January 22

Pre-1600

• 613 – Eight-month-old Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (Caesar) by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
• 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vikings at Basing.
• 1506 – The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican.
• 1517 – The Ottoman Empire under Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate and captures present-day Egypt at the Battle of Ridaniya.
• 1555 – The Ava Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in what is now Myanmar.

1601–1900

• 1689 – The Convention Parliament convenes to determine whether James II and VII, the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Ireland and Scotland, had vacated the thrones of England and Ireland when he fled to France in 1688.
• 1808 – The Portuguese royal family arrives in Brazil after fleeing the French army's invasion of Portugal two months earlier.
• 1824 – The Ashantis defeat British forces in the Gold Coast.
• 1849 – Second Anglo-Sikh War: The Siege of Multan ends after nine months when the last Sikh defenders of Multan, Punjab, surrender.
• 1863 – The January Uprising breaks out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The aim of the national movement is to regain Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation by Russia.
• 1879 – The Battle of Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu War results in a British defeat.
• 1879 – The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also during the Anglo-Zulu War and just some 15 km (9.3 mi) away from Isandlwana, results in a British victory.
• 1890 – The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, Ohio.

1901–present

• 1901 – Edward VII is proclaimed King of the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
• 1905 – Bloody Sunday in Saint Petersburg, beginning of the 1905 revolution.
• 1906 – SS Valencia runs aground on rocks on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, killing more than 130.
• 1915 – Over 600 people are killed in Guadalajara, Mexico, when a train plunges off the tracks into a deep canyon.
• 1917 – American entry into World War I: President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States calls for "peace without victory" in Europe.
• 1919 – Act Zluky is signed, unifying the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian National Republic.
• 1924 – Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1927 – Teddy Wakelam gives the first live radio commentary of a football match, between Arsenal F.C. and Sheffield United at Highbury.
• 1941 – World War II: British and Commonwealth troops capture Tobruk from Italian forces during Operation Compass.
• 1943 – World War II: Australian and American forces defeat Japanese army and navy units in the bitterly fought Battle of Buna–Gona.
• 1944 – World War II: The Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio and Nettuno, Italy.
• 1946 – In Iran, Qazi Muhammad declares the independent people's Republic of Mahabad at Chahar Cheragh Square in the Kurdish city of Mahabad; he becomes the new president and Haji Baba Sheikh becomes the prime minister.
• 1946 – Creation of the Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.
• 1947 – KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood.
• 1957 – Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.
• 1957 – The New York City "Mad Bomber", George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
• 1963 – The Élysée Treaty of cooperation between France and West Germany is signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer.
• 1967 – Between dozens and hundreds of anti-Somocista demonstrators are killed by the Nicaraguan National Guard in Managua.
• 1968 – Apollo Program: Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space.
• 1968 – Operation Igloo White, a US electronic surveillance system to stop communist infiltration into South Vietnam begins installation.
• 1970 – The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
• 1971 – The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued.
• 1973 – The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
• 1973 – The crew of Apollo 17 addresses a joint session of Congress after the completion of the final Apollo Moon landing mission.
• 1973 – A chartered Boeing 707 explodes in flames upon landing at Kano Airport, Nigeria, killing 176.
• 1973 – In a bout for the world heavyweight boxing championship in Kingston, Jamaica, challenger George Foreman knocks down champion Joe Frazier six times in the first two rounds before the fight is stopped by referee Arthur Mercante.
• 1984 – The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during a Super Bowl XVIII television commercial.
• 1987 – Philippine security forces open fire on a crowd of 10,000–15,000 demonstrators at Malacañang Palace, Manila, killing 13.
• 1992 – Rebel forces occupy Zaire's national radio station in Kinshasa and broadcast a demand for the government's resignation.
• 1992 – Space Shuttle program: The space shuttle Discovery launches on STS-42 carrying Dr. Roberta Bondar, who becomes the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space.
• 1995 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Beit Lid suicide bombing: In central Israel, near Netanya, two Gazans blow themselves up at a military transit point, killing 19 Israeli soldiers.
• 1998 – Space Shuttle program: space shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-89 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
• 1999 – Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons are burned alive by radical Hindus while sleeping in their car in Eastern India.
• 2006 – Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president.
• 2007 – At least 88 people are killed when two car bombs explode in the Bab Al-Sharqi market in central Baghdad, Iraq.
• 2009 – U.S. President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; congressional opposition will prevent it being implemented.
• 2024 – Ram Mandir inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh after 500 years of dispute.

