January 22, 1931

1931Sam Cooke, American singer-songwriter (died 1964)^[†]

Samuel Cooke was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, pioneering contributions to the genre, and significance in popular music. During his eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top 10 of Billboard's Black Singles chart. In 1964, he was shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Los Angeles. After an inquest and investigation, the courts ruled Cooke's death to be a justifiable homicide. His family has since questioned the circumstances of his death. In 2015, Cooke was ranked number 28 in Billboard magazine's list of the "35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time".

1931Galina Zybina, Russian shot putter and javelin thrower (died 2024)^[†]

Galina Ivanovna Zybina was a Soviet and Russian athlete and coach. She competed in the shot put at the 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics and finished in first, second, seventh and third place, respectively; in 1952, she also finished fourth in the javelin throw. Between 1952 and 1956, she set eight consecutive world records and 14 national records in the shot put. In 1953, she became the first woman to throw over 16 meters when she threw 16.20 m.

1931László Batthyány-Strattmann, Hungarian physician and ophthalmologist (born 1870)^[†]

László, 7th Prince Batthyany-Strattmann was a Hungarian aristocrat and physician. Until 1914, he was known as László Batthyány. A devout Catholic, he became known as the "doctor of the poor" and was beatified by the Church in 2003.