Palestinian freighter Karine A in the Red Sea, finding 50 tons of weapons.
 * 2004 – Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea, resulting in 148 deaths, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Egyptian history.
 * 2009 – The first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, called the Genesis block, was established by the creator of the system, Satoshi Nakamoto.
 * 2015 – Boko Haram militants raze the entire town of Baga in north-east Nigeria, with as many as 2,000 people having been killed.

Births

 * 106 BC – Cicero, Roman philosopher, lawyer, and politician (d. 43 BC)
 * 169 – Lü Bu, Chinese general and warlord (d. 199)
 * 1196 – Emperor Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1231)
 * 1698 – Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet and songwriter (d. 1782)
 * 1710 – Richard Gridley, American soldier and engineer (d. 1796)
 * 1719 – Francisco José Freire, Portuguese historian and philologist (d. 1773)
 * 1722 – Fredrik Hasselqvist, Swedish biologist and explorer (d. 1752)
 * 1760 – Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Indian ruler (d. 1799)
 * 1775 – Francis Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont (d. 1863)
 * 1778 – Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish archbishop (d. 1861)
 * 1793 – Lucretia Mott, American activist (d. 1880)
 * 1802 – Charles Pelham Villiers, English lawyer and politician (d. 1898)
 * 1803 – Douglas William Jerrold, English journalist and playwright (d. 1857)
 * 1806 – Henriette Sontag, German soprano and actress (d. 1854)
 * 1810 – Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, French geographer, ethnologist, linguist, and astronomer (d. 1897)
 * 1816 – Samuel C. Pomeroy, American businessman and politician (d. 1891)
 * 1819 – Charles Piazzi Smyth, Italian-Scottish astronomer and academic (d. 1900)
 * 1821 – Karel Dežman, Slovenian archaeologist, botanist, and politician, Mayor of Ljubljana (d. 1889)
 * 1831 – Savitribai Phule, Indian poet, educator, and activist (d. 1897)
 * 1836 – Sakamoto Ryōma, Japanese samurai and rebel leader (d. 1867)
 * 1840 – Father Damien, Flemish priest and missionary (d. 1889)
 * 1855 – Hubert Bland, English businessman (d. 1914)
 * 1861 – William Renshaw, English tennis player (d. 1904)
 * 1862 – Matthew Nathan, English soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Queensland (d. 1939)
 * 1865 – Henry Lytton, English actor (d. 1936)
 * 1870 – Henry Handel Richardson, Australian-English author (d. 1946)
 * 1873 – Ichizō Kobayashi, Japanese businessman and art collector, founded the Hankyu Hanshin Holdings (d. 1957)
 * 1875 – Alexandros Diomidis, Greek banker and politician, 145th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1950)
 * 1876 – Wilhelm Pieck, German carpenter and politician, 1st President of the German Democratic Republic (d. 1960)
 * 1877 – Josephine Hull, American actress (d. 1957)
 * 1880 – Francis Browne, Irish Jesuit priest and photographer (d. 1960)
 * 1883 – Clement Attlee, English soldier, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1967)
 * 1883  – Duncan Gillis, Canadian discus thrower and hammer thrower (d. 1963)
 * 1884 – Raoul Koczalski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1948)
 * 1885 – Harry Elkins Widener, American businessman (d. 1912)
 * 1886 – John Gould Fletcher, American poet and author (d. 1950)
 * 1887 – August Macke, German-French painter (d. 1914)
 * 1887  – Helen Parkhurst, American author and educator (d. 1973)
 * 1892 – J.R.R. Tolkien, English philologist and author (d. 1973)
 * 1894 – ZaSu Pitts, American actress (d. 1963)
 * 1895 – Boris Lyatoshinsky, Ukrainian composer and conductor (d. 1968)
 * 1897 – Marion Davies, American actress and comedian (d. 1961)
 * 1898 – Carolyn Haywood, American author and illustrator (d. 1990)
 * 1898  – Carlos Keller, Chilean historian, academic, and politician (d. 1974)
 * 1900 – Donald J. Russell, American businessman (d. 1985)
 * 1900  – Robert Adair, American-born British actor (d. 1954)
 * 1901 – Ngo Dinh Diem, Vietnamese lawyer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Vietnam (d. 1963)
 * 1905 – Dante Giacosa, Italian engineer (d. 1996)
 * 1905  – Anna May Wong, American actress (d. 1961)
 * 1907 – Ray Milland, Welsh-American actor and director (d. 1986)