Pre-1600

• 1263 – Ibn Taymiyyah, Syrian scholar and theologian (d. 1328)
• 1440 – Ivan III of Russia (d. 1505)
• 1522 – Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans, (d. 1545)
• 1552 – Walter Raleigh, English poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer (d. 1618)
• 1561 – Francis Bacon, English philosopher and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1626)
• 1570 – Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington, English historian and politician, founded the Cotton library (d. 1631)
• 1573 – John Donne, English poet and cleric in the Church of England, wrote the Holy Sonnets (d. 1631)
• 1592 – Pierre Gassendi, French mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher (d. 1655)

1601–1900

• 1645 – William Kidd, Scottish sailor and pirate hunter (probable; d. 1701)
• 1654 – Richard Blackmore, English physician and poet (d. 1729)
• 1690 – Nicolas Lancret, French painter (d. 1743)
• 1729 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher and author (d. 1781)
• 1733 – Philip Carteret, English admiral and explorer (d. 1796)
• 1740 – Noah Phelps, American soldier, lawyer, and judge (d. 1809)
• 1781 – François Habeneck, French violinist and conductor (d. 1849)
• 1788 – Lord Byron, English poet and playwright (d. 1824)
• 1792 – Lady Lucy Whitmore, English noblewoman, hymn writer (d. 1840)
• 1796 – Karl Ernst Claus, Estonian-Russian chemist, botanist, and academic (d. 1864)
• 1797 – Maria Leopoldina of Austria (d. 1826)
• 1799 – Ludger Duvernay, Canadian journalist, publisher, and politician (d. 1852)
• 1802 – Richard Upjohn, English-American architect (d. 1878)
• 1828 – Dayrolles Eveleigh-de-Moleyns, 4th Baron Ventry, Irish hereditary peer (d. 1914)
• 1831 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1917)
• 1840 – Ernest Wilberforce, English bishop (d. 1907)
• 1849 – August Strindberg, Swedish novelist, poet, and playwright (d. 1912)
• 1858 – Beatrice Webb, English sociologist and economist (d. 1943)
• 1861 – George Fuller, Australian politician, 22nd Premier of New South Wales (d. 1940)
• 1865 – Wilbur Scoville, American chemist and pharmacist (d. 1942)
• 1867 – Gisela Januszewska, Jewish-Austrian physician (d. 1943)
• 1869 – José Vicente de Freitas, Portuguese colonel and politician, 97th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1952)
• 1874 – Edward Harkness, American philanthropist (d. 1940)
• 1874 – Jay Hughes, American baseball player and coach (d. 1924)
• 1875 – D. W. Griffith, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1948)
• 1877 – Tom Jones, American baseball player and manager (d. 1923)
• 1879 – Francis Picabia, French painter and poet (d. 1953)
• 1880 – Bill O'Neill, Canadian-American baseball player (d. 1920)
• 1880 – Frigyes Riesz, Hungarian mathematician and academic (d. 1956)
• 1881 – Ira Thomas, American baseball player and manager (d. 1958)
• 1886 – John J. Becker, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1961)
• 1887 – Helen Hoyt, American poet and author (d. 1972)
• 1889 – Henri Pélissier, French cyclist (d. 1935)
• 1889 – Amos Strunk, American baseball player and manager (d. 1979)
• 1890 – Fred M. Vinson, American judge and politician, 13th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1953)
• 1891 – Antonio Gramsci, Italian philosopher and politician (d. 1937)
• 1892 – Marcel Dassault, French businessman, founded Dassault Aviation (d. 1986)
• 1893 – Conrad Veidt, German-American actor, director, and producer (d. 1943)
• 1897 – Rosa Ponselle, American operatic soprano (d. 1981)
• 1897 – Dilipkumar Roy, a Bengali Indian musician, musicologist, novelist, poet and essayist. (d. 1980)
• 1898 – Ross Barnett, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of Mississippi (d. 1987)
• 1898 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (d. 1948)
• 1898 – Denise Legeay, French actress (d. 1968)
• 1899 – Martti Haavio, Finnish poet and mythologist (d. 1973)
• 1900 – Ernst Busch, German actor and singer (d. 1980)

