Events
★
41 -
Gaius Caesar (Caligula), known for his
eccentricity and cruel
despotism, is
assassinated by his disgruntled
Praetorian Guards.
Claudius succeeds his nephew.
★
1438 - The
Council of Basel suspends
Pope Eugene IV as
Prelate of
Ethiopia, arrives at
Massawa from
Goa.
★
1679 - King
Charles II of England disbands
Parliament.
★
1742 -
Charles VII Albert becomes
Holy Roman Emperor.
★
1776 -
Henry Knox arrives at
Cambridge, Massachusetts with the artillery that he has transported from
Fort Ticonderoga.
★
1826 -
Mississippi College is founded in
Clinton, becoming the first college in the state of
Mississippi.
★
1848 -
California Gold Rush:
James W. Marshall finds
gold at
Sutter's Mill near
Sacramento.
★
1857 - The
University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first full-fledged university in
south Asia.
★
1859 - Political union of
Moldavia and
Wallachia;
Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler.
★
1878 - The revolutionary
Vera Zasulich shoots at
Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of
Saint Petersburg.
★
1887 -
Battle of Dogali:
Abyssinian troops defeat
Italians.
★
1907 -
Robert Baden-Powell begins the
Boy Scout movement.
★
1916 - In
Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the
Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal
income tax constitutional.
★
1918 - The
Gregorian calendar introduced in
Russia by decree of the
Council of People's Commissars effective from
February 14(NS)
★
1924 - Petrograd, formerly
St. Petersburg,
Russia, is renamed ''Leningrad''.
★
1927 - Director
Alfred Hitchcock releases his first film, ''
The Pleasure Garden'', in
England.
★
1935 - The first cans of beer are sold in the US (Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale).
★
1936 -
Albert Sarraut becomes
Prime Minister of
France
★
1943 -
World War II:
Franklin D. Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill conclude a conference in
Casablanca.
★
1952 -
Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first
Canadian-born
Governor-General of Canada.
★
1966 - An
Air India Boeing 707 jet crashes on
Mont Blanc, on the border between
France and
Italy, killing 117.
★
1972 -
Japanese Sgt.
Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a
Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of
World War II.
★
1977 -
Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the
Spanish transition to democracy.
★
1978 -
Soviet satellite
Cosmos 954 burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering debris over
Canada's Northwest Territories.
★
1984 - The first
Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
★
1986 -
Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 km (50,680 miles) of
Uranus.
★ 1986 -
Wapping dispute. Newspaper workers in London launch ultimately unsuccessful strike against
Rupert Murdoch's
News International.
★
1993 -
Turkish journalist and writer
Uğur Mumcu assassinated by a
car bomb in
Ankara
★
1996 -
Polish Premier Jozef Oleksy resigns amid charges he spied for
Moscow.
★
2003 - The
United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
Births
★
76 -
Hadrian,
Roman Emperor (d.
138)
★
1287 -
Richard Aungerville, English bishop (d.
1345)
★
1444 -
Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d.
1476)
★
1540 -
Edmund Campion, English Jesuit (d.
1581)
★
1638 -
Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet (d.
1706)
★
1670 -
William Congreve, English playwright (d.
1729)
★
1674 -
Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d.
1735)
★
1679 -
Christian Wolff, German philosopher (d.
1754)
★
1705 -
Farinelli, Italian castrato (d.
1782)
★
1712 - King
Frederick II of Prussia (d.
1786)
★
1724 -
Frances Brooke, English writer (d.
1789)
★
1732 -
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d.
1799)
★
1752 -
Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (d.
1832)
★
1754 -
Andrew Ellicott, American surveyor (d.
1820)
★
1763 -
Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, Russian general (d.
1831)
★
1776 -
E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer (d.
1822)
★
1848 -
Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d.
1916)
★
1862 -
Edith Wharton, American writer (d.
1937)
★
1864 -
Marguerite Durand, French feminist leader (d.
1936)
★
1872 -
Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d.
