Sunday 21 January 2024 Calendar with holidays, observances and special days

Holidays and observances

• Anniversary of the founding of the first Baptist church in Switzerland (1525)
• Birthday of Princess Ingrid Alexandra in Norway
• Errol Barrow Day in Barbados
• European Day of Mediation
• Grandmother's Day in Poland
• Lady of Altagracia Day in Dominican Republic
• Lincoln Alexander Day (Canada)
• Memorial Day of the Death of Louis XVI (the tradition of the French royalists in memory of the king guillotined in the Place de la Revolution. Events are also held in the atonement chapel in Paris and in the Basilica of Saint-Denis)
• National Granola Bar Day and National New England Clam Chowder Day in USA
• Quebec Flag Day
• Squirrel Appreciation Day in North Carolina (It is an unofficial holiday started by North Carolina wildlife rehabilitator Christy McKeown in 2001, as a way to encourage people to put out seeds and nuts for these cute rodents)

Events

• 2017 – Over 400 cities across America and 160+ countries worldwide participate in a large-scale women's march, on Donald Trump's first full day as president of the United States.
• 1999 – War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board.
• 1997 – The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395–28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined.
• 1960 – Avianca Flight 671 crashes and burns upon landing at Montego Bay, Jamaica killing 37. It is the worst air disaster in Jamaica's history and the first for Avianca.
• 1954 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.
• 1950 – American lawyer and government official Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
• 1948 – The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Québec Flag Day.
• 1931 – Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
• 1919 – Meeting of the First Dáil Éireann in the Mansion House Dublin. Sinn Féin adopts Ireland's first constitution. The first engagement of the Irish War of Independence, the Soloheadbeg ambush, County Tipperary.
• 1915 – Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit.
• 1911 – The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place.
• 1861 – American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
• 1789 – The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth, is printed in Boston.
• 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.