1901–present

• 1902 – Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler, coach, and academic (d. 1970)
• 1903 – Fritz Houtermans, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1966)
• 1904 – George Balanchine, Georgian-American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the New York City Ballet (d. 1983)
• 1904 – Arkady Gaidar, Russian journalist and author (d. 1941)
• 1905 – Willy Hartner, German physicist, historian, and academic (d. 1981)
• 1906 – Robert E. Howard, American author and poet (d. 1936)
• 1907 – Douglas Corrigan, American pilot and engineer (d. 1995)
• 1907 – Dixie Dean, English footballer (d. 1980)
• 1908 – Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
• 1909 – Martha Norelius, Swedish-born American swimmer (d. 1955)
• 1909 – Porfirio Rubirosa, Dominican racing driver, polo player, and diplomat (d. 1965)
• 1909 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
• 1909 – U Thant, Burmese educator and diplomat, 3rd United Nations Secretary-General (d. 1974)
• 1911 – Bruno Kreisky, Austrian lawyer and politician, 22nd Chancellor of Austria (d. 1990)
• 1913 – Henry Bauchau, Belgian psychoanalyst and author (d. 2012)
• 1913 – William Conway, Irish cardinal (d. 1977)
• 1913 – Carl F. H. Henry, American theologian and publisher (d. 2003)
• 1914 – Dimitris Dragatakis, Greek violinist and composer (d. 2001)
• 1915 – Heinrich Albertz, German theologian and politician, Mayor of Berlin (d. 1993)
• 1916 – Bill Durnan, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1972)
• 1916 – Henri Dutilleux, French pianist, composer, and educator (d. 2013)
• 1916 – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (d. 1994)
• 1918 – Elmer Lach, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
• 1919 – Diomedes Olivo, Dominican baseball player and scout (d. 1977)
• 1920 – Irving Kristol, American journalist, author, and academic, founded The National Interest (d. 2009)
• 1920 – Alf Ramsey, English footballer and coach (d. 1999)
• 1922 – Howard Moss, American poet, playwright and critic (d. 1987)
• 1923 – Diana Douglas, British-American actress (d. 2015)
• 1924 – J. J. Johnson, American trombonist and composer (d. 2001)
• 1924 – Ján Chryzostom Korec, Slovak cardinal (d. 2015)
• 1924 – Charles Lisanby, American production designer and art director (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Lou Creekmur, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
• 1927 – Joe Perry, American football player (d. 2011)
• 1928 – Yoshihiko Amino, Japanese historian, author, and academic (d. 2004)
• 1929 – Petr Eben, Czech composer, organist and choirmaster (d. 2007)
• 1930 – Mariví Bilbao, Spanish actress (d. 2013)
• 1930 – Daniel Camargo Barbosa, Colombian serial killer (d. 1994)
• 1930 – Éamon de Buitléar, Irish accordion player and director (d. 2013)
• 1931 – Sam Cooke, American singer-songwriter (d. 1964)
• 1931 – Galina Zybina, Russian shot putter and javelin thrower
• 1932 – Berthold Grünfeld, Norwegian psychiatrist and academic (d. 2007)
• 1932 – Piper Laurie, American actress (d. 2023)
• 1932 – Tom Railsback, American politician (d. 2020)
• 1933 – Yuri Chesnokov, Russian volleyball player and coach (d. 2010)
• 1934 – Vijay Anand, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
• 1934 – Bill Bixby, American actor and director (d. 1993)
• 1935 – Alexander Men, Russian priest and scholar (d. 1990)
• 1936 – Ong Teng Cheong, Singaporean architect and politician, 5th President of Singapore (d. 2002)
• 1936 – Alan J. Heeger, American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1937 – Alma Delia Fuentes, Mexican actress (d. 2017)
• 1937 – Edén Pastora, Nicaraguan politician (d. 2020)
• 1937 – Joseph Wambaugh, American author
• 1938 – Peter Beard, Australian photographer and author (d. 2020)
• 1938 – Joe Esposito, American author (d. 2016)
• 1938 – Altair Gomes de Figueiredo, Brazilian footballer (d. 2019)
• 1939 – Jørgen Garde, Danish admiral (d. 1996)
• 1939 – Alfredo Palacio, Ecuadoran physician and politician, President of Ecuador
• 1939 – Luigi Simoni, Italian footballer and manager (d. 2020)
• 1939 – J. C. Tremblay, Canadian ice hockey player and scout (d. 1994)
• 1940 – John Hurt, English actor (d. 2017)
• 1940 – George Seifert, American football player and coach
• 1940 – Gillian Shephard, English educator and politician, Secretary of State for Education
• 1941 – Jaan Kaplinski, Estonian poet, philosopher, and critic (d. 2021)
• 1942 – Mimis Domazos, Greek footballer
• 1943 – Michael Spicer, English journalist and politician (d. 2019)
• 1944 – Khosrow Golsorkhi, Iranian journalist, poet, and activist (d. 1974)
• 1944 – Uto Ughi, Italian violinist and conductor
• 1945 – Christoph Schönborn, Austrian cardinal
• 1945 – Alojz Uran, Slovenian archbishop (d. 2020)
• 1946 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter and manager (d. 2010)
• 1946 – Serge Savard, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
