Did you know
From 1956 to 1958 Vraciu led his own fighter squadron, VF-51, for twenty-two months
Notable Deaths on January 29
110 people
757 – 2025
January 29 has seen 110 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 757 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
2015 — Alexander Vraciu
American commander and pilot (born 1918)
Did you know
Navy with the rank of commander on December 31, 1963
Did you know
Navy's flying aces, with 19 enemy planes downed during flight and 21 destroyed on the ground
Did you know
Alexander Vraciu was a United States Navy fighter ace, Navy Cross recipient, and Medal of Honor nominee during World War II
Did you know
At the end of the war, Vraciu ranked fourth among the U.S
757
Pope Gelasius II, born Giovanni Caetani or Giovanni da Gaeta, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1118 to his death in 1119. A monk of Monte Cassino and chancellor of Pope…
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1119
German organist and composer (born 1530)
Elias Nikolaus Ammerbach was a German organist and arranger of organ music of the Renaissance. He published the earliest printed book of organ music in Germany and is grouped among the composers known as the Colorists.
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1597
English priest and author (born 1565)
Francis Meres was an English churchman and author. His 1598 commonplace book includes the first critical account of poems and plays by Shakespeare.
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1647
Portuguese missionary and author (born 1593)
Jerónimo Lobo was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary. He took part in the unsuccessful efforts to convert Ethiopia from the native Ethiopian church to Roman Catholicism until the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1643. Afterwards…
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1678
6th Earl of Dorset, English poet and courtier (born 1643)
Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset was an English politician, courtier and poet.
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1706
1st Earl of Orkney, Scottish-English field marshal and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (born 1666)
Field Marshal George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney,, styled Lord George Hamilton from 1666 to 1696, was a British army officer and the first officer of the British Army to be promoted to the rank of field marshal. After…
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1737
French cardinal (born 1653)
André-Hercule de Fleury was a French Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Fréjus and as the chief minister of Louis XV. He was created a cardinal in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.
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1743
Mexican bishop and Catholic scholar (born 1696)
Juan José Eguiara y Eguren was a Mexican Catholic scholar and bishop. He is the author of Bibliotheca mexicana, "a pioneering bibliographical work for Mexico."
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1763
1763
George III was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with George…
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1820
French captain and politician (born 1755)
Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras, commonly known as Paul Barras, was a French politician of the French Revolution, and the main executive leader of the Directory regime of 1795–1799.
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1829
Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 1797)
Leopold II was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1824 to 1859. He married twice; firstly Maria Anna of Saxony, and after her death in 1832 Maria Antonia of the Two-Sicilies. By the latter, he had a son, Ferdinand, who later…
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1870
English poet and illustrator (born 1812)
Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised but which term he never…
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1888
French-English painter (born 1839)
Alfred Sisley was a French-Born British Impressionist landscape painter who was born to British parents, but spent most of his life in France. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to…
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1899
French bassoonist, composer and pedagogue (born 1815)
Eugène Louis-Marie Jancourt was a French bassoonist, composer, and pedagogue. A virtuoso bassoonist and teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, Jancourt is mostly known for his method books and the system innovations he…
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1901
King of Denmark (born 1818)
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. He became one of the most influential monarchs of…
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1906
1910
Danish journalist and author (born 1857)
Herman Joachim Bang was a Danish journalist and author, one of the men of the Modern Breakthrough.
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1912
German art teacher, author and nun (born 1881)
Sibylle von Olfers was a German art teacher and a nun who worked as an author and illustrator of children's books. In 1906 she published her best-known work, The Root Children.
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1916
1st Earl of Cromer, British statesman, diplomat and colonial administrator (born 1841)
Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer, was a British statesman, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as the British controller-general in Egypt during 1879, part of the international control which oversaw Egyptian…
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1917
American symbolist painter, book illustrator and poet (born 1836)
Elihu Vedder was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator and poet from New York City. He is best known for his fifty-five illustrations for Edward FitzGerald's translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
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1923
1st Earl Haig, Scottish field marshal (born 1861)
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until the end of the…
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1928
Belgian baritone (born 1848)
Jacques-Joseph-André Bouhy was a Belgian baritone, most famous for being the first to sing the "Toreador Song" in the role of Escamillo in the opera Carmen.
