Events on Jan 25

• 0844Gregory IV begins and ends his reign as Catholic Pope
• 1139Godfried II the Young becomes Duke of Brabant
• 1327King Edward III accedes to British throne
• 1348Earthquake destroys Villach, killing 5,000
• 1494Alfonso II replaces his father as King of Naples
• 1554Sir Thomas Wyatt gathers an army in Kent, rebels against Queen Mary
• 1579Treaty of Utrecht signed, marks beginning of Dutch Republic
• 1721Czar Peter the Great ends Russian-orthodox patriarchy
• 1775Americans drag cannon up hill to fight British (Gun Hill Road, Bronx)
• 17991st US patent for a seeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont
• 1802Napoleon elected President of Italian (Cisalpine) Republic
• 18251st US engineering college opens, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy, New York
• 1835Opera "I Puritani, " premieres in Paris
• 1844Recontre between Reps Weller and Shriver, US House of Representative
• 1856Battle of Seattle; skirmish between settlers and Indians
• 1863Battle of Kinston, North Carolina
• 1863General Joseph Hooker replaces Burnside as head of Army of Potomac
• 1865CSS Shenandoah arrives in Melbourne, Australia
• 1870Soda fountain patented by Gustavus Dows
• 1875Anti-slavery society forms (NY)
• 1877Congress determines presidential election between Hayes-Tilden
• 1882Bilu, a Russian Zionist organization, forms
• 1890National Afro-American League forms in Chicago
• 1890United Mine Workers of America forms
• 1894James J Corbett KOs Charley Mitchell in 3 for heavyweight boxing title
• 1904179 die in coal mine explosion at Cheswick, Pennsylvania
• 1905Largest diamond, Cullinan (3106 carets), found in South Africa
• 1907Julia Ward Howe is 1st woman elected to National Institute of Arts & Letters
• 19101st stumping by a 12th man in Tests (N C Tufnell, South Africa vs. England)
• 1910Children initiate idea of planting trees in Jerusalem

Born on Jan 25

• 0749Leo IV [the Khazar]: Byzantine Emperor (775-80)
• 1477Anna de Bretagne: Wife of Maximilian of Austria and Louis XII
• 1509Giovanni Morone: Italian theologist / diplomat / Cardinal / "heretic"
• 1540Edmund Campion: London, England -- Saint / Jesuit martyr (Decem Rationes)
• 1615Govert Flinck: Dutch painter (Isaac blesses Jacob)
• 1626John van de Cappelle: Amsterdam, Holland -- Landscape painter
• 1627Robert Boyle: Ireland -- Physicist / chemist / author (experiments with color)
• 1634Gaspar Fagel: Lawyer / pension advisor of Holland (1672-88)
• 1693Anna Ivanova Romanova: Daughter of Ivan V / empress of Russia (1730-40)
• 1708Pompeo Girolamo Batoni: Italian painter
• 1736Joseph-Louis comte de Lagrange: Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia -- French mathematician
• 1750Johann Gottfried Vierling: Composer
• 1759Robert Burns: Alloway, Scotland -- Poet (Auld Lang Syne)
• 1770Francis Burdett: British politician
• 1777Elias Canneman: Dutch liberal Minister of Finance (1813-14)
• 1796William McGillivray: Old Aberdeen, United Kingdom -- Naturalist
• 1806Daniel Maclise: Irish painter
• 1814Francis Harrison Pierpont: Governor (Union), died in 1899
• 1826Rembt T H P L A van Boneval Faure: Dutch MP
• 1834Pablo Hernandez Salces: Composer
• 1839Seldon Connor: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1917
• 1841John Arbuthnot Fisher: Ceylon -- 1st Baron Fisher / Admiral of the Fleet
• 1844Frederick E Kitziger: Composer
• 1851Arne Garborg: Norwegian playwright (Bondestudentar)
• 1851Jan Blockx: Belgium -- Opera composer (Sea Bride Princess of Herberg)
• 1858Giuseppi Radiciotti: Composer
• 1860Charles Curtis: (R) 31st US VP (1929-33)
• 1866Emile Vandervelde: Leader of Belgian BWP party
• 1874[William] Somerset Maugham: Paris, France -- Novelist / poet (Of Human Bondage)
• 1874Hewlett Johnson [Red Dean of Canterbury]: English Bishop

Died on Jan 25

• 1138Anacletus II [Pietro Pierleone]: Jewish anti-pope (1130-38)
• 1139Godfried I: With the Beard, Duke of Brabant / Earl of Leuven
• 1494Ferdinand I: Cruel King of Naples
• 1547Lieven Algoet: Flemish humanist
• 1586Lucas Cranach "the Young": German painter, dies at 70
• 1640Robert Burton: Author (Anatomy of Melancholy)
• 1733Reinier V van Hompech: Dutch General Major cavalry
• 1744Domenico Natale Sarro: Italian opera composer, dies at 64
• 1820Joseph F Weigl: German / Austria violin cellist, dies at 79
• 1821Johan Valckenier: Dutch politician / patriot, dies at 62
• 1829William Shield: Composer, dies at 80
• 1855Dorothy Wordsworth: Writer, dies at 83
• 1875Leopold Jansa: Composer, dies at 79
• 1882Peter Singer: Composer, dies at 71
• 1896Frans C Baeckelmans: Flemish Architect (Court of Justice), dies at 68
• 1896Frederic Leighton: President of the Royal Academy (1878-96)
• 1906Joseph Wheeler II: Confederate General, dies at 70
• 1906Pierre L Goossens: Belgian Archbishop of Malines / Cardinal, dies at 78
• 1920Amadeo Modigliani: Italian Sculptor / painter, dies at 35
• 1921Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych: Composer, dies at 43
• 1942Eugene Samuel-Holeman: Composer, dies at 78
• 1947Al Capone: Chicago gangster, dies of syphilis at 48
• 1949Emil Axman: Composer, dies at 61
• 1960Diana Barrymore: Actress (Ladies Courageous), dies at 38
• 1963Wilson Kettle: Nfld, dies at 102, leaving 582 living descendents
• 1965Staff Nees: Flemish Composer (Maria-oratorio), dies at 63
• 1968Virginia Maskell: Actress (Only Two Can Play), dies at 31
• 1970Eunice Hunton Carter: 1st black female DA in NY, dies at 70
• 1970Marie Benavente: Actress (Paradise), dies at 84
• 1975Vivien Kellems: TV hostess (The Power of Women), dies at 78

Historical events on January 26

• 1340English King Edward III proclaimed King of France
• 1531Lisbon hit by Earthquake; about 30,000 die
• 1654Portuguese troops conquer last Dutch base on Recife
• 1699Venice, Poland and Austria sign peace treaty with Turkey
• 1736Stanislaw Lesczynski flees Polish throne
• 1748England, Netherlands, Austria and Sardinia sign anti-French treaty
• 1788Captain Arthur Phillip hoists English flag on Botany Bay, New South Wales
• 1797Russia, Prussia and Austria sign treaty
• 1802Congress passes an act calling for a US Capitol library
• 1837Michigan admitted as 26th US state
• 1838Tennessee becomes 1st state to prohibit alcohol
• 1841Hong Kong proclaimed a sovereign territory of Britain
• 18501st German-language daily newspaper in US published, New York City
• 1861Louisiana becomes 6th state to secede
• 1862Lincoln issues General War Order #1, calling for a Union offensive McClellan ignores order
• 186354th Regiment (Black) infantry forms
• 1863War Department authorizes Mass Governor to recruit black troops
• 1870Virginia rejoins US
• 1871British Rugby Union forms
• 1871US income tax repealed
• 1875Electric dental drill is patented by George F Green
• 1881Union of Baptists Communities forms in Foxholl
• 1882France government of Gambetta falls
• 18841st Dutch Wagner version of Elizabeth aria
• 1885Muhammad Ahmed ("Mahdi") rebels conquer Khartoum
• 1886Karl Benz patents 1st auto with burning motor
• 1887Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian Emperor John IV defeats Italians
• 1905Han Yong-woon [Bongwan, Manhae] (1879-1944) ordained a Monk in Korea
• 19071st federal corrupt election practices law passed
• 1910Heavy rains cause floods in Paris

Born on January 26

• 1613Johann Jakob Wolleb: Composer
• 1667Henricus Zwaardecroon: Governor-General of the Netherlands Indies
• 1708William Hayes: Composer
• 1714Jean B Pigalle: French sculptor (Child with Bird Cage)
• 1715Claude Helvetius: Paris, France -- Philosopher
• 1716George Sackville Germain: 1st Viscount Sackville
• 1722Prestonpans
• 1742Johann Friedrich Ludwig Sievers: Composer
• 1748Emmanuel Aloys Forster: Composer
• 1763Charles XIV: French marshall, King of Sweden and Norway (1818-44)
• 1770Alexander Carlyle: Moderator of General Assembly
• 1771Jacob Andries van Braam: Colonial director (Suriname)
• 1781Achim v Arnim: Writer
• 1781Ludwig Joachim "Achim" von Arnim: German poet (Des Knaben Wunderhorn)
• 1786Benjamin Robert Haydon: Plymouth -- Painter (Waiting for The Times)
• 1814Rufus King: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1876
• 1816Lloyd Tilghman: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1863
• 1826Julia Dent Grant: 1st lady (1862-76)
• 1828Johan T Buys: Dutch lawyer
• 1831Mary Mapes Dodge: NYC, New York -- Writer (Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates)
• 1852Frederick Corder: Composer
• 1852Pierre Brazza: Explorer / colonial administrator (French Africa)
• 1855Arthur Hervey: Composer
• 1871Warner Fabian [Samuel H Adams]: US journalist / writer (Average Jones)
• 1877Kees van Dongen: Netherlands -- French painter
• 1879Ludovicus H [Lode] Baekelmans: Flemish (stage)author (Tille)
• 1884Edward Sapir: Germany -- Linguist / antropologist (indians)
• 1884Roy Chapman Andrews: United States -- Scientist / explorer
• 1886Joannes A Veraart: Dutch economist / MP (Jews of the Netherlands)
• 1887Enrique E Ecker: Bacteriologist

Died on January 26

• 1706Guillaume Poitevin: Composer, dies at 59
• 1795Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach: Composer, dies at 62
• 1798Christian Gottlob Neefe: German Organist / composer, dies at 49
• 1803Georg von Pasterwiz: Composer, dies at 72
• 1824Edward Jenner: Discoverer (vaccination)
• 1850Francis Jeffrey: Baron Jeffrey, judge / literary critic
• 1870Cesare Pugni: Composer, dies at 67
• 1885Charles George Gordon: British Governor-General (Sudan), executed at 51
• 1891Nicholaus Otto: Auto pioneer (internal combustion engine)
• 1893Abner Doubleday: Credit with inventing baseball, dies on 74th birthday
• 1895Arthur Cayley: Mathematician
• 1904John P R Tak: Dutch liberal politician, dies at 64
• 1911Charles Wentworth Dilke: English Undersecretary of State, dies at 67
• 1920Matthias Enzberger: German Minister of finance, murdered
• 1922Luigi Denza: Composer, dies at 75
• 1932William K Wrigley: Owner (Wrigley Gum, Chicago Cubs)
• 1942Gerard L F Philips: Dutch manufacturer (Philips), dies at 83
• 1943Nikolai Vavilov: Geneticist, Saratovv labour camp
• 1947Grace Moore: US soprano / actress (1 Night of Life), dies at 45
• 1947Gustav Adolf: Crown Prince of Sweden, dies in air crash
• 1948Ignaz Friedman: Composer, dies at 65
• 1949Victor Fleming: Director (Wizard of Oz, Gone With Wind), dies at 65
• 1950Betsy van den Arend: Dutch [Betje], actress (Miss Hobbs), dies at 78
• 1952Louis van Deyssel: Dutch writer (Diary of Franc Rozelaar), dies at 87
• 1954Carl J Eldh: Swedish sculptor, dies at 80
• 1962Charles "Lucky" Luciano: NYC Mafia gangster, dies at 65
• 1962Fran Lhotka: Composer, dies at 78
• 1963John Sigvard Olsen: Comedian (Olsen & Johnson), dies at 70
• 1965Ali Mansoer: Premier of Persia, murdered
• 1967Albert Remy: Actor (Blows), dies at 55

Events on Jan 27

• 0672St. Vitalian ends his reign as Catholic Pope
• 0847Sergius II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
• 1302Dante becomes a Florentine political exile
• 1538States of Gelderland accepts Willem van Kleef as Viceroy
• 1556Willem of Orange becomes knight of Guilder Flies
• 1593Vatican opens 7 year trial against Scholar Giordano Bruno
• 16621st American lime kiln begins operation (Providence RI)
• 1671Pirate Henry Morgen lands at Panama City
• 1710Czar Peter the Great sets 1st Russian state budget
• 1736Abdication of Stanislas, last King of Poland
• 17851st US state university chartered - Athens, Georgia
• 1823President Monroe appoints 1st US ambassadors to South America
• 1864Battle of Fair Gardens, Tennessee
• 18701st sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta) (DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana)
• 1870After accepting 15th amendment, VA is readmitted to Union
• 1870Manitoba and Northwest Territories incorporated
• 1880Thomas Edison patents electric incandescent lamp
• 18861st British government of Salisbury resigns
• 1888National Geographic Society organizes (Washington, DC)
• 1891Mine explosion kills 109 at Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
• 18941st college basketball game, University of Chicago beats Chicago YMCA 19-11
• 1894Midwinter Fair opens in Golden Gate Park
• 1896Tasmania bowl out Victoria for 65 for their 1st ever innings victory
• 1897British troops occupy Bida Gold Coast (Ghana)
• 19025 workers killed on explosion during IRT subway construction (NYC)
• 1905Maurice Rouvier forms government in France
• 1906Rudolf Gundersen skates world record 500m at 44.8 seconds
• 1915US Marines occupy Haiti
• 1916Communist party "Spartacus Letters" 1st published in Berlin
• 1917Coen de Koning wins 2nd official 11 cities race (9:53) (record)

Born on Jan 27

• 1546Joachim III Frederick: Elector (Brandenburg)
• 1556Abbas I: "the Great" shah of Persia (1587-1629)
• 1592Pierre de La Barre: Composer
• 1662Richard Bentley: Oulton, United Kingdom -- Scholar / controversialist
• 1679Jean-Francois de Troy: French painter
• 1701Johann N von Hontheim: German church historian / suffragan (Bishop)
• 1715Vaclav Kalous: Composer
• 1720Samuel Foote: England, United Kingdom -- Actor / dramatist (Mirror)
• 1723Johann A Cramer: Prime Minister / poet
• 1775Friedrich von Schelling: Germany -- Philosopher (Views on Christianity)
• 1784Martin-Joseph Mengal: Composer
• 1805Samuel Palmer: London, England -- Painter / etcher (Valley of Vision)
• 1822Thomas Leiper Kane: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1883
• 1823Edouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo: France -- Composer (Symphonie Espagnole)
• 1826Richard Taylor: Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), died in 1879
• 1828Louis Schubert: Composer
• 1828Samuel Allen Rice: Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1864
• 1830Georg Hellmesberger: Composer
• 1830William Henry Fitzhugh Payne: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
• 1834Dmitri Mendeleev: Chemist (discovered periodic table of the elements)
• 1834Robert Sanford Foster: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
• 1836Leopold von Sacher-Masoch: Austrian writer (masochism)
• 1850Samuel Gompers: Dutch / US 1st President (American Federation of Labor)
• 1851Rafael Obligado: Argentina -- Writer (Santos Vega)
• 1859Wilhelm II: Potsdam -- German Emperor (1888-1918)
• 1867Claude Antoine Terrasse: Composer
• 1868Cato Engelen-Sewing: Dutch soprano prima donna (Dutch Opera)
• 1869Will Marion Cook: Composer
• 1872Learned Hand: Albany, New York -- Chief judge (US Court of Appeals)
• 1882Giuseppe Prezzolini: Italy -- Writer (La Voce, La Cultura Italiano)

Died on Jan 27

• 0098Marius Cocceius Nerva: Emperor of Rome (96-98), dies at about 67
• 0672Vitalianus: Pope (657-72) / saint
• 0847Sergius II: Pope (844-47)
• 1164Abraham ibn Ezra: Poet / philosopher
• 1540Angela Merici: Italian Monk / monastery
• 1565Robrecht de Berghes: Prince-bishop of Liege (1557-64)
• 1612Maarten van Valckenborch: Flemish painter, buried at about 77
• 1625Adriaen Valerius: Notary / Netherlands Gedenck-clanck, dies at about 49
• 1629Hieronymus Praetorius: Composer, dies at 68
• 1669Gaspar de Crayer: Flemish painter, dies at 87
• 1699William Temple: Statesman
• 1731Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori: Ital piano builder, dies at 75
• 1763John Theodor of Bavaria: Prince-bishop of Liege / cardinal
• 1802Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg: Composer, dies at 42
• 1814Johann Gottlieb Fichte: Philosopher
• 1814Philip Astley: Theatre manager
• 1816Samuel Hood: 1st Viscount Hood / Admiral
• 1850J Gottfried Schadow: German Sculptor / cartoonist / writer, dies at 85
• 1850Philipp Roth: Composer, dies at 70
• 1851John James Audubon: Conservationist (Audubon Society), dies at 65
• 1851Karl Moser: Composer, dies at 77
• 1857Dorothea von Benckendorff: Baltic Monarch of Lieven, dies at 72
• 1858Gerrit van der Linde Jz: Dutch "Principal", poet, dies at 49
• 1859Carl A Agardh: Swedish Botanist / Bishop of Karlstad, dies at 74
• 1864Franz von Klenze: German Architect (palace Leuchtenberg), dies at 59
• 1866John Gibson: Sculptor
• 1889Ivan S Aksakov: Russian journalist, dies at 65
• 1893James G Blaine: US Minister of Foreign Affairs, dies at 62
• 1904Adam Minchejmer: Composer, dies at 73
• 1928Marie Verstraete: Actress (Frou-Frou / Nora), dies at 74