• 1947 – Vladimir Oravsky, Czech-Swedish author and director
• 1948 – Gilbert Levine, American conductor and academic
• 1949 – Steve Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
• 1950 – Paul Bew, Northern Irish historian and academic
• 1950 – Frank Schade, American basketball player and coach
• 1951 – Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater and coach (d. 1989)
• 1953 – Winfried Berkemeier, German footballer and manager
• 1953 – Myung-whun Chung, South Korean pianist and conductor
• 1953 – Jim Jarmusch, American director and screenwriter
• 1954 – Tully Blanchard, Canadian-American wrestler
• 1955 – Lester Hayes, American football player
• 1955 – Thomas David Jones, American captain, pilot, and astronaut
• 1955 – John Wesley Shipp, American actor
• 1956 – Steve Riley, American drummer (d. 2023)
• 1957 – Mike Bossy, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster (d. 2022)
• 1957 – Rita Chatterton, American professional wrestling referee
• 1957 – Godfrey Thoma, Nauruan politician
• 1957 – Francis Wheen, English journalist and author
• 1958 – Nikos Anastopoulos, Greek footballer and manager
• 1958 – Filiz Koçali, Turkish journalist and politician
• 1958 – Charles White, American football player (d. 2023)
• 1959 – Linda Blair, American actress
• 1960 – Michael Hutchence, Australian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
• 1961 – Quintin Dailey, American basketball player (d. 2010)
• 1962 – Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
• 1964 – Nigel Benn, English-Australian boxer
• 1964 – Stojko Vranković, Croatian basketball player
• 1965 – Steven Adler, American rock drummer
• 1965 – DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ and producer
• 1965 – Diane Lane, American actress
• 1968 – Guy Fieri, American chef, author, and television host
• 1968 – Heath, Japanese singer-songwriter and bass player (d. 2023)
• 1968 – Frank Leboeuf, French footballer, sportscaster, and actor
• 1968 – Mauricio Serna, Colombian footballer
• 1969 – Olivia d'Abo, English-American singer-songwriter and actress
• 1970 – Abraham Olano, Spanish cyclist
• 1971 – Stan Collymore, English footballer and sportscaster
• 1971 – Katie Finneran, American actress
• 1972 – Gabriel Macht, American actor
• 1973 – Rogério Ceni, Brazilian footballer
• 1974 – Cameron McConville, Australian racing driver and sportscaster
• 1974 – Joseph Muscat, Maltese journalist and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Malta
• 1975 – Balthazar Getty, American actor and musician
• 1975 – David Výborný, Czech ice hockey player
• 1977 – Mario Domm, Mexican singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
• 1977 – Anna Linkova, Russian tennis player
• 1977 – Hidetoshi Nakata, Japanese footballer
• 1978 – Robert Esche, American ice hockey player and sports executive
• 1978 – Chone Figgins, American baseball player
• 1979 – Carlos Ruiz, Panamanian baseball player
• 1980 – Christopher Masterson, American actor
• 1980 – Jonathan Woodgate, English footballer
• 1980 – Lizz Wright, American singer-songwriter
• 1981 – Willa Ford, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1981 – Beverley Mitchell, American actress
• 1981 – Ben Moody, American musician, songwriter, and producer
• 1981 – Ibrahima Sonko, French footballer
• 1982 – Fabricio Coloccini, Argentine footballer
• 1982 – Jason Peters, American football player
• 1983 – Étienne Bacrot, French chess player
• 1984 – Ben Eager, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1984 – Ubaldo Jiménez, Dominican baseball player
• 1984 – Leon Powe, American basketball player
• 1984 – Maceo Rigters, Dutch footballer
• 1985 – Nicklas Grossmann, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1985 – Fotios Papoulis, Greek footballer
• 1985 – Yan Xu, Singaporean table tennis player
• 1986 – Maher Magri, Tunisian footballer
• 1986 – Matt Simon, Australian footballer
• 1987 – Astrid Jacobsen, Norwegian skier
• 1987 – Shane Long, Irish footballer
• 1987 – Ray Rice, American football player
• 1988 – Greg Oden, American basketball player
• 1988 – Marcel Schmelzer, German footballer
• 1989 – Oscar Möller, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1989 – Theo Robinson, English footballer
• 1990 – Alizé Cornet, French tennis player
• 1990 – Logic, American rapper
• 1991 – Stefan Kolb, German footballer
• 1992 – Vincent Aboubakar, Cameroonian footballer
• 1994 – Tyrone Taylor, American baseball player
• 1996 – Dillon Brooks, Canadian basketball player
• 1996 – Sami Gayle, American actress
• 1996 – Joshua Ho-Sang, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1996 – Kumi Sasaki, Japanese singer and model
• 1997 – Fan Zhendong, Chinese table tennis player
• 1998 – Silento, American rapper, singer and songwriter
• 1998 – Walid Cheddira, Moroccan footballer
• 1999 – Andrew Thomas, American football player
• 2000 – Laia Codina, Spanish footballer
• 2002 – Caitlin Clark, American basketball player
• 2007 – Pau Cubarsí, Spanish footballer