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1929
American preacher and evangelist (born 1873)
Charles Fox Parham was an American preacher and evangelist. Together with William J. Seymour, Parham was one of the two central figures in the development and initial spread of early Pentecostalism, known as Holiness…
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1929
American poet (born 1884)
Sara Trevor Teasdale was an American lyric poet. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and used the name Filsinger after her 1914 marriage. In 1918, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her 1917 poetry collection Love Songs.
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1933
Polish-German chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1868)
Fritz Jakob Haber was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber process, a method used in industry to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas. This…
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1934
British botanist (born 1854)
Dukinfield Henry Scott FRS HFRSE LLD was a British botanist and paleobotanist. The standard author abbreviation D.H.Scott is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name. He conducted research…
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1934
1935
American philanthropist (born 1874)
Edward Stephen Harkness was an American philanthropist. Given privately and through his family's Commonwealth Fund, Harkness' gifts to private hospitals, art museums, and educational institutions in the Northeastern…
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1940
Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1871)
Ioannis Metaxas was a Greek military officer and politician who was the dictator of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. He governed constitutionally for the first four months of his tenure, and thereafter as the…
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1941
American journalist and author (born 1868)
William Allen White was an American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death, White became a spokesman for middle America.
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1944
American businessman and politician, 8th United States Secretary of Commerce (born 1890)
Harold Lloyd Hopkins was an American statesman, public administrator, and presidential advisor. A trusted deputy to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hopkins directed New Deal relief programs before serving as the…
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1946
English conductor and composer (born 1861)
James Sidney Jones, usually credited as Sidney Jones, was an English conductor and composer, who was most famous for composing the musical scores for a series of musical comedy hits in the late Victorian and Edwardian…
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1946
Duke of Aosta (born 1900)
Prince Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta, was a prince of Italy's reigning House of Savoy and an officer of the Royal Italian Navy. The second son of Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta, he was granted the title Duke of…
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1948
Scottish playwright, screenwriter and physician (born 1888)
James Bridie was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and physician whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor. He took his pen-name from his paternal grandfather's first name and his grandmother's maiden…
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1951
American art collector, critic and poet (born 1878)
Walter Conrad Arensberg was an American art collector, critic and poet. His father was part owner and president of a crucible steel company. He majored in English and philosophy at Harvard University. With his wife…
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1954
Danish politician (born 1903)
Hans Hedtoft Hansen was a Danish politician of the Social Democrats who served as the prime minister of Denmark from 1947 to 1950 and again from 1953 until his death in 1955. He also served as the first president of the…
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1955
American journalist and critic (born 1880)
Henry Louis Mencken was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. His…
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1956
South African novelist, short story writer, memoirist and playwright (born 1882)
Pauline Janet Smith was a South African novelist, short story writer, memoirist and playwright.
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1959
American operatic and concert baritone vocalist (born 1909)
Mack Kendree Harrell, Jr. was an American operatic and concert baritone vocalist who was regarded as one of the greatest American-born lieder singers of his generation.
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1960
American diplomat (born 1883)
George Strausser Messersmith was a United States ambassador to Austria, Cuba, Mexico, and Argentina. Messersmith also served as head of the consulate in Germany from 1930 to 1934, during the rise of the Nazi Party.
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1960
English novelist (born 1890)
Angela Margaret Thirkell was an English and Australian novelist. She also published one novel, Trooper to Southern Cross, under the pseudonym Leslie Parker.
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1961
Austrian-American violinist and composer (born 1875)
Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler was an Austrian and American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing with marked portamento and rubato.…
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1962
1962
American poet and playwright (born 1874)
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early…
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1963
1964
1964
English pianist, composer, band leader and impresario (born 1892)
Jack Hylton was an English pianist, composer, band leader and impresario.
