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What happened in history on this day: January 5?
On January 5 in ...
- 1066 - Edward the Confessor, King of England, names brother-in-law Harold Godwinson as heir.
- 1066 - Edward de Belijder the Confessor, King of England (1043-1066), dies in London at age 62.
- 1066 - Harold Godwinson proclaims himself King of England.
- 1349 - Margaretha of Bavaria names her son Willem V Earl of Holland/Zealand.
- 1387 - Pedro IV king of Aragon/conqueror of Sicily, dies at age 67.
- 1425 - John of Bavaria/Bayern liege of Holland/Zealand/Dordrecht, poisoned.
- 1438 - Pope Eugenius IV deallocated council of Basel to Ferrara.
- 1463 - French poet François Villon banished from Paris.
- 1477 - Battle at Nancy, Burgundy versus Switzerland, 7000+ killed.
- 1477 - Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy/writer, dies at age 43.
- 1500 - Duke Ludovico Sforza's troops reconquer Milan.
- 1524 - Marko Marulic/Marulus/Splichanin/Pecinich Croatian poet, dies at age 73.
- 1531 - Pope Clemens VII forbids English king Henry VIII to re-marry.
- 1548 - Birth of Francisco Suárez Granada Spain, philosopher/theologian.
- 1554 - Great fire in Eindhoven Netherlands.
- 1560 - Birth of William Cobbold composer.
- 1589 - Catherine de' Medici Queen mother of France, dies at age 69.
- 1592 - Birth of Shah Jahan Mughal emperor of India (1628-58), built Taj Mahal.
- 1592 - Willem II Duke of Gulik/Kleef/Gelre, dies at about age 75.
- 1593 - William Louis of Nassau becomes Governor/Viceroy of Drenthe.
- 1595 - Ercole Procaccini Italian painter, dies.
- 1596 - Birth of Henry Lawes English composer.
- 1603 - Pieter Adriaansz van der Werff mayor of Lead, dies at age 73.
- 1620 - Birth of Miklós Zrínyi Hungarian poet/writer (The Peril of Sziget).
- 1638 - Petition in Recife Brazil leads to closing of their two synagogues.
- 1642 - King Charles of England orders impeachment of "The Five Members" of Commons leaders: John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Rolles, Sir Arthur Haslerigg, William Strode, and Lord Viscount Mandeville.
- 1642 - King Charles with over 100 soldiers enters English parliament to arrest five members, but they are not there. Charles is the first monarch since Henry VIII to enter the House of Commons by force.
- 1655 - Birth of John Coney; first Colonial engraver of American paper money.
- 1675 - Battle at Turkheim (Colmar): French army beats Brandenburg.
- 1679 - Birth of Pietro Filippo Scarlotti composer.
- 1684 - Claude Audran II French painter/engraver, dies at age 44.
- 1709 - Sudden extreme cold kills 1000s of Europeans.
- 1717 - Prussian King Frederik Willem I buys conscript for nobles.
- 1719 - England/Hannover/Saxony-Poland/Austria sign anti-Prussian/Russian pact.
- 1757 - Failed assassination attempt on French king Louis XV by Damiens.
- 1759 - Birth of Jacques Cathelineau French royalist/army leader.
- 1759 - Thomas-Philippe et de Boussu South Netherlands cardinal, dies at age 79.
- 1762 - Elisabeth Petrovna tsarina of Russia (1741-62), dies at about age 52.
- 1769 - Birth of Jean Baptiste Say French economist (Political Economics).
- 1776 - Assembly of New Hampshire adopts its first state constitution.
- 1779 - Birth of Stephen Decatur; US naval hero (War of 1812).
- 1779 - Birth of Zebulon Montgomery Pike; explorer (Pike's Peak).
- 1780 - Birth of Claire; countess of Rémusat/Vergennes/French author (Salon).
- 1781 - British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia, USA.
- 1787 - Birth of John Burke; Irish genealogist (Burke's Peerage).
- 1796 - Death of Samuel Huntington at age 64; US judge, signed Declaration of Independence.
- 1799 - Death of Mohammed Esad Galib Dede at about age 41; Turkish poet (Hüsn-ü asjk).
- 1804 - Ohio legislature passes first laws restricting free blacks movement.
- 1806 - Birth of Andre H C van Hasselt; Belgian poet ("La Belgium").
- 1807 - Death of Michel Adanson at age 79; French biologist (Plant classes).
- 1809 - Treaty of Dardanelles concluded between Britain and France.
- 1811 - Birth of Cyrus Hamlin; educator/missionary (established Robert College, Turkey).
- 1813 - Birth of Thomas Neville Waul; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1903).