Births

• 1997 – Jeremy Shada, American actor, musician and singer. Jaden Jeremy Shada (/ˈʃeɪdə/) (born January 21, 1997) is an American actor, voice actor, singer and musician who is best known for his work as the voice of Finn the Human from the American animated television series Adventure Time and Lance in Voltron: Legendary Defender.
• 1995 – Jake Elliott, American football player. Jake Daniel Elliott (born January 21, 1995) is an American football placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
• 1988 – Ashton Eaton, American decathlete. Ashton James Eaton OLY (born January 21, 1988) is a retired American decathlete and two-time Olympic champion, who holds the world record in the indoor heptathlon event.
• 1987 – Brandon Crawford, American baseball player. Brandon Michael Crawford (born January 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
• 1986 – Jonathan Quick, American ice hockey player. Jonathan Douglas Quick (born January 21, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• 1986 – Peyton Hillis, American football player. Hillis attended the University of Arkansas where he was primarily used as a fullback.
• 1985 – Justin Ingram, American basketball player. Justin Durel Ingram (born January 21, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Toledo Rockets men's basketball team.
• 1985 – Salvatore Giunta, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient. Salvatore Augustine Giunta (/ˌsælvəˈtɔːreɪ ˈdʒʊntə/; born 21 January 1985) is a former United States Army soldier and the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the U.S. military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
• 1984 – Alex Koslov, Moldovan-American wrestler. Alex Sherman (born January 21, 1984) is a Moldovan-born retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Koslov.
• 1983 – Alex Acker, American basketball player. Alexander Maurice Acker (born January 21, 1983) is an American-Italian professional basketball player for Apollon Patras of the Greek A2 Basket League.
• 1983 – Peter Philipakos, American soccer player. Peter Philipakos (Greek: Πέτρος Φιλιππάκος; born January 21, 1983) is a retired Greek-American football (soccer) midfield player.
• 1983 – Rapsody, American rapper. Marlanna Evans (born January 21, 1983), better known by her stage name Rapsody, is an American rapper from Snow Hill, North Carolina.
• 1980 – Brie Rippner, American tennis player. Aubrie "Brie" Rippner (born January 21, 1980) is an American retired tennis player.
• 1979 – Spider Loc, American rapper and actor. Loc was also the CEO of G-Unit West.
• 1978 – Bryan Gilmore, American football player. He played college football at Midwestern State.
• 1978 – Phil Stacey, American singer. Joel Philip Stacey (born January 21, 1978) is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6 of the television talent show American Idol.
• 1977 – Jerry Trainor, American actor, director, and producer. Puppy (as Dudley Puppy).
• 1976 – Mike Daisey, American monologist, author, and actor. His monologue The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, about the labor conditions under which Apple devices are made, was used as the basis for a widely shared episode of the radio program This American Life, but the episode was later retracted for its factual inaccuracy after it was discovered that Daisey had lied about his experiences.
• 1972 – Alan Benes, American baseball player and coach. Alan Paul Benes (born January 21, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for three teams over the course of eight seasons.
• 1971 – Doug Weight, American ice hockey player and coach. Douglas Daniel Weight (born January 21, 1971) is an American professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player.
• 1970 – Ken Leung, American actor. He portrayed the Marvel Comics character Karnak, a member of the Inhumans, on the ABC television series Inhumans, which premiered in September 2017.
• 1970 – Oren Peli, Israeli-American director, producer and screenwriter. Oren Peli (Hebrew: אורן פלאי‎; born January 21, 1970) is an Israeli American film director, producer and screenwriter, known for directing the 2007 film Paranormal Activity.
• 1965 – Jam Master Jay, American DJ, rapper, and producer (d. 2002), was an American musician and DJ. He was the DJ of the influential hip hop group Run-D.M.C.
• 1963 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigerian-American basketball player. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995.
• 1962 – Brian Hildebrand, American wrestler, referee, and manager (d. 1999), was an American professional wrestling manager, wrestler and referee who sometimes went by the name of Mark Curtis. Although trained in brawling, technical, and high-flying wrestling techniques, he spent most of his career as a manager and referee.
• 1962 – Tyler Cowen, American economist and academic. Tyler Cowen (/ˈkaʊən/; born January 21, 1962) is an American economist, who is an economics professor at George Mason University, where he holds the Holbert L.
• 1960 – Toxey Haas, American businessman, founded Haas Outdoors, Inc. Toxey Daniel Haas III (born January 21, 1960) is an American entrepreneur and conservationist.
• 1958 – Gareth Branwyn, American journalist and critic. Kevin Maloof (born January 21, 1958), better known by his pseudonym, Gareth Branwyn, is a writer, editor, and media critic.
• 1956 – Geena Davis, American actress and producer. Davis has received numerous accolades for her acting work in both film and television, and is noted for her portrayals of strong and authentic female characters as well as her involvement in advocacy for women in the industry.
• 1956 – Robby Benson, American actor and director. Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956), is an American actor, singer, musician, educator, director, producer, writer and composer.
• 1955 – Jeff Koons, American painter and sculptor. Koons (/kuːnz/; born January 21, 1955) is an American artist recognized for his work dealing with popular culture and his sculptures depicting everyday objects, including balloon animals – produced in stainless steel with mirror-finish surfaces.
• 1953 – Glenn Kaiser, American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band.
• 1953 – Paul Allen, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Microsoft, was an American business magnate, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding Microsoft Corporation with Bill Gates in 1975, which helped spark the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s and became the world's largest personal computer software company.
• 1952 – Louis Menand, American critic and essayist. Louis Menand (/ˈluːi məˈnɑːnd/; born January 21, 1952) is an American critic, essayist and professor, best known for his book The Metaphysical Club (2001), an intellectual and cultural history of late 19th and early 20th century America.
• 1951 – Eric Holder, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 82nd United States Attorney General. Attorney General (in both a confirmed and acting position).
• 1950 – Gary Locke, American politician and diplomat, 36th United States Secretary of Commerce. Locke is the first governor in the continental United States of East Asian descent, and is the only Chinese American ever to have served as a governor of any state.
• 1947 – Jill Eikenberry, American actress. Law (1986–94), for which she is a five-time Emmy Award and four-time Golden Globe Award nominee, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1989.
• 1946 – Gretel Ehrlich, American author. Gretel Ehrlich is an American travel writer, poet and essayist.
• 1946 – Johnny Oates, American baseball player and manager (d. 2004), was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981.