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1965
Canadian composer, TV producer, bassoonist and administrator (born 1927)
Pierre Mercure was a Canadian composer, TV producer, bassoonist, and administrator.
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1966
1967
American banker, lawyer, and diplomat, 5th Director of Central Intelligence (born 1893)
Allen Welsh Dulles was an American lawyer who was the first civilian director of central intelligence (DCI), and its longest serving director. As head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the early Cold War,…
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1969
Russian-American-Jewish linguist and cofounder of YIVO (born 1894)
Max Weinreich was a Russian-American-Jewish linguist, specializing in sociolinguistics and Yiddish, and the father of the linguist Uriel Weinreich.
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1969
Canadian painter (born 1885)
Lawren Stewart Harris LL. D. was a Canadian painter, best known as one of the founding members of the Group of Seven. He played a key role as a catalyst in Canadian art, as a visionary in Canadian landscape art and in…
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1970
French-English soldier, historian, and journalist (born 1895)
Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart, commonly known throughout most of his career as Captain B. H. Liddell Hart, was a British soldier, military historian, and military theorist. He wrote a series of military histories that…
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1970
1973
English writer (born 1905)
Herbert Ernest Bates, better known as H. E. Bates, was an English writer of novels and short stories. His best-known works include Love for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May and My Uncle Silas.
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1974
American one-man band musician (born 1896)
Jesse Fuller was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues".
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1976
English record producer and pianist (born 1922)
John Charles Franz was an English record producer and A&R man at the Philips label. He was one of Britain's most successful producers in the 1950s and 1960s. While his recordings encompassed several forms of mainstream…
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1977
American comedian and actor (born 1954)
Freddie Prinze was an American stand-up comedian and actor, and the star of the NBC-TV sitcom Chico and the Man from 1974 until his death in 1977. He was described in a Vulture magazine article as "having blown up like…
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1977
1978
Australian politician, 28th Premier of Queensland (born 1895)
Sir George Francis Reuben Nicklin, was an Australian politician. He was the Premier of Queensland from 1957 to 1968, the first non-Labor Party premier since 1932.
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1978
American jazz drummer (born 1926)
Sonny Payne was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James.
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1979
American entertainer (born 1893)
James Francis Durante was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and prominent nose helped make him one…
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1980
New Zealander literary scholar (born 1911)
Jack Arthur Walter Bennett was a New Zealand–born literary scholar.
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1981
Canadian poet, memoirist and novelist (born 1909)
John Glassco was a Canadian poet, memoirist and novelist. According to Stephen Scobie, "Glassco will be remembered for his brilliant autobiography, his elegant, classical poems, and for his translations". He is also…
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1981
British biochemist (born 1889)
Sir Rudolph Albert Peters MC MID FRS HFRSE FRCP LLD was a British biochemist. He led the research team at Oxford who developed British Anti-Lewisite (BAL), an antidote for the chemical warfare agent lewisite. His…
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1982
Canadian microbiologist (born 1916)
Roger Yate Stanier was a Canadian microbiologist who was influential in the development of modern microbiology. As a member of the Delft School and former student of C. B. van Niel, he made important contributions to…
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1982
British physicist and metallurgist (born 1905)
Sir Charles Sykes CBE, FRS was a British physicist and metallurgist.
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1982
American naval aviator, USN vice admiral (born 1898)
Stuart Howe Ingersoll was a vice admiral of the United States Navy. He was a naval aviator whose career included service as an aircraft carrier commander during World War II and tours as commander-in-chief of the United…
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1983
American actress, dramatist and screenwriter (born 1890)
Frances Goodrich was an American actress, dramatist, and screenwriter, best known for her collaborations with her partner and husband Albert Hackett. She received both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for…
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1984
British mathematician (born 1905)
John Macnaghten Whittaker FRS FRSE LLD was a British mathematician and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield from 1953 to 1965.