- 1822 - Birth of Joseph Brevard Kershaw; Major General (Confederate Army) (dies 1894).
- 1822 - Central America proclaims annexation to Mexican Empire.
- 1827 - Frederick of York, English duke/bishop/General, dies at age 63.
- 1828 - Birth of August Valentine Kautz; US Brevet Major General (US Army) (dies 1895).
- 1834 - Kiowa Indians record this as the night the stars fell.
- 1840 - Birth of John Doby Kennedy; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1896).
- 1841 - James Clark Ross (United Kingdom) is first to enter pack ice near Ross Ice Shelf.
- 1843 - In Marked Tree, Arkansas, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurs. Strongest to occur in the region since the 1811-12 sequence. Damage severe at Memphis, Tennessee; the earth sinks in places near New Madrid, Missouri.
- 1846 - Birth of Rudolf Christoph Eucken in Aurich, Germany; philosopher, awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1908.
- 1848 - Birth of Khristo Botev in Bulgaria; hero of Bulgarian revolt against Turkey, poet (dies 1876).
- 1854 - Steamship San Francisco is wrecked; 300 die.
- 1855 - Birth of King Camp Gillette; inventor (safety razor).
- 1858 - Birth of Gustaf af Geijerstam; Swedish author (Boken om Lillebror).
- 1858 - Johann Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian earl/field marshal, dies at age 91.
- 1859 - First steamboat sails, Red River.
- 1859 - Birth of DeWitt B Brace; inventor (spectrophotometer).
- 1861 - 250 Federal troops are sent from New York to Fort Sumter.
- 1861 - Alabama troops seize Forts Morgan and Gaines at Mobile Bay.
- 1874 - Birth of Joseph Erlanger; doctor (shock therapy-Nobel Prize 1944).
- 1875 - President Ulysses Grant sends federal troops to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
- 1876 - Konrad Adenauer is born in Cologne, Germany; Oberburgermeister of Cologne, first chancellor of the new Federal Republic of Germany (1949-1963).
- 1887 - First US school of librarianship opens at Columbia University.
- 1890 - Birth of Cora Witherspoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; actress (Bank Dick).
- 1891 - Birth of Johan Boskamp; Dutch actor/singer (Potasch and Perlemoer).
- 1891 - Guillaume L Baud, Dutch minister of Colonies (1848-49), dies at age 89.
- 1892 - First successful auroral photograph made.
- 1892 - Birth of Francesca Bertini in Florence, Italy; actress (Odette, Assunta Spina).
- 1893 - Birth of Friedrich Blume; German musicologist (Das Rassenproblem in der Musik).
- 1895 - French Captain Alfred Dreyfus, convicted of treason, publicly stripped of his rank; later declared innocent.
- 1896 - Birth of Hendrik Algra; Dutch Member of Parliament (ARP).
- 1897 - Birth of Jack Wagner in Ohio, USA; actor (Jive Junction).
- 1897 - Birth of Theo Mackeben; German pianist/composer (Lady Fanny, Bel Ami).
- 1899 - Birth of Albert van Dalsum; Dutch actor/director (Little Rascal).
- 1901 - Birth of Mario Scelba; premier of Italy (1954-55).
- 1902 - Birth of Dorothea "Stella" Gibbons; English author (Cold Comfort Farm).
- 1902 - Birth of Hubert Beuve-Méry; French newspaper publisher (Le Monde (The Voice)).
- 1903 - San Francisco-Hawaii telegraph cable opens for public use.
- 1904 - -34 degrees F (-36.7 degrees C), River Vale, New Jersey (state record low).
- 1904 - -42 degrees F (-41.1 degrees C), Smethport, Pennsylvania (state record low).
- 1904 - England beats Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rhodes 7-56 and 8-68.
- 1904 - Karl A von Zittel, German geologist/paleontologist (Libya), dies at age 64.
- 1905 - Birth of László Papp in Hungary; middleweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956).
- 1905 - Charles Perrine announces discovery of Jupiter's 7th satellite, Elara.
- 1905 - US National Association of Audubon Society incorporates.
- 1907 - Birth of Anton Ingolic; Slavic author (After Splavih, After Prelomu).
- 1908 - Birth of George Dolenz in Trieste, Italy; actor (A Bullet for Joey, The Count of Monte Cristo TV series).
- 1909 - Birth of Jean-Pierre Aumont in Paris, France; actor (Count of Monte Cristo, Cat and Mouse, Happy Hooker).
- 1909 - Birth of Stephen Cole Kleene; mathematician (Regular Expressions).
- 1909 - Colombia recognizes Panamá's independence.
- 1911 - Portuguese expel Jesuits.
- 1912 - First National Hockey Association game (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada).
- 1912 - Birth of