Pre-1600

• 239 – Cao Rui, Chinese emperor (b. 205)
• 628 – Anastasius of Persia, monk
• 906 – He, empress of the Tang Dynasty
• 935 – Ma, empress of Southern Han
• 1001 – Al-Muqallad ibn al-Musayyab, Uqaylid emir of Mosul
• 1051 – Ælfric Puttoc, archbishop of York
• 1170 – Wang Chongyang, Chinese Daoist and co-founder of the Quanzhen School (b. 1113)
• 1188 – Ferdinand II of León (b. 1137)
• 1341 – Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1279)
• 1517 – Hadım Sinan Pasha, Ottoman politician, 32nd Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. ?)
• 1536 – Bernhard Knipperdolling, German religious leader (b. 1495)
• 1536 – John of Leiden, Anabaptist leader from the Dutch city of Leiden (b. 1509)
• 1552 – Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, English general and politician, Lord High Treasurer of England (b. 1500)
• 1560 – Wang Zhi, Chinese pirate
• 1575 – James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault (b. 1516)
• 1599 – Cristofano Malvezzi, Italian organist and composer (b. 1547)

1601–1900

• 1666 – Shah Jahan, Mughal emperor (b. 1592)
• 1750 – Franz Xaver Josef von Unertl, Bavarian politician (b. 1675)
• 1763 – John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1690)
• 1767 – Johann Gottlob Lehmann, German meteorologist and geologist (b. 1719)
• 1779 – Jeremiah Dixon, English surveyor and astronomer (b. 1733)
• 1779 – Claudius Smith, American guerrilla leader (b. 1736)
• 1798 – Lewis Morris, American judge and politician (b. 1726)
• 1840 – Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German physician, physiologist, and anthropologist (b. 1752)
• 1850 – Vincent Pallotti, Italian missionary and saint (b. 1795)
• 1879 – Anthony Durnford, Irish colonel (b. 1830)
• 1879 – Henry Pulleine, English colonel (b. 1838)
• 1892 – Joseph P. Bradley, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1813)
• 1900 – David Edward Hughes, Welsh-American physicist, co-invented the microphone (b. 1831)

1901–present

• 1901 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (b. 1819)
• 1906 – George Holyoake, English secularist, co-operator and newspaper editor (b. 1817)
• 1909 – Emil Erlenmeyer, German chemist and academic (b. 1825)
• 1921 – George Streeter, American captain and businessman (b. 1837)
• 1922 – Fredrik Bajer, Danish educator and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1837)
• 1922 – Pope Benedict XV (b. 1854)
• 1922 – Camille Jordan, French mathematician and academic (b. 1838)
• 1925 – Fanny Bullock Workman, American geographer and mountain climber (b. 1859)
• 1927 – James Ford Rhodes, American historian and author (b. 1848)
• 1929 – R. C. Lehmann, English journalist, author, and politician (b. 1856)
• 1930 – Stephen Mather, American businessman and conservationist, co-founded the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company (b. 1867)
• 1931 – László Batthyány-Strattmann, Hungarian physician and ophthalmologist (b. 1870)
• 1945 – Else Lasker-Schüler, German poet and playwright (b. 1869)
• 1949 – William Thomas Walsh, American author, poet, and playwright (b. 1891)
• 1950 – Alan Hale, Sr., American actor and director (b. 1892)
• 1951 – Harald Bohr, Danish mathematician and footballer (b. 1887)
• 1951 – Lawson Robertson, Scottish-American sprinter and high jumper (b. 1883)
• 1955 – Jonni Myyrä, Finnish-American athlete (b. 1892)
• 1957 – Ralph Barton Perry, American philosopher and academic (b. 1876)
• 1959 – Mike Hawthorn, English racing driver (b. 1929)
• 1964 – Marc Blitzstein, American pianist and composer (b. 1905)
• 1966 – Herbert Marshall, English actor (b. 1890)
• 1968 – Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1890)
• 1971 – Harry Frank Guggenheim, American businessman and publisher, co-founded Newsday (b. 1890)
• 1973 – Lyndon B. Johnson, American lieutenant and politician, 36th President of the United States (b. 1908)
• 1977 – Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Suwaiyel, Saudi Arabian diplomat (b. 1916)
• 1978 – Oliver Leese, English general (b. 1894)
• 1978 – Herbert Sutcliffe, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1894)
• 1979 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian rebel leader (b. 1940)
• 1980 – Yitzhak Baer, German-Israeli historian and academic (b. 1888)
• 1981 – Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi, Pakistani historian and academic (b. 1903)
• 1982 – Eduardo Frei Montalva, Chilean lawyer and politician, 28th President of Chile (b. 1911)
• 1985 – Arthur Bryant, English historian and journalist (b. 1899)
• 1987 – R. Budd Dwyer, American educator and politician, 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania (b. 1939)
• 1989 – S. Vithiananthan, Sri Lankan author and academic (b. 1924)
• 1991 – Robert Choquette, Canadian author, poet and diplomat (b. 1905)
• 1993 – Kōbō Abe, Japanese playwright and photographer (b. 1924)
• 1994 – Jean-Louis Barrault, French actor and director (b. 1910)
• 1994 – Telly Savalas, American actor (b. 1922)
• 1996 – Israel Eldad, Polish-Israeli philosopher and author (b. 1910)
• 1997 – Billy Mackenzie, Scottish singer-songwriter (b. 1957)
• 1999 – Graham Staines, Australian-Indian missionary and translator (b. 1941)
• 2000 – Craig Claiborne, American journalist, author, and critic (b. 1920)
• 2000 – Anne Hébert, Canadian author and poet (b. 1916)
• 2001 – Tommie Agee, American baseball player (b. 1942)
• 2001 – Roy Brown, American clown and puppeteer (b. 1932)
• 2003 – Bill Mauldin, American soldier and cartoonist (b. 1921)
• 2004 – Billy May, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1916)
• 2004 – Tom Mead, Australian journalist and politician (b. 1918)
• 2004 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1923)
• 2005 – César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1943)
• 2005 – Carlo Orelli, Italian soldier (b. 1894)
• 2005 – Consuelo Velázquez, Mexican pianist and songwriter (b. 1924)
• 2006 – Aydın Güven Gürkan, Turkish academic and politician, Turkish Minister of Labor and Social Security (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Ngô Quang Trưởng, Vietnamese general (b. 1929)
• 2007 – Abbé Pierre, French priest and activist (b. 1912)
• 2007 – Liz Renay, American actress, author and performer (b. 1926)
• 2008 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor and director (b. 1979)
• 2008 – Miles Lerman, Polish Holocaust survivor and activist (b. 1920)
• 2009 – Billy Werber, American baseball player (b. 1908)
• 2010 – Louis R. Harlan, American historian and author (b. 1922)
• 2010 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (b. 1929)
• 2012 – Simon Marsden, English photographer and author (b. 1948)
• 2012 – Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Clarence Tillenius, Canadian painter and environmentalist (b. 1913)
• 2012 – Dick Tufeld, American actor (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Robert Bonnaud, French historian and academic (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Hinton Mitchem, American businessman and politician (b. 1938)
• 2014 – Maziar Partow, Iranian cinematographer (b. 1933)
• 2015 – Fabrizio de Miranda, Italian engineer and academic, co-designed the Rande Bridge (b. 1926)
• 2015 – Wendell H. Ford, American lieutenant and politician, 53rd Governor of Kentucky (b. 1924)
• 2015 – Margaret Bloy Graham, Canadian author and illustrator (b. 1920)
• 2016 – Homayoun Behzadi, Iranian footballer and coach (b. 1942)
• 2016 – Cecil Parkinson, English politician (b. 1931)
• 2016 – Lois Ramsey, Australian actress (b. 1922)
• 2016 – Kamer Genç, Turkish politician (b. 1940)
• 2017 – Masaya Nakamura, Japanese businessman (b. 1925)
• 2017 – Yordano Ventura, Dominican baseball player (b. 1991)
• 2018 – Ursula K. Le Guin, American sci-fi and fantasy novelist (b. 1929)
• 2018 – William B. Jordan, American art historian (b. 1940)
• 2021 – Hank Aaron, American baseball player (b. 1934)
• 2022 – Thích Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, and founder of the Plum Village Tradition (b. 1926)

• Christian feast day:
  • Anastasius of Persia
  • Gaudentius of Novara
  • László Batthyány-Strattmann
  • Laura Vicuna
  • Vincent Pallotti
  • Vincent of Saragossa
  • Vincent, Orontius, and Victor
  • Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
  • January 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Day of Unity of Ukraine (Ukraine)
• Grandfather's Day (Poland)

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Historical Events on January 22