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1984
American politician and judge, 101st Mayor of New York City (born 1900)
Vincent Richard Impellitteri was an Italian-American politician and judge who served as the 102nd Mayor of New York City from 1950 to 1953. He was elected as a Democrat and president of the City Council in 1945 and…
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1987
American educator, scientist and White House advisor (born 1904)
James Rhyne Killian Jr. was the 10th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from 1948 until 1959. He also held a number of government roles, such as Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board…
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1988
American theatre and film director, film producer, writer and actor (born 1914)
Morton DaCosta was an American theatre and film director, film producer, writer, and actor.
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1989
Japanese author and poet (born 1907)
Yasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer of novels, short stories, poetry and essays, noted for his historical and autobiographical fiction. His most acclaimed works include The Bullfight, The Roof Tile of Tempyō and…
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1991
American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1915)
William James Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he is…
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1992
Nigerian lawyer and jurist, 2nd Chief Justice of Nigeria (born 1906)
Omoba Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola SAN was a Nigerian jurist who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1958 to 1972. He was appointed as Chief Justice on 1 April 1958, succeeding Sir Stafford Foster-Sutton, who was…
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1993
Austrian skier (born 1967)
Ulrike Maier was a World Cup alpine ski racer from Austria, a two-time World Champion in super-G. She competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1992 Winter Olympics.
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1994
American model and dancer (born 1918)
Marie Frances Van Schaack, known professionally as Lili St. Cyr, was a prominent American burlesque dancer and stripper.
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1999
Canadian-American soldier and actor (born 1914)
Harold John Avery Russell was an American World War II veteran and actor. After losing his hands during his military service, Russell was cast in the epic drama film The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), which earned him…
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2002
American lawyer and politician (born 1911)
Frank Edward "Ted" Moss was an American lawyer and politician. From 1959 to 1977 he served as a United States senator from Utah, and as of 2026 was the last Democrat to do so.
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2003
New Zealand author and poet (born 1924)
Janet Paterson Frame was a New Zealand author. She is internationally renowned for her work, which includes novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awards including…
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2004
Israeli author, screenwriter, and director (born 1924)
Ephraim Kishon was a Hungarian-born Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and Oscar-nominated film director. He was one of the most widely read contemporary satirists in Israel and was also particularly popular in…
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2005
South Korean-American artist (born 1932)
Nam June Paik was a South Korean artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the founder of video art. He is credited with the first use (1974) of the term "electronic super highway" to describe…
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2006
American singer and author (born 1924)
Mary Margaret Truman Daniel was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman and First Lady…
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2008
Brazilian martial artist (born 1913)
Hélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who together with his brothers Oswaldo, Gastao Jr, George and Carlos Gracie founded and developed the self-defense martial art system of Gracie jiu-jitsu, also known as…
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2009
British singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1948)
Iain David McGeachy, known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. The Times described…
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2009
American composer, educator, and theorist (born 1916)
Milton Byron Babbitt was an American composer, music theorist, mathematician, and teacher. He was a Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, recognized for his serial and electronic music. Babbitt's…
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2011
Indian general and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (born 1928)
Lieutenant General Ranjit Singh Dyal, PVSM MVC was an Indian Army general and an administrator. As a soldier, Ranjit Singh led the capture of the Haji Pir pass by the Indian army during the 1965 war with Pakistan. He…
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2012
Italian lawyer and politician, 9th President of Italy (born 1918)
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro was an Italian politician who served as the president of Italy from 1992 to 1999. A member of Christian Democracy (DC), he became an independent politician after the DC's dissolution in 1992, and…
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2012
American soprano and educator (born 1919)
Camilla Ella Williams was an American operatic soprano who performed nationally and internationally. After studying with renowned teachers in New York City, she was the first African American to receive a regular…
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2012
Australian neuroscientist, author, and academic (born 1937)
Colleen McCullough was an Australian author. Raised in Sydney, she trained as a neurophysiologist and spent her early career working at hospitals and universities in Australia and overseas. In 1974, while working as a…
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2015
American singer-songwriter and poet (born 1933)
Rodney Marvin McKuen was an American poet, singer-songwriter and composer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of…
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2015
Guinean lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Guinea (born 1938)
Jean-Marie Doré was a Guinean politician who was the prime minister of Guinea from January 2010 until December 2010. Doré, who was the president of the Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG), was an opposition leader…
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2016
French director, screenwriter, and critic (born 1928)
Jacques Rivette was a French film director and film critic most commonly associated with the French New Wave and the film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma. He made twenty-nine films, including L'Amour fou (1969), Out 1…
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2016
Indian politician (born 1930)
George Mathew Fernandes was an Indian politician, trade unionist, statesman, and journalist, who served as the Defence Minister of India from 1998 until 2004. A veteran socialist, he was a member of the Lok Sabha for…
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2019
American musician (born 1952)
James Edward Ingram was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a two-time Grammy Award-winner and a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song. After beginning his career in 1973, Ingram…
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2019
Canadian actor (born 1944)
Walker Boone was a Canadian actor. He was best known as the voice of the Nintendo character Mario in the DIC-produced animated series The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.
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2021
American actor (born 1940)
Howard Hesseman was an American actor known for his television roles as burned-out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and the lead role of history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class. He appeared…
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2022
Canadian businesswoman and politician, 5th Mayor of Mississauga (born 1921)
Hazel Mary Muriel McCallion was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth mayor of Mississauga. First elected in November 1978, McCallion was mayor for 36 years until her retirement in 2014, making her the…
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2023
American-Australian chemist (born 1947)
William Lee Steffen was an American-born Australian chemist. He was the executive director of the Australian National University (ANU) Climate Change Institute and a member of the Australian Climate Commission until its…
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2023
German politician (born 1958)
Gero Storjohann was a German politician who served in the Bundestag from 2002 until his death in 2023. A member of the Christian Democratic Union, Storjohann had served as the vice chairman of the Committee on Petitions…
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2023
Iraqi refugee and anti-Islam activist (born 1986)
Salwan Sabah Matthew Momika was an Iraqi refugee, and an ex-paramilitary member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). While living in Sweden, he gained fame for being an anti-Islam demonstrator who organized public…
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2025
British Catholic traditionalist bishop (born 1940)
Richard Nelson Williamson was an English traditionalist Catholic bishop, conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier who was twice excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He was formerly a member of the Society of Saint…
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2025
Vadim Vladimirovich Naumov was a Russian pair skater. With his wife Evgenia Shishkova, he was the 1994 world champion and the 1995–96 Champions Series Final champion.
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2025
Evgenia Vasilievna Shishkova was a Russian figure skating coach and competitor. With her husband Vadim Naumov, she was the 1994 world champion and the 1995–96 Champions Series Final champion.
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2025
Inna Volyanskaya was a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With Valery Spiridonov, she won six international medals, including gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.
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2025
Alexandr "Sasha" Kirsanov was an ice dancer who competed for the United States, Azerbaijan, and Russia. With Christie Moxley for the U.S., he was the 2003 Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist. He also competed with Barbara…
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2025
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Notable deaths
Who died on January 29?
Alexander Vraciu — US Navy fighter pilot
FeaturedAlexander Vraciu
Death year2015
Known forAt the end of the war, Vraciu ranked fourth among the U.S
Deaths on this date110 (757 – 2025)
Explore January 29
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on January 29 in History
2025
American Eagle Flight 5342 collided mid-air with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk operated by the United States Army and crashed into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft. Wikipedia →
2025
A chartered Beechcraft 1900 crashes near the Unity oilfield in South Sudan, killing 20 people. Wikipedia →
2022
See all events on January 29
Canadian truck drivers and pedestrians gathered to rally and protest on Parliament Hill against Canadian COVID-19 restrictions, which caused traffic and closures around the city. Wikipedia →
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