 * 1909 – Victor Borge, Danish-American pianist and conductor (d. 2000)
 * 1910 – Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player and manager (d. 2000)
 * 1911 – John Sturges, American director and producer (d. 1982)
 * 1912 – Federico Borrell García, Spanish soldier (d. 1936)
 * 1912  – Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 2002)
 * 1912  – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2005)
 * 1915 – Jack Levine, American painter and soldier (d. 2010)
 * 1916 – Maxene Andrews, American singer (d. 1995)
 * 1916  – Betty Furness, American actress and television journalist (d. 1994)
 * 1917 – Albert Mol, Dutch author and actor (d. 2002)
 * 1917  – Vernon A. Walters, American general and diplomat, 17th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 2002)
 * 1917  – Roger Williams Straus, Jr., American journalist and publisher, co-founded Farrar, Straus and Giroux (d. 2004)
 * 1919 – Dorothy Morrison, American actress
 * 1919  – Herbie Nichols, American pianist and composer (d. 1963)
 * 1920 – Siegfried Buback, German lawyer and politician, Attorney General of Germany (d. 1977)
 * 1920  – Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2001)
 * 1921 – Chetan Anand, Indian director and screenwriter (d. 1997)
 * 1922 – Bill Travers, English actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
 * 1923 – Bud Adams, American businessman (d. 2013)
 * 1923  – Hank Stram, American football player and coach (d. 2005)
 * 1923  – Bud Tingwell, Australian actor, director, and producer (d. 2009)
 * 1924 – Otto Beisheim, German businessman and philanthropist, founded Metro AG (d. 2013)
 * 1924  – André Franquin, Belgian author and illustrator (d. 1997)
 * 1924  – Nell Rankin, American soprano and educator (d. 2005)
 * 1925 – Jill Balcon, English actress (d. 2009)
 * 1926 – W. Michael Blumenthal, American economist and politician, 64th United States Secretary of the Treasury
 * 1926  – George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (d. 2016)
 * 1928 – Michael Barratt, English television host and announcer
 * 1928  – Abdul Rahman Ya'kub, Malaysian lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of Sarawak (d. 2015)
 * 1929 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1989)
 * 1929  – Ernst Mahle, German-Brazilian composer and conductor
 * 1930 – Robert Loggia, American actor and director (d. 2015)
 * 1931 – Yashawant Dinkar Phadke, Indian historian and activist (d. 2008)
 * 1932 – Dabney Coleman, American actor
 * 1932  – Eeles Landström, Finnish pole vaulter and politician
 * 1933 – Geoffrey Bindman, English lawyer
 * 1933  – Anya Linden, English ballerina
 * 1933  – Anne Stevenson, American-English poet and author
 * 1934 – Marpessa Dawn, American-French actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2008)
 * 1934  – Carla Anderson Hills, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
 * 1935 – Raymond Garneau, Canadian businessman and politician
 * 1936 – Michael Layard, English admiral
 * 1937 – Glen A. Larson, American director, producer, and screenwriter, created Battlestar Galactica (d. 2014)
 * 1938 – Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, English academic and politician
 * 1938  – K. Ganeshalingam, Sri Lankan accountant and politician, Mayor of Colombo (d. 2006)
 * 1939 – Arik Einstein, Israeli singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2013)
 * 1939  – Bobby Hull, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1940 – Leo de Berardinis, Italian actor and director (d. 2008)
 * 1940  – Bernard Blaut, Polish footballer and coach (d. 2007)
 * 1941 – Shima Iwashita, Japanese actress
 * 1941  – Franklin McCain, American activist (d. 2014)
 * 1942 – John Marsden, Australian lawyer and activist (d. 2006)
 * 1942  – John Thaw, English actor and producer (d. 2002)
 * 1943 – Jarl Alfredius, Swedish journalist (d. 2009)
 * 1944 – David Atherton, English conductor, co-founded London Sinfonietta
 * 1944  – Raewyn Connell, Australian sociologist and academic
 * 1944  – Blanche d'Alpuget, Australian author
 * 1945 – David Starkey, English historian and academic
 * 1945  – Stephen Stills, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
 * 1946 – John Paul Jones, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
