- 1992 – The U.S. shot down an Iraqi fighter jet during what the Pentagon described as a confrontation between a pair of Iraqi warplanes and U.S. F-16 jets in U.N.-restricted airspace over southern Iraq.
- 1996 – Muslim fundamentalist Taliban forces retook the strategic air base of Bagram, solidifying their buffer zone around Kabul, the Afghanistan capital.
- 1997 – In Northern Ireland, Billy Wright was assassinated. He was imprisoned as a Protestant paramilitary leader.
- 2000 – Mario Lemeiux (Pittsburgh Penguins) returned to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player after over 3 years of retirement. He was the first owner-player in the modern era of pro sports. Lemieux had purchased the Pittsburgh Penguins during his retirement from playing.
- 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush granted China permanent normal trade status with the United States.
- 2002 – North Korea ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to leave the country and said that it would restart a laboratory capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons.
- 2002 – Clonaid announced the birth of the first cloned human baby. The baby had been born December 26.
- 2002 – In Chechnya, at least 40 people were killed when suicide bombers attacked the administartion of Grozny.
- 2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reaches Earth. It is the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.
- 2007 – Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated in a shooting incident.
- 2007 – Riots erupt in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki is declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
- 2008 – Operation Cast Lead: Israel launches 3-week operation on Gaza.
- 2009 – Iranian election protests: On the Day of Ashura in Tehran, Iran, government security forces fire upon demonstrators.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – David Aardsma, American baseball player
- 1981 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- 1981 – Moise Joseph, American-Haitian runner
- 1981 – Patrick Sharp, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1982 – Erin E. Stead, American illustrator
- 1983 – Anthony Boric, New Zealand rugby union player
- 1983 – Cole Hamels, American baseball player
- 1983 – Jesse Williams, American high jumper
- 1984 – Andrejs Perepļotkins, Ukrainian-Latvian footballer
- 1984 – Gilles Simon, French tennis player
- 1985 – Logan Bailly, Belgian footballer
- 1985 – Jérôme d’Ambrosio, Belgian race car driver
- 1985 – Paul Stastny, Canadian-American ice hockey player
- 1985 – Halley Gross, American screenwriter
- 1986 – Torah Bright, Australian snowboarder
- 1986 – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican sprinter
- 1987 – Tim Browne, Australian rugby league player
- 1987 – Lily Cole, English model
- 1988 – Hera Hilmar, Icelandic actress
- 1988 – Zavon Hines, Jamaican-English footballer
- 1988 – Ok Taec-yeon, South Korean singer and actor
- 1988 – Rick Porcello, American baseball player
- 1988 – Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter
- 1989 – Ingrid Várgas Calvo, Peruvian tennis player
- 1990 – Max Lindholm, Finnish figure skater
- 1990 – Milos Raonic, Canadian tennis player
- 1990 – Jon Marchessault, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1991 – Michael Morgan, Australian rugby league player
- 1991 – Danny Wilson, Scottish footballer
- 1992 – Joel Indermitte, Estonian footballer
- 1992 – Maicel Uibo, Estonian decathlete
- 1993 – Olivia Cooke, English actress
- 1995 – Timothée Chalamet, American actor
- 1995 – Nick Chubb, American football player
- 1995 – Mark Lapidus, Estonian chess player
- 1997 – Ana Konjuh, Croatian tennis player