• 1942 – Edwin Starr, American soul singer-songwriter (d. 2003), was an American singer and songwriter. Starr was famous for his Norman Whitfield-produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".
• 1942 – Mac Davis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Morris Mac Davis (born January 21, 1942) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor, originally from Lubbock, Texas, United States, who has enjoyed much crossover success.
• 1941 – Elaine Showalter, American author and critic. Elaine Showalter (born January 21, 1941) is an American literary critic, feminist, and writer on cultural and social issues.
• 1941 – Ivan Putski, Polish-American wrestler and bodybuilder. Józef Bednarski (born January 21, 1941) is a Polish-American former professional wrestler and bodybuilder, best known by the ring name Ivan Putski.
• 1941 – Mike Medavoy, Chinese-American film producer, co-founded Orion Pictures. Morris Mike Medavoy (born January 21, 1941) is an American film producer and executive, co-founder of Orion Pictures (1978), former chairman of TriStar Pictures, former head of production for United Artists (1974–1978) and current chairman and CEO of Phoenix Pictures.
• 1941 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013). His music encompassed elements of folk, soul, and rhythm and blues.
• 1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer and sportscaster. Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is an American retired professional golfer.
• 1940 – John J. McGinty III, American captain, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2014), was a United States Marine Corps officer who received the United States militaries' highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for heroism during July 1966 in the Vietnam War.
• 1938 – Sandy Barr, American wrestler and referee (d. 2007), was an American professional wrestler, referee, promoter and trainer who spent his career mostly in the Western United States and Canada. Under the name as Sandy Barr, he was best known for his presence in the Portland, Oregon wrestling scene.
• 1938 – Wolfman Jack, American radio host (d. 1995), was an American disc jockey. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes on the table for years for Wolfman and Wolfwoman.
• 1937 – Nushiravan Keihanizadeh, Iranian-American journalist and historian. He was born in the city of Kerman, Iran.
• 1933 – Joseph W. Eschbach, American physician and academic (d. 2007), was an American doctor and kidney specialist whose twenty years of research starting in the 1960s led to an improvement in the treatment of anemia.
• 1928 – Gene Sharp, American political scientist and academic, founded the Albert Einstein Institution. He was the founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study of nonviolent action, and professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
• 1925 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (d. 2007), was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager.
• 1922 – Telly Savalas, American actor (d. 1994), was an American film and television actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his resonant, deep voice and bald head, Savalas is perhaps best known for his role as Lt.
• 1918 – Richard Winters, American soldier (d. 2011), was an officer of the United States Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for having commanded Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II.
• 1915 – Bill Sefton, American pole vaulter (d. 1982). Sefton broke the pole vault world record several times in 1937 and placed fourth in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
• 1913 – William Ungar, Polish-American author and philanthropist, founded the National Envelope Corporation (d. 2013), was a Polish-born American author, philanthropist, Holocaust survivor, and founder of the National Envelope Corporation.
• 1912 – Konrad Emil Bloch, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000). Bloch received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1964 (joint with Feodor Lynen) for discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.
• 1911 – Bill Graber, American pole vaulter (d. 1996). He broke the pole vault world record in 1932 and competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
• 1910 – Albert Rosellini, American lawyer and politician, 15th Governor of Washington (d. 2011), was an American politician, the 15th governor of the state of Washington for two terms, from 1957 to 1965, and was both the first Italian-American and Roman Catholic governor elected west of the Mississippi River.
• 1905 – Christian Dior, French fashion designer, founded Christian Dior S.A. (d. 1957), was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior, which is now owned by Groupe Arnault. His fashion houses are now all around the world.
• 1905 – Karl Wallenda, German-American acrobat and tightrope walker, founded The Flying Wallendas (d. 1978), was a German-American high wire artist and founder of The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus act which performed dangerous stunts, often without a safety net. He was the great-grandfather of current performer Nik Wallenda.
• 1899 – Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian-American pianist and composer (d. 1977), was a Russian-born composer and pianist. His father, Nikolai Tcherepnin (pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov), was also a composer, as were his sons, Serge Tcherepnin and Ivan Tcherepnin, and two of his grandsons (sons of Ivan), Sergei and Stefan.
• 1898 – Avery Claflin, American banker and composer (d. 1979), was an American composer, although he studied law and business, later pursuing a career in banking. He served as president for the French American Banking Corp.
• 1895 – Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer, founded Balenciaga (d. 1972), was a Spanish fashion designer and the founder of the Balenciaga fashion house. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior and as "the only couturier in the truest sense of the word" by Coco Chanel, who continued, "The others are simply fashion designers".
• 1884 – Roger Nash Baldwin, American author and activist, co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union (d. 1981), was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He served as executive director of the ACLU until 1950.
• 1824 – Stonewall Jackson, American general (d. 1863). Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) served as a Confederate general (1861–1863) during the American Civil War, and became one of the best-known Confederate commanders after General Robert E.
• 1815 – John Bingham, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 7th United States Ambassador to Japan (d. 1900), was an American Republican Representative from Ohio, an assistant Judge Advocate General in the trial of the Abraham Lincoln assassination, and a prosecutor in the impeachment trials of U.S. President Andrew Johnson.
• 1813 – John C. Frémont, American general, explorer, and politician, 5th Territorial Governor of Arizona (d. 1890), was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a US Senator from California, and in 1856 was the first Republican candidate for President of the United States.
• 1804 – Eliza R. Snow, American poet and hymn-writer (d. 1887), was one of the most celebrated Latter Day Saint women of the nineteenth century. A renowned poet, she chronicled history, celebrated nature and relationships, and expounded scripture and doctrine.
• 1738 – Ethan Allen, American general (d. 1789). 1770–1775 Green Mountain Boys 1778–1781 Continental Army
• 1610 – Elizabeth Fones, English-American settler (d. 1673), was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1640 Elizabeth, with her then-husband Robert Feake, were founders of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Deaths

• 2015 – Marcus Borg, American scholar, theologian, and author (b. 1942)
• 2015 – Vince Camuto, American fashion designer and businessman, co-founded Nine West (b. 1936)
• 2014 – Dick Shrider, American basketball player and coach (b. 1923)
• 2014 – G. Thompson Brown, American missionary, theologian, and author (b. 1921)
• 2014 – George C. Wortley, American soldier and politician (b. 1926)
• 2014 – Wilford Moore, American football player and coach (b. 1919)
• 2013 – Donald Hornig, American chemist and academic (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Jake McNiece, American sergeant (b. 1919)
• 2013 – Jean Giambrone, American journalist (b. 1921)
• 2012 – Cliff Chambers, American baseball player (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Roy John Britten, American biologist and geneticist (b. 1919)
• 2011 – Dennis Oppenheim, American sculptor and photographer (b. 1938)
• 2011 – Theoni V. Aldredge, Greek-American costume designer (b. 1922)
• 2005 – John L. Hess, American journalist and critic (b. 1917)
• 2003 – Paul Haines, American-Canadian poet and songwriter (b. 1933)
• 2002 – Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)
• 1999 – Susan Strasberg, American actress (b. 1938)
• 1998 – Jack Lord, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1920)
• 1993 – Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1903)
• 1989 – Billy Tipton, American pianist and saxophonist (b. 1914)
• 1989 – Carl Furillo, American baseball player (b. 1922)
• 1987 – Charles Goodell, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (b. 1926)
• 1985 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler and promoter (b. 1930)
• 1985 – James Beard, American chef and author (b. 1903)
• 1983 – Lamar Williams, American bass player (b. 1949)
• 1968 – Will Lang, Jr., American journalist (b. 1914)
• 1967 – Ann Sheridan, American actress (b. 1915)
• 1965 – Gwynne Evans, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1880)
• 1960 – Matt Moore, Irish-American actor and director (b. 1888)
• 1959 – Cecil B. DeMille, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1881)
• 1956 – Sam Langford, Canadian-American boxer (b. 1883)
• 1955 – Archie Hahn, German-American runner and coach (b. 1880)
• 1937 – Marie Prevost, Canadian-American actress and singer (b. 1898)
• 1928 – George Washington Goethals, American general and engineer (b. 1858)
• 1901 – Elisha Gray, American engineer, co-founded Western Electric (b. 1835)
• 1891 – Calixa Lavallée, Canadian-American lieutenant and composer (b. 1842)
• 1809 – Josiah Hornblower, American engineer and politician (b. 1729)