 * 1946  – Michalis Kritikopoulos, Greek footballer (d. 2002)
 * 1947 – Zulema, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)
 * 1950 – Victoria Principal, American actress and businesswoman
 * 1950  – Linda Steiner, American journalist and academic
 * 1951 – Linda Dobbs, English lawyer and judge
 * 1951  – Gary Nairn, Australian surveyor and politician, 14th Special Minister of State
 * 1952 – Esperanza Aguirre, Spanish civil servant and politician, 3rd President of the Community of Madrid
 * 1952  – Gianfranco Fini, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs
 * 1953 – Justin Fleming, Australian playwright and author
 * 1953  – Mohammed Waheed Hassan, Maldivian educator and politician, 5th President of the Maldives
 * 1956 – Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1958 – James J. Greco, American businessman
 * 1958  – Shim Hyung-rae, South Korean actor, director, and producer
 * 1960 – Russell Spence, English race car driver
 * 1963 – Stewart Hosie, Scottish businessman and politician
 * 1963  – Alex Wheatle, English author and playwright
 * 1964 – Bruce LaBruce, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1968 – Lorenzo Fertitta, American entrepreneur, casino executive and sports promoter
 * 1969 – Jarmo Lehtinen, Finnish race car driver
 * 1969  – Michael Schumacher, German race car driver
 * 1969  – Gerda Weissensteiner, Italian luger and  bobsledder
 * 1970 – Lee Beom-soo, South Korean actor
 * 1971 – Cory Cross, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1971  – Lee Il-hwa, South Korean actress
 * 1972 – Janek Kiisman, Estonian footballer
 * 1973 – Dan Harmon, American screenwriter and producer
 * 1974 – Robert-Jan Derksen, Dutch golfer
 * 1974  – Alessandro Petacchi, Italian cyclist
 * 1974  – Shin Eun-jung, South Korean actress
 * 1975 – Thomas Bangalter, French DJ and producer
 * 1975  – Jun Maeda, Japanese businessman, co-founded the Key Company
 * 1975  – Danica McKellar, American actress, writer, and mathematician
 * 1976 – Angelos Basinas, Greek footballer
 * 1976  – Nicholas Gonzalez, American actor and producer
 * 1977 – Lee Bowyer, English footballer and coach
 * 1977  – A. J. Burnett, American baseball player
 * 1977  – Mayumi Iizuka, Japanese voice actress and singer
 * 1978 – Dimitra Kalentzou, Greek basketball player
 * 1978  – Park Sol-mi, South Korean actress
 * 1980 – Bryan Clay, American decathlete
 * 1980  – Angela Ruggiero, American ice hockey player
 * 1980  – David Tyree, American football player
 * 1980  – Kurt Vile, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
 * 1980  – Mary Wineberg, American sprinter
 * 1981 – Eli Manning, American football player
 * 1982 – Peter Clarke, English footballer
 * 1982  – Lasse Nilsson, Swedish footballer
 * 1982  – Park Ji-yoon, South Korean singer and actress
 * 1984 – Miloš Juhász, Slovak footballer
 * 1984  – Billy Mehmet, English-Irish footballer
 * 1984  – Arif Suyono, Indonesian footballer
 * 1984  – Kim Ha-eun, South Korean actress
 * 1984  – Lee Wan, South Korean actor
 * 1985 – Linas Kleiza, Lithuanian basketball player
 * 1985  – Evan Moore, American football player
 * 1986 – Dana Hussain, Iraqi sprinter
 * 1986  – Greg Nwokolo, Indonesian footballer
 * 1986  – Jessica O'Rourke, American footballer
 * 1986  – Dmitry Starodubtsev, Russian pole vaulter
 * 1986  – Jacob Timpano, Australian footballer
 * 1986  – Allan Walker, Scottish footballer
 * 1987 – Reto Berra, Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender
 * 1987  – Leonidas Panagopoulos, Greek footballer
 * 1988 – Ikechi Anya, Scottish-Nigerian footballer
 * 1988  – Rodrigo de la Cadena, Mexican singer-songwriter
 * 1988  – Jonny Evans, Northern Irish footballer
 * 1988  – Matt Frattin, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1988  – J. R. Hildebrand, American race car driver
 * 1989 – Adas Juškevičius, Lithuanian basketball player
 * 1989  – Kōhei Uchimura, Japanese artistic gymnast
 * 1989  – Anthony Wordsworth, English footballer
 * 1990 – Yoichiro Kakitani, Japanese footballer
 * 1991 – Jerson Cabral, Dutch footballer
 * 1991  – Özgür Çek, Turkish footballer
 * 1991  – Sébastien Faure, French footballer
 * 1991  – Dane Gagai, Australian rugby league player
 * 1992 – Doug McDermott, American basketball player
 * 1992  – Sandra Zaniewska, Polish tennis player
