On this day
January 5 in literary history
Literary history for January 5: 10 writers born, 11 writers who died and 1 literary events from 1524 to 2017. Born on this day: Jessica Chaffin, Joe Flanigan, László Krasznahorkai.
Writers born on January 5
| Born | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Jessica Chaffin | American actress, comedian, writer and podcaster (born 1974) |
| 1967 | Joe Flanigan | American actor and writer in |
| 1954 | László Krasznahorkai | Hungarian novelist (born 1954) |
| 1948 | Ted Lange | American actor, director and screenwriter (born 1948) |
| 1938 | Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o | Kenyan writer and academic (1938–2025) |
| 1932 | Umberto Eco | Italian semiotician, philosopher and writer (1932–2016) |
| 1926 | W. D. Snodgrass | American poet (1926–2009) |
| 1921 | Friedrich Dürrenmatt | Swiss author and dramatist (1921–1990) |
| 1902 | Stella Gibbons | British writer (1902–1989) |
| 1885 | Humbert Wolfe | Italian-British poet, intellectual and civil servant (1885–1940) |
Writers who died on January 5
| Died | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jill Saward | English campaigner and author |
| 2012 | Frederica Sagor Maas | American playwright, screenwriter and memoirist (1900–2012) |
| 1991 | Vasko Popa | Serbian poet (1922–1991) |
| 1987 | Margaret Laurence | Canadian novelist and short story writer |
| 1978 | Wyatt Emory Cooper | American writer and actor (1927–1978) |
| 1951 | Andrei Platonov | Russian author |
| 1885 | Peter Christen Asbjørnsen | 19th-century Norwegian writer |
| 1883 | Charles Tompson | Australian public servant and poet (1807–1883) |
| 1846 | Alfred Thomas Agate | American painter and botanical illustrator |
| 1713 | Jean Chardin | French-born English traveller and writer (1643–1713) |
| 1524 | Marko Marulić | Croatian national poet and European humanist |
Literary events on January 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1944 | The Daily Mail becomes the first major London newspaper to be published on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. |
Featured
Jessica Chaffin (1974) — Jessica Chaffin is an American actress, comedian, writer and podcaster best known as part of the comedy duo Ronna and Beverly with Jamie Denbo.
Joe Flanigan (1967) — Joe Flanigan is an American writer and actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.
László Krasznahorkai (1954) — László Krasznahorkai is a Hungarian writer, novelist and screenwriter. Krasznahorkai is known for his difficult and demanding novels, often labeled postmodern, which explore dystopian and melancholic themes.
Sources & data
- Compiled from Wikipedia’s “On this day” selections (CC BY-SA 4.0), filtered for writers and literary events.