Did you know
After completing high school, she qualified as a bookkeeper, but – because social norms prevented women from doing office work – she became a teacher
Notable Deaths on January 5
97 people
842 – 2025
January 5 has seen 97 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 842 – 2025. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1996 — Thung Sin Nio
Dutch–Indonesian activist (born 1902)
Did you know
After teaching briefly in an elementary school, in 1924 Thung enrolled at the Netherlands School of Business in Rotterdam to study economics
Did you know
In 1932, she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam to pursue her medical studies.
Did you know
Betsy Thung Sin Nio was an Indonesian-Dutch women's rights activist, physician, economist and politician
Did you know
Born into a wealthy and progressive Peranakan family of the Cabang Atas gentry in Batavia, she was encouraged to obtain an education, which was unusual for Indonesian women at the time
Abbasid caliph (born 796)
Abū Isḥāq Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd, better known by his regnal name al-Muʿtaṣim biʾllāh, was the eighth Abbasid caliph, ruling from 833 until his death in 842. When al-Ma'mun died unexpectedly on campaign in August…
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842
Chinese chancellor (born 884)
Zhang Yanhan (張延翰), courtesy name Dehua (德華), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Wu and Wu's successor state Southern Tang, serving as a chancellor late in Wu and early in…
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941
King of England (born 1004)
Edward the Confessor was King of the English from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex.
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1066
High Duke of Poland (born 1120)
Bolesław IV the Curly, a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death in 1173.
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1173
Countess of Ulster (born 1355)
Philippa of Clarence also known as Philippa Plantagenet or Philippa de Burgh or Philippa of Eltham was a medieval English princess and the suo jure Countess of Ulster.
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1382
3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (born 1350)
John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury and 5th and 2nd Baron Montagu, KG was an English nobleman, one of the few who remained loyal to Richard II after Henry IV became king.
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1400
Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (born 1394)
Philippa of England, also known as Philippa of Lancaster, was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1406 to 1430 by marriage to King Eric of the Kalmar Union. She was the daughter of King Henry IV of England by his…
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1430
1477
Croatian poet (born 1450)
Marko Marulić Splićanin was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist. He is the national poet of Croatia. According to George J. Gutsche, Marulić's epic poem Judita "is the first long poem in Croatian",…
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1524
Swiss martyr (born 1498)
Felix Manz was an Anabaptist, a co-founder of the original Swiss Brethren congregation in Zürich, Switzerland, and an early martyr of the Radical Reformation.
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1527
Dalmatian painter (born 1498)
Juraj Julije Klović was a Croatian-Italian illuminator, miniaturist, and painter born in the Kingdom of Croatia, who was mostly active in Renaissance Italy. He is considered the greatest illuminator of the Italian High…
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1578
German noblewoman (born 1542)
Countess Anna Sibylle of Hanau-Lichtenberg was a German noblewoman. She was born in Lichtenberg, the eldest surviving daughter of Count Philipp IV and his wife, Countess Eleonore of Fürstenberg.
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1580
queen of Henry II of France (born 1519)
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II. She was the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry…
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1589
French explorer and author (born 1643)
Jean Chardin, known as Sir John Chardin in England, was a French jeweller, traveller and writer, who emigrated to England in 1681, at the age of 37. His ten-volume book The Travels of Sir John Chardin is regarded as one…
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1713
Italian composer and educator (born 1667)
Antonio Lotti was an Italian composer of the Baroque era.
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1740
Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her…
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1762
4th Duke of Bedford, English politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (born 1710)
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford was a British Whig statesman and peer who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1757 to 1761. A leading member of the Whig party during the Seven Years' War, he negotiated the…
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1771
American jurist and politician, 18th Governor of Connecticut (born 1731)
Samuel Huntington was a Founding Father of the United States and a lawyer, jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration…
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1796
Scottish-Australian colonel and politician, Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales (born 1764)
Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston was a Royal Marines officer and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales from 1794 to 1795 and again from 1806 to 1808. After serving in the…
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1823
English painter and illustrator (born 1753)
Robert Smirke was an English painter and illustrator, specialising in small paintings showing subjects taken from literature. He was a member of the Royal Academy.
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1845
American painter and illustrator (born 1812)
Alfred Thomas Agate was an American painter and miniaturist.
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1846
Austrian field marshal (born 1766)
Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian field marshal. He served as chief of the general staff in the Habsburg monarchy during the later period of the Napoleonic…
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1858
Czech-American bishop and saint (born 1811)
John Nepomucene Neumann was a Bohemian-born American prelate of the Catholic Church.
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1860
Australian poet and public servant (born 1806)
Charles Tompson was an Australian public servant, and it is claimed he was the first published Australian-born poet.
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1883
Norwegian author and scholar (born 1812)
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. They were so closely united in their lives' work that their folk tale collections are…
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1885
Austrian pianist and composer (born 1803)
Henri Herz was a virtuoso pianist, composer and piano manufacturer, Austrian by birth and French by nationality and domicile. He was a professor in the Paris Conservatoire for more than thirty years. Among his major…
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1888
Polish collector and art connoisseur who donated a large collection to the National Museum in Kraków (born 1818)
Konstanty Aleksander Wiktor Schmidt-Ciążyński was a Polish collector and art connoisseur, who donated a large collection to the National Museum in Kraków.
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1889
American professor, astronomer and mathematician (born 1818)
Ezra Otis Kendall (1818–1899) was an American professor, astronomer and mathematician. He was known for his work in uranography.
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1899
German paleontologist and geologist (born 1839)
Karl Alfred Ritter von Zittel was a German palaeontologist best known for his Handbuch der Palaeontologie (1876–1880).
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1904
French-Swiss economist and academic (born 1834)
Marie-Esprit-Léon Walras was a French mathematical economist and Georgist. He formulated the marginal theory of value and pioneered the development of general equilibrium theory. Walras is best known for his book…
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1910
English painter (born 1865)
Isobel Lilian Gloag (1865–1917) was an English Victorian painter, known for her oil and watercolour portraits, as well as posters and stained-glass designs.
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1917
Anglo-Irish sailor and explorer (born 1874)
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
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1922
American lawyer and politician, 30th President of the United States (born 1872)
Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously served as the 29th vice president from 1921 to 1923, under President Warren…
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1933
Argentine politician (born 1868)
Lisandro de la Torre was an Argentine politician, born in Rosario, Santa Fe. He was and is considered as a paramount model of ethics in politics. He was a national deputy and senator, a prominent polemicist, and founder…
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1939
Italian photographer, model, actress, and activist (born 1896)
Tina Modotti was an Italian and American photographer, model, actor, and revolutionary political activist for the Comintern. She left her native Italy in 1913 and emigrated to the United States, where she settled in San…
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1942
American botanist, educator, and inventor (born 1864)
George Washington Carver was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent black scientists of the early…
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1943
South Korean-American journalist and activist (born 1864)
Seo Jae-pil, better known by his English name Philip Jaisohn, was a Korean American politician, physician, and Korean independence activist. He was the first Korean to become a naturalized citizen of the United States.…
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1951
Russian journalist and author (born 1899)
Andrei Platonovich Platonov was a Soviet Russian novelist, short story writer, philosopher, playwright, and poet. Although Platonov regarded himself as a communist, his principal works remained unpublished in his…
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1951
2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, Scottish colonel and politician, 46th Governor-General of India (born 1887)
Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, was a British Unionist politician and statesman, agriculturalist, and colonial administrator. He served as Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943.…
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1952
Bulgarian-Italian physician and activist (born 1869)
Hristo Tatarchev was a Macedonian Bulgarian doctor, revolutionary and one of the founders of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO). Tatarchev was the first president of IMRO's Central Committee.
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1952
American baseball player and manager (born 1891)
Walter James Vincent "Rabbit" Maranville was an American professional baseball shortstop, second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs,…
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1954
French actress and singer (born 1875)
Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois, known professionally as Mistinguett, was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world. At the time of her unofficial retirement in 1955,…
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1956
American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1896)
Rogers Hornsby, nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American baseball player, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants (1927), Boston…
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1963
German physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1882)
Max Born was a German–British theoretical physicist who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He also made contributions to solid-state physics and optics, and supervised the work of a number of…
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1970
Catalan composer and scholar (born 1896)
Robert Gerhard i Ottenwaelder was a Spanish and British composer, musical scholar, and writer, generally known outside his native region of Catalonia as Roberto Gerhard.
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1970
Canadian-American sound designer and engineer (born 1899)
Douglas Graham Shearer was a Canadian American pioneering sound designer and recording director who played a key role in the advancement of sound technology for motion pictures. The elder brother of actress Norma…
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1971
Russian pianist and educator (born 1907)
Lev Nikolayevich Oborin ; was a Soviet and Russian pianist, composer and pedagogue. He was the winner of the first International Chopin Piano Competition in 1927.
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1974
Irish lawyer and politician, 3rd Taoiseach of Ireland (born 1891)
John Aloysius Costello was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1948 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957. He was leader of the opposition from 1951 to 1954 and from 1957 to 1959 and attorney general from…
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1976
American author and screenwriter (born 1927)
Wyatt Emory Cooper was an American author, screenwriter, and actor. He was the fourth husband of Vanderbilt family heiress and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt and the father of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
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1978
American actor, singer, and screenwriter (born 1894)
William "Billy" Bletcher was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney's Three…
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1979
American bassist, composer, bandleader (born 1922)
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in…
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1979
American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1893)
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist who conducted pioneering work on isotopes. He earned the 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his discovery of heavy hydrogen." He played a significant role in the…
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1981
Italian poet and philosopher (born 1901)
Lanza del Vasto was an Italian poet and nonviolent activist.
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1981
American actor (born 1917)
Hans Georg Conried Jr. was an American actor and comedian. Among his numerous roles, he voiced Captain Hook and George Darling in Walt Disney's Peter Pan (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's Dudley Do-Right cartoons,…
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1982
Australian general and politician, 7th Chief Justice of Victoria (born 1892)
Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Francis Herring, was a senior Australian Army officer during the Second World War, Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria. A Rhodes scholar,…
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1982
Irish Republican, President of Cumann na mBan (born 1897)
Eithne Coyle was an Irish republican activist. She was a leading figure within Cumann na mBan and a member of the Gaelic League. However, her role in the period now known as 'revolutionary Ireland' was more extensive…
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1985
American cinematographer (born 1906)
Robert Lee Surtees, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer. He worked at various studios, including Universal, UFA, Warner Brothers, and MGM, lighting for notable directors Howard Hawks, Mike Nichols, and William Wyler,…
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1985
Canadian author and academic (born 1926)
Jean Margaret Laurence was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-profit literary organization…
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1987
Norwegian-Canadian skier (born 1875)
Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith-Johannsen, was a Norwegian skier and supercentenarian. He was the oldest living man from 14 December 1986 to 5 January 1987. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1972. He is…
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1987
1990
Serbian poet and academic (born 1922)
Vasile "Vasko" Popa was a Yugoslav and Serbian poet of ethnic-Romanian heritage. He is regarded as one of 20th-century Yugoslavia's and Serbia's most important poets, and his work has been widely translated.
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1991
American lawyer and politician, 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (born 1912)
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-longest tenure in…
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1994
Belgian author and illustrator (born 1924)
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best-known creations are Gaston and Marsupilami. He also produced the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1946 to 1968, a period seen by many as the series'…
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1997
American composer and songwriter (born 1912)
Burton Lane was an American composer primarily known for his theatre and film scores. His most popular and successful works include the musicals Finian's Rainbow (1947) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965).
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1997
American singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and politician (born 1935)
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and politician. In partnership with his second wife, Cher, he formed the singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republican Party, Bono served…
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1998
Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (born 1938)
Gaasinather Gangaser Ponnambalam was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the son of G. G. Ponnambalam. As the Leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, he was the party's presidential candidate in 1982. He was…
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2000
Welsh politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1920)
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead was a British politician and writer who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party…
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2003
Argentine footballer (born 1922)
Félix Loustau was an Argentine footballer who was a key player on the River Plate squad known as La Máquina. La Maquina is considered to be one of the greatest teams ever assembled in the history of South American…
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2003
English biologist and chemist, co-developed penicillin (born 1911)
Norman George Heatley OBE was an English biologist and biochemist. He was a member of the team of Oxford University scientists who developed penicillin. Heatley developed the back-extraction technique for efficiently…
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2004
Welsh educator and politician, Home Secretary (born 1920)
Merlyn Merlyn-Rees, Baron Merlyn-Rees, was a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament from 1963 until 1992. He served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1974–1976) and Home Secretary (1976–1979).
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2006
Taiwanese-Japanese businessman and inventor, founded Nissin Foods (born 1910)
Momofuku Ando , born Go Pek-Hok, was a Taiwanese-born, ethnic Chinese, Japanese inventor and businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. He is known as the inventor of Nissin Chikin Ramen, the first brand of…
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2007
American lawyer and politician, 72nd United States Attorney General (born 1918)
Griffin Boyette Bell was the 72nd Attorney General of the United States, having served under President Jimmy Carter. Previously, he was a U.S. circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
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2009
American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer (born 1928)
William Lawrence Mitchell was an American trumpeter, bandleader, soul, R&B, rock and roll, pop and funk record producer and arranger who ran Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He was best known for his Hi Records…
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2010
American painter (born 1924)
Kenneth Noland was an American painter. He was one of the best-known American color field painters, although in the 1950s he was thought of as an abstract expressionist and in the early 1960s as a minimalist painter.…
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2010
Spanish painter and sculptor (born 1920)
Isaac Díaz Pardo was a Galician intellectual strongly attached to both Sargadelos and Cerámica do Castro.
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2012
American author, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1900)
Frederica Alexandrina Sagor Maas was an American screenwriter, playwright, supercentenarian, memoirist, and author,
the youngest daughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia. As an essayist, Maas was best known for a…
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2012
Pakistani scholar and politician (born 1938)
Qazi Hussain Ahmad was an Islamic scholar, pro-Islamic democracy activist and former Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami, the social conservative Islamist political party in Pakistan.
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2013
2014
American actress (born 1927)
Carmen Margarita Zapata often referred to as "The First Lady of the Hispanic Theater" was an American actress best known for her role in the PBS bilingual children's program Villa Alegre. Zapata was also the co-founder…
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2014
French racing driver and motorcycle racer (born 1937)
Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise was a French racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1962 to 1964, and Formula One from 1966 to 1974. Beltoise won the 1972 Monaco…
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2015
American bishop (born 1912)
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin was an American bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo and also held the titular see of Mottola.
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2015
French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1925)
Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music.
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2016
English rape victim and activist (born 1965)
Jill Saward, also known by her married name Jill Drake, was an English campaigner on issues relating to sexual violence.
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2017
Pakistani three star general and politician (born 1921)
Mohammad Asghar Khan known as Night Flier, held the distinction of being the first native and second Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He has been described as the Father of the Pakistan…
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2018
American astronomer best known as the co-discoverer of comet Hale–Bopp (born 1949)
Thomas Joel Bopp was an American amateur astronomer. In 1995, he discovered comet Hale–Bopp; Alan Hale discovered it independently at almost the same time, and it was thus named after both of them. At the time of the…
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2018
German ballerina (born 1941)
Karin Anny Hannelore Reinbold von Aroldingen was a German ballet dancer. She danced as a soloist at the Frankfurt Opera Ballet before joining the New York City Ballet in 1962 after receiving a personal invitation from…
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2018
American women's rights activist (born 1928)
Bernice Resnick Sandler was an American women's rights activist. She is best known for being instrumental in the creation of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, in conjunction with representatives…
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2019
Serbian footballer and manager (born 1937)
Dragoslav Šekularac was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer and coach.
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2019
Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and politician (born 1938)
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh is a Deobandi Islamist advocacy group consisting mostly of religious teachers (Ulama) and students in Bangladesh. The group is mainly based on qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh. In 2013, they…
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2020
English footballer (born 1946)
Colin Bell was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Bell, known for his thirteen-year spell at Manchester City, is regarded as the club's greatest-ever player, and was part of the…
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2021
English violinist and composer (born 1939)
John Alexander Georgiadis was a British violinist and conductor. He was twice Concert Leader with the London Symphony Orchestra during the 1960s and 70s, a member of both the ensembles London Virtuosi and the Gabrieli…
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2021
South Korean actress and model (born 1992)
Kim Mi-soo was a South Korean actress and model.
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2022
American journalist and executive editor of The New York Times (born 1937)
Joseph Salem Lelyveld was an American journalist. He was executive editor of The New York Times from 1994 to 2001, and interim executive editor in 2003 after the resignation of Howell Raines. He was a Pulitzer…
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2024
Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1931)
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo was a Brazilian professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward.
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2024
Australian-American former Scientologist, critic (born 1955)
Michael John Rinder was an Australian and American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and Sea Org based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder was on the board of directors…
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2025
Greek economist, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (born 1936)
Konstantinos Simitis was a Greek politician who led the 'Modernization' movement of Greece. He succeeded in leadership Andreas Papandreou, the founder of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), and served as Prime…
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2025
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Notable deaths
Who died on January 5?
Thung Sin Nio — Dutch East Indies teacher and women's rights activist (1902–1996)
FeaturedThung Sin Nio
Death year1996
Known forBorn into a wealthy and progressive Peranakan family of the Cabang Atas gentry in Batavia, she was encouraged to obtain an education, which was unusual for Indonesian women at the time
Deaths on this date97 (842 – 2025)
Explore January 5
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on January 5 in History
2024
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 makes an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a door plug blows off the Boeing 737 MAX 9 operating the flight. There are no fatalities, but the accident prompts the 737 MAX to be grounded and renews scrutiny on Boeing's manufacturing and design issues. Wikipedia →
2023
The 2023 Sinaloa unrest begins. Wikipedia →
2022
See all events on January 5
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismisses Prime Minister Asqar Mamin and declares state of emergency over the 2022 Kazakh unrest. Wikipedia →
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