 * 1993 – Kevin Ware, American basketball player
 * 1995 – Kim Seol-hyun, South Korean singer, dancer, and actress (AOA)
 * 1997 – Hollyn, Christian singer/songwriter

Deaths

 * 236 – Pope Anterus
 * 323 – Emperor Yuan of Jin (b. 276)
 * 1098 – Walkelin, French bishop
 * 1322 – Philip V of France (b. 1292)
 * 1437 – Catherine of France (b. 1401)
 * 1501 – Ali-Shir Nava'i, Turkic poet, linguist, and mystic (b. 1441)
 * 1543 – Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1499)
 * 1571 – Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1505)
 * 1641 – Jeremiah Horrocks, English astronomer and mathematician (b. 1618)
 * 1656 – Mathieu Molé, French politician (b. 1584)
 * 1670 – George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1608)
 * 1701 – Louis I, Prince of Monaco (b. 1642)
 * 1743 – Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, Italian painter and architect (b. 1657)
 * 1777 – William Leslie, Scottish captain (b. 1751)
 * 1779 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and lawyer (b. 1712)
 * 1785 – Baldassare Galuppi, Italian composer (b. 1706)
 * 1795 – Josiah Wedgwood, English potter, founded the Wedgwood Company (b. 1730)
 * 1826 – Louis-Gabriel Suchet, French general (b. 1770)
 * 1871 – Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Indian priest and saint (b. 1805)
 * 1875 – Pierre Larousse, French lexicographer and publisher (b. 1817)
 * 1882 – William Harrison Ainsworth, English author (b. 1805)
 * 1895 – James Merritt Ives, American lithographer and businessman, co-founded Currier and Ives (b. 1824)
 * 1903 – Alois Hitler, Austrian civil servant (b. 1837)
 * 1911 – Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author and poet (b. 1851)
 * 1915 – James Elroy Flecker, English poet, author, and playwright (b. 1884)
 * 1916 – Grenville M. Dodge, American general and politician (b. 1831)
 * 1922 – Wilhelm Voigt, German criminal (b. 1849)
 * 1923 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech journalist and author (b. 1883)
 * 1927 – Carl David Tolmé Runge, German physicist and mathematician (b. 1856)
 * 1931 – Joseph Joffre, French general (b. 1852)
 * 1933 – Wilhelm Cuno, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
 * 1933  – Jack Pickford, Canadian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1896)
 * 1943 – Walter James, Australian lawyer and politician, 5th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1863)
 * 1944 – Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Lithuanian poet, critic, and translator (b. 1873)
 * 1945 – Edgar Cayce, American psychic and author (b. 1877)
 * 1945  – Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish journalist and explorer (b. 1879)
 * 1946 – William Joyce, American-born Irish-British Nazi propaganda broadcaster (b. 1906)
 * 1956 – Alexander Gretchaninov, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1864)
 * 1956  – Dimitrios Vergos, Greek wrestler, weightlifter, and shot putter (b. 1886)
 * 1956  – Joseph Wirth, German educator and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
 * 1958 – Cafer Tayyar Eğilmez, Turkish general (b. 1877)
 * 1959 – Edwin Muir, Scottish poet, author, and translator (b. 1887)
 * 1960 – Eric P. Kelly, American journalist, author, and academic (b. 1884)
 * 1962 – Hermann Lux, German footballer and manager (b. 1893)
 * 1965 – Milton Avery, American painter (b. 1885)
 * 1967 – Mary Garden, Scottish-American soprano and actress (b. 1874)
 * 1967  – Jack Ruby, American murderer (b. 1911)
 * 1969 – Jean Focas, Greek-French astronomer (b. 1909)
 * 1969  – Tzavalas Karousos, Greek-French actor (b. 1904)
 * 1970 – Gladys Aylward, English missionary and humanitarian (b. 1902)
 * 1972 – Mohan Rakesh, Indian author and playwright (b. 1925)
 * 1975 – Victor Kraft, Austrian philosopher from the Vienna Circle (b. 1880)
 * 1975  – James McCormack, American general (b. 1910)
 * 1977 – William Gropper, American lithographer, cartoonist, and painter (b. 1897)
 * 1979 – Conrad Hilton, American businessman, founded the Hilton Hotels & Resorts (b. 1887)
 * 1980 – Joy Adamson, Austrian-Kenyan author (b. 1910)
 * 1980  – George Sutherland Fraser, Scottish poet and academic (b. 1915)
 * 1981 – Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (b. 1883)
 * 1988 – Rose Ausländer, Ukrainian-German poet and author (b. 1901)
 * 1988  – Joie Chitwood, American race car driver and stuntman (b. 1912)
 * 1989 – Sergei Sobolev, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1909)
 * 1992 – Judith Anderson, British actress (b. 1897)
 * 1993 – Johnny Most, American soldier and sportscaster (b. 1923)
 * 2002 – Satish Dhawan, Indian engineer (b. 1920)
 * 2002  – Juan García Esquivel, Mexican pianist and composer (b. 1918)
 * 2002  – Freddy Heineken, Dutch businessman (b. 1923)
 * 2003 – Sid Gillman, American football player and coach (b. 1911)
 * 2003  – Jimmy Stewart, Scottish race car driver (b. 1931)
 * 2004 – Des Corcoran, Australian soldier and politician, 37th Premier of South Australia (b. 1928)
 * 2005 – Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat (b. 1917)
 * 2005  – Jyotindra Nath Dixit, Indian diplomat, 2nd Indian National Security Adviser (b. 1936)
 * 2006 – Steve Rogers, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1954)
 * 2006  – Bill Skate, Papua New Guinean politician, 5th Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
 * 2007 – János Fürst, Hungarian violinist and conductor (b. 1935)
 * 2007  – Earl Reibel, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1930)
 * 2007  – William Verity, Jr., American businessman and politician, 27th United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1917)
 * 2007  – Cecil Walker, Northern Irish politician (b. 1924)
 * 2008 – Aleksandr Abdulov, Russian actor and screenwriter (b. 1953)
 * 2008  – Werner Dollinger, German economist and politician, German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development (b. 1918)
 * 2008  – Choi Yo-sam, South Korean boxer (b. 1972)
 * 2009 – Betty Freeman, American philanthropist and photographer (b. 1921)
 * 2009  – Pat Hingle, American actor (b. 1924)
 * 2009  – Ulf G. Lindén, Swedish businessman (b. 1937)
 * 2009  – Hisayasu Nagata, Japanese politician (b. 1969)
 * 2010 – Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt, Chilean-German composer and academic (b. 1925)
 * 2010  – Mary Daly, American theologian and scholar (b. 1928)
 * 2012 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (b. 1934)
 * 2012  – Gene Bartow, American basketball player and coach (b. 1930)
 * 2012  – Robert L. Carter, American lawyer and judge (b. 1917)
 * 2012  – Winifred Milius Lubell, American author and illustrator (b. 1914)
 * 2012  – Josef Škvorecký, Czech-Canadian author and publisher (b. 1924)
 * 2012  – Bob Weston, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1947)
 * 2013 – Alfie Fripp, English soldier and pilot (b. 1913)
 * 2013  – Ivan Mackerle, Czech cryptozoologist, explorer, and author (b. 1942)
 * 2013  – William Maxson, American general (b. 1930)
 * 2013  – Sergiu Nicolaescu, Romanian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1930)
 * 2014 – Phil Everly, American singer and guitarist (b. 1939)
 * 2014  – George Goodman, American economist and author (b. 1930)
 * 2014  – Saul Zaentz, American film producer (b. 1921)
 * 2015 – Martin Anderson, American economist and academic (b. 1936)
 * 2015  – Edward Brooke, American captain and politician, 47th Massachusetts Attorney General (b. 1919)
 * 2015  – Bryan Caldwell, American football player (b. 1960)
 * 2015  – Allie Sherman, American football player and coach (b. 1923)
 * 2016 – Paul Bley, Canadian-American pianist and composer (b. 1932)
 * 2016  – Stephen W. Bosworth, American academic and diplomat, United States Ambassador to South Korea (b. 1939)
 * 2016  – Peter Naur, Danish computer scientist, astronomer, and academic (b. 1928)
 * 2016  – Bill Plager, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1945)
 * 2016  – Igor Sergun, Russian general and diplomat (b. 1957)

Holidays and observances

 * Christian feast day:
 * Genevieve
 * Kuriakose Elias Chavara (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
 * William Passavant (Episcopal Church)
 * January 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * The tenth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)
 * Anniversary of the 1966 coup d’état (Burkina Faso)
 * Nakhatsenendyan toner (Armenia), January 3–5
 * National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day (United States)
 * Tamaseseri Festival (Hakozaki Shrine, Fukuoka, Japan)