On This Day

Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.

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» BORN ON THIS DAY
» DIED ON THIS DAY

February 1

February 1

Events on This Day

1896

117 years ago
Operatic composer Giacomo Puccini premieres his La Boheme in Turin, Italy.

Read more at History.com
1978

35 years ago
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski flees to France for fear of imprisonment after pleading guilty to sexual relations with a minor.
1982

31 years ago
Late Night with David Letterman premieres. Today marks Letterman's 30th anniversary on late-night television, tying Johnny Carson's record.
2004

9 years ago
Justin Timberlake rips Janet Jackson's top while performing during the halftime at Super Bowl XXXVIII, causing a "wardrobe malfunction" by exposing her breast.

February 1

Born on This Day

- In these groups:
- Famous Celebrity Couples
- Celebrity Enlistees
- Famous Military Veterans
Clark Gable

Film Actor / 1901 - 1960

Dubbed “King of Hollywood,” Gone with the Wind actor Clark Gable epitomized Hollywood's Golden Age, and was a legend for his on- and off-screen romances.

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Clark Gable
Born: February 1, 1901
Birthplace: Cadiz, Ohio, United States
Occupation: Film Actor
- In these groups:
- Famous Harlem Residents
- African-American Expats
- Famous Black Writers
Langston Hughes

Playwright, Poet / 1902 - 1967

Langston Hughes was an American poet, novelist, and playwright whose African-American themes made him a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.

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Langston Hughes
1902 | 65 years old
Playwright, Poet
- In these groups:
- Mysterious Deaths
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous People Who Died in Accidents
Brandon Lee

Film Actor / 1965 - 1993

Brandon Lee was an action film star and the son of actor Bruce Lee. His untimely death was caused by a prop gun accident and the set of the film The Crow.

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Brandon Lee
1965 | 28 years old
Film Actor
- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Singers
- Famous Songwriters and Composers
Lisa Marie Presley

Songwriter, Singer / 1968 -

Lisa Marie Presley is a singer and actress who is familiar to most as the only daughter of Elvis Presley and the ex-wife of Michael Jackson.

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Lisa Marie Presley
Born: February 1, 1968
Age: 45 years old
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Occupation: Songwriter, Singer
- In these groups:
- Imbibers
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous People Named Boris
Boris Yeltsin

World Leader / 1931 - 2007

Boris Yeltsin was the first freely elected President of Russia. He voluntarily resigned from the post after nine years, leaving the job to Putin.

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Boris Yeltsin
1931 | 76 years old
World Leader
- In these groups:
- AIDS Activists
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Princesses
Princess Stephanie of Monaco

Princess / 1965 -

Known as the 'wild child' of Monaco for her scandalous affairs, Princess Stephanie's diverse career path has included singing, swimwear design and modeling.

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Princess Stephanie of Monaco
1965 | 48 years old
Princess

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February 1

Died on This Day

- In these groups:
- Fright Writers
- Famous Virgoans
- Famous People Named Mary
Mary Shelley

Author / 1797 - 1851

English writer Mary Shelley is best known for her horror novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818). She was married to poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

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Mary Shelley
Died: February 1, 1851
Age: 53 years old
Place: London, England , United Kingdom
Occupation: Author
- In these groups:
- Famous Irish-Americans
- Celebrity Enlistees
- Numerous Nuptials
Buster Keaton

Film Actor, Comedian / 1895 - 1966

Comedian and director Buster Keaton was popular for his pioneering silent comedies in the 1920s.

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Buster Keaton
1966 | 70 years old
Film Actor, Comedian
- In these groups:
- Name Changers
- Famous Geminis
- Famous Actresses
Hedda Hopper

Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1890 - 1966

Hedda Hopper, a woman with amazing hats, was an American gossip columnists during the first half of the 1900s. She was also an actress and radio personality.

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Hedda Hopper
1966 | 75 years old
Film Actress, Theater Actress

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Upcoming Birthdays

- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Illustrators
- Famous Artists
José Guadalupe Posada

Illustrator / 1851 - 1913

José Guadalupe Posada was a printmaker whose works, often expressionistic in content and style, were influential in the development of 20th-century Mexican art.

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José Guadalupe Posada
February 2, 1851
Illustrator
- In these groups:
- Famous Harlem Residents
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Illustrators
Norman Rockwell

Illustrator, Painter / 1894 - 1978

Norman Rockwell illustrated covers for The Saturday Evening Post for 47 years. The public loved his often-humorous depictions of American life.

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Norman Rockwell
February 3, 1894
Painter
- In these groups:
- Famous University of North Carolina Alumni
- Famous People Involved in Sex Scandals
- Athletes Involved in Drug Scandals
Lawrence Taylor

Football Player / 1959 -

American football player Lawrence Taylor was a member of the New York Giants and is considered one of the best linebackers in the history of the game.

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Lawrence Taylor
February 4, 1959
Football Player
- In these groups:
- Celebrity Enlistees
- Famous Military Veterans
- Name Changers
Red Buttons

Film Actor, Theater Actor, Comedian, Television Personality / 1919 - 2006

Actor Red Buttons got his name from the flame-colored hair and uniform as a bellhop. He is best known as a comedian but he had a prolific film career as well.

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Red Buttons
February 5, 1919
Film Actor

Famous Aquarians

- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Engineers
- Famous Chemists
Lisa Perez Jackson

Civil Servant, Engineer, Chemist / 1962 -

Lisa Perez Jackson is a chemical engineer who in 2008 became the first African American to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Lisa Perez Jackson
February 8, 1962
Civil Servant, Engineer, Chemist
- In these groups:
- Fitness Gurus
- Famous Aquarians
- Reality TV Stars
Jillian Michaels

Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star / 1974 -

A high-profile trainer and life coach, Jillian Michaels starred on the reality TV show The Biggest Loser and has created her own fitness franchise.

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Jillian Michaels
February 18, 1974
Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star

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