1943)
★
1873 -
Leon Czolgosz, American anarchist, assassin of U.S. President
William McKinley (d.
1901)
★
1888 -
Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d.
1960)
★ 1888 -
Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d.
1958)
★
1891 -
Walter Model, German field marshal (d.
1945)
★
1895 -
Eugen Roth, German writer (d.
1976)
★
1898 -
Cliff Heathcote, American baseball player (d.
1939)
★
1901 -
Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d.
1995)
★
1902 -
E. A. Speiser, American Bible scholar (d.
1965)
★
1905 -
J. Howard Marshall, American billionaire (d.
1995)
★
1907 -
Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician (d.
1999)
★
1909 -
Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (d.
2005)
★ 1909 -
Ann Todd, English actress (d.
1993)
★
1913 -
Norman Dello Joio, American composer
★
1915 -
Robert Motherwell, American painter (d.
1991)
★
1916 -
Jack Brickhouse, American sports broadcaster (d.
1998)
★
1917 -
Ernest Borgnine, American actor
★
1918 -
Oral Roberts, American evangelist
★
1919 -
Coleman Francis, American film director
★
1922 -
Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (d.
2005)
★
1925 -
Maria Tallchief, American ballerina
★
1928 -
Desmond Morris, British anthropologist
★ 1928 -
Michel Serrault, French actor
★
1934 -
Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet (d.
1976)
★
1936 -
Doug Kershaw, American musician
★
1939 -
Ray Stevens, American musician
★
1941 -
Neil Diamond, American singer
★ 1941 -
Aaron Neville, American singer
★
1943 -
Subhash Ghai, Indian film director
★ 1943 -
Sharon Tate, American actress and
Manson murder victim (d.
1969)
★
1944 -
Klaus Nomi, German singer (d.
1983)
★
1945 -
John Garamendi, American politician
★
1946 -
Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
★
1947 -
Warren Zevon, American musician (d.
2003)
★
1949 -
John Belushi, American actor (d.
1982)
★
1950 -
Gerald Brisco, American professional wrestler
★ 1950 -
Benjamin Urrutia, Ecuadorian writer
★ 1950 -
Daniel Auteuil, French actor
★
1951 -
Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-born American comedian
★
1954 -
Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (d.
1986)
★
1956 -
Hanne Krogh, Norwegian singer (
Bobbysocks)
★
1957 -
Adrian Edmondson, British comedian
★
1958 -
Neil Allen, American baseball player
★ 1958 -
Jools Holland, British musician
★
1959 -
Vic Reeves, English comedian
★
1961 -
Nastassja Kinski, German-born actress
★ 1961 -
Vince Russo, American writer
★
1963 -
Martyn Grimley, English field hockey player
★ 1963 -
Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
★
1965 -
Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (d.
2007)
★
1966 -
Jimeoin, Northern Irish comedian
★
1967 -
John Myung, American musician (
Dream Theater)
★ 1967 -
Phil LaMarr, American voice actor
★
1968 -
Michael Kiske, German musician
★ 1968 -
Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
★
1969 -
Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Icelandic actor
★
1970 -
Matthew Lillard, American actor
★
1971 -
Cory Bailey, American baseball player
★
1972 -
Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
★
1974 -
Shii Ann Huang, American game show contestant
★
1975 -
Rónald Gómez, Costa Rican footballer
★
1976 -
Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer with
Victor Kraatz
★
1979 -
Tatyana Ali, American actress
★
1980 -
Nicole Marie Lenz, American actress
★
1981 -
Travis Hanson, American baseball player
★
1983 -
Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
★ 1983 -
Scott Speed, American race car driver
★
1984 -
Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
★
1986 -
Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
★ 1986 -
Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born American actor
★
1989 -
Calvin Goldspink, English singer
Deaths
★
41 -
Caligula,
Emperor of Rome (b.
12)
★
772 -
Pope Stephen III (b.
720)
★
1002 -
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b.
980)
★
1125 -
David IV of Georgia (b.
1073)
★
1366 -
Alfonso IV of Aragon (b.
1299)
★
1376 -
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English military leader
★
1473 -
Conrad Paumann, German composer
★
1595 -
Ferdinand II of Austria (b.
1529)
★
1626 -
Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (b.
1580)
★
1639 -
Georg Jenatsch, Swiss politician (b.
1596)
★
1666 -
Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer (b.
1588)
★
1709 -
George Rooke, English admiral (b.
1650)
★
1769 -
François de Chevert, French general (b.
1695)
★
1856 -
Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir, Polish Hasidic leader (b.
1775)
★
1877 -
Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (b.
1796)
★
1882 -
Levi Boone,
Mayor of Chicago (b.
1808)
★
1883 -
Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b.
1812)
★
1895 -
Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician (b.
1849)
★
1911 -
David Graham Phillips, American journalist and novelist (b.
1867)
★
1920 -
Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b.
1884)
★
1924 -
Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b.
1894)
★
1932 -
Alfred Yarrow, English shipbuilder (b.
1842)
★
1939 -
Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (b.
1867)
★
1943 -
John Burns, English politician (b.
1858)
★
1948 -
Maria Mandel, Camp Leader at Auschwitz (b.
1912)
★ 1948 -
Arthur Liebehenschel, Commandant at Auschwitz concentration camp (b.
1901)
★
1955 -
Ira Hayes, American World War II hero (b.
1923)
★
1960 -
Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b.
1886)
★
1961 -
Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American swimmer and inventor (b.
1884)
★
1962 -
Stanley Lord, captain of the
SS Californian the night of the
Titanic disaster (b.
1877)
★ 1962 -
André Lhote, french painter.
★
1965 -
Winston Churchill, soldier, politician, historian,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and
Nobel laureate (b.
1874)
★
1966 -
Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist (b.
1909)
★
1970 -
Caresse Crosby, American poet (b.
1891)
★
1971 -
Bill W., American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b.
1895)
★
1973 -
J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b.
1897)
★
1975 -
Larry Fine, American actor and comedian (b.
1902)
★
1978 -
Herta Oberheuser, German doctor (b.
1911)
★
1982 -
Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president and dictator (b.
1918)
★
1983 -
George Cukor, American film director (b.
1899)
★
1986 -
L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b.
1911)
★ 1986 -
Flo Hyman, American volleyball player (b.
1954)
★ 1986 -
Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b.
1921)
★
1988 -
Werner Fenchel, German mathematician (b.
1905)
★
1989 -
Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b.
1946)
★ 1989 -
George Knudson, Canadian golfer (b.
1937)
★
1990 -
Madge Bellamy, American actress (b.
1899)
★
1991 -
John M. Kelly, Irish politician and academic (b.
1931)
★
1992 -
Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (b.
1950)
★
1993 -
Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b.
1908)
★
1998 -
Walter D. Edmonds, American author (b.
1903)
★
2000 -
Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b.
1965)
★
2001 -
Les Brown, American band leader (b.
1912)
★
2002 -
Peter Gzowski, Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter (b.
1934)
★
2003 -
Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (b.
1921)
★
2004 -
Leônidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b.
1913)
★
2005 -
June Bronhill, Australian singer (b.
1929)
★ 2005 -
Vladimir Savchenko, Ukrainian writer (b.
1933)
★ 2005 -
Chalkie White, English rugby union coach (b.
1929)
★
2006 -
Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of
The Nicholas Brothers (b.
1914)
★ 2006 -
Schafik Handal, Salvadorean politician
★ 2006 -
Chris Penn, American actor (b.
1965)
★
2006 -
Marija Skalovska, Macedonian opera singer (b.
1929)
★
2007 -
Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b.
1920)
★ 2007 -
Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian politician (b.
1956)
Holidays and observances
★
Roman Empire - first day of the
Sementivae in honor of
Ceres and
Terra
★
Roman Catholic Church -
Feasts of
St. Francis de Sales and
Our Lady of Peace
★
January 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
★ Wales - Saint
Cadoc
External links
★
BBC: On This Day
★
★
On this day in Canada
----