in The Holocaust. December 17 – A circus tent fire in Niterói, Brazil kills 323. December 18 – India opens hostilities in its annexation of Portuguese India, the colonies of Goa, Damao and Diu. December 19 The Portuguese surrender Goa to India, after 400 years of Portuguese rule. Indonesian president Sukarno announces that he will take West Irian by force, if necessary. December 21 – In Congo, Katangan prime minister Moise Tshombe recognizes the Congolese constitution. December 23 – Luxembourg's national holiday, the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, is set on June 23 by Grand Ducal decree. December 30 – Congolese troops capture Albert Kalonji of South Kasai (who soon escapes). December 31 – Ireland's first national television station, Telefís Éireann (later Raidió Teilifís Éireann), begins broadcasting. Births January January 2 Gabrielle Carteris, American actress, and trade union leader Todd Haynes, American film director January 7 – Supriya Pathak, Indian actress January 8 – Calvin Smith, American athlete January 11 Lars-Erik Torph, Swedish rally driver (d. 1989) Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, Austrian politician, noble January 13 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress, producer and comedian January 14 Rob Hall, New Zealand mountaineer (d. 1996) Mike Tramp, Danish rock singer (White Lion) January 15 - Leni Wylliams, African-American dancer/choreographer/master-teacher (d. 1996) January 17 – Maia Chiburdanidze, Georgian chess player January 18 Peter Beardsley, English footballer Mark Messier, Canadian hockey player January 22 Bentong Kali, Malaysian-Tamil criminal and gangster (d. 1993) Daniel Johnston, American singer-songwriter, musician and artist (d. 2019) Shigeru Nakahara, Japanese voice actor January 24 – Guido Buchwald, German footballer January 25 – Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean politician January 26 – Wayne Gretzky, Canadian hockey player January 27 – Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysian politician January 28 – Arnaldur Indriðason, Icelandic writer January 29 – Petra Thümer, German swimmer February February 1 – Volker Fried, German field hockey player February 3 – Jim Balsillie, Canadian CEO and philanthropist February 4 Aleksandr Nikitin, Russian football coach and player (d. 2021) Denis Cyr, Canadian-American ice hockey player and politician February 5 – Flordelis, Brazilian pastor, singer and politician February 6 – Yuko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress February 9 – Jussi Lampi, Finnish musician and actor February 11 – Mary Docter, American speed skater February 12 – David Graeber, American anthropologist, anarchist activist and author (d. 2020) February 13 – Henry Rollins, American musician and activist February 14 – Maria do Carmo Silveira, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe