Did you know
After various stage and minor television appearances, Postlethwaite's first major success arose through the film Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), directed by Terence Davies.
Notable Deaths on January 2
2011 — Pete Postlethwaite
English actor (born 1946)
January 2 has 90 recorded notable deaths across history, from 951 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
90 source records
951 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on January 2
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1818 The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president. Source
- 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. Source
- 1959 Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union. Source
- 1949 Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Source
Did you know
Forbidden Planet marked a first in in-color, big-budget, science fiction-themed motion pictures.
Did you know
A child actress and model, she was a repertory cast member of CBS Radio's The March of Time, and appeared in several films in the late 1920s.
Did you know
was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.
Did you know
As an émigré in Britain during World War II, Haffner argued that accommodation was not only impossible with Adolf Hitler but also impossible with the German Reich with which Hitler had gambled.
More major people who died on January 2
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
2011
Anne Francis
American actress (born 1930)
Anne Lloyd Francis was an American actress known for her pioneering roles in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956) and the television action-drama series Honey West (1965–1966).
1995
Nancy Kelly
American actress (born 1921)
Nancy Kelly was an American actress in film, theater, and television. A child actress and model, she was a repertory cast member of CBS Radio's The March of Time, and appeared in several films in the late 1920s.
2000
Elmo Zumwalt
American admiral (born 1920)
Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.
1999
Sebastian Haffner
German journalist and author (born 1907)
Raimund Pretzel, better known by his pseudonym Sebastian Haffner, was a German journalist and historian.
2017
Jean Vuarnet
French ski racer (born 1933)
Jean Raoul Célina André Vuarnet was an alpine ski racer from France. An Olympic gold medalist, he is known for inventing the "Tuck" skiing position, and was the first Olympian to win a gold medal using metal skis.
1096
William de St-Calais
Bishop of Durham and chief counsellor of William II of England
William de St-Calais was a medieval Norman monk, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Vincent in Le Mans in Maine, who was nominated by King William I of England as Bishop of Durham in 1080.
2025
Ágnes Keleti
Hungarian Olympic gymnast (born 1921)
Ágnes Keleti was a Hungarian and Israeli artistic gymnast and coach, who won multiple Olympic medals. She was the oldest living Olympic champion and medallist, reaching her 100th birthday on 9 January 2021.
1946
Joe Darling
Australian cricketer and politician (born 1870)
Joseph Darling was an Australian cricketer who played 34 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1894 and 1905. As captain, he led Australia in a total of 21 Tests, winning seven and losing four.
1298
Lodomer
Hungarian prelate, Archbishop of Esztergom
Lodomer was a prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary in the second half of the 13th century. He was Archbishop of Esztergom between 1279 and 1298, and Bishop of Várad from 1268 till 1279.
1963
Jack Carson
Canadian-American actor (born 1910)
John Elmer Carson, known as Jack Carson, was a Canadian-born American film actor.
1763
John Carteret
2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (born 1690)
John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, commonly known by his earlier title Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763 and worked closely with the Prime…
1913
Léon Teisserenc de Bort
French meteorologist (born 1855)
Léon Philippe Teisserenc de Bort was a French meteorologist and a pioneer in the field of aerology.
2012
William P. Carey
American businessman and philanthropist, founded W. P. Carey (born 1930)
William Polk Carey was an American philanthropist and businessman. He was the founder of W. P. Carey & Co., a corporate real estate financing firm headquartered in New York City.
2019
Gene Okerlund
American wrestling announcer (born 1942)
Eugene Arthur Okerlund was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host. He was best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
1557
Pontormo
Italian painter and educator (born 1494)
Jacopo Carucci or Carrucci, usually known as Jacopo (da) Pontormo or simply Pontormo, was an Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine School.
2018
Thomas S. Monson
American religious leader, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born 1927)
Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
1514
William Smyth
English bishop and academic (born 1460)
William Smyth was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1493 to 1496 and then Bishop of Lincoln until his death.
1892
George Biddell Airy
English mathematician and astronomer (born 1801)
Sir George Biddell Airy was an English mathematician and astronomer, as well as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics from 1826 to 1828 and the seventh Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881.
1543
Francesco Canova da Milano
Italian composer (born 1497)
Francesco Canova da Milano was an Italian lutenist and composer. He was born in Monza, near Milan, and worked for the papal court for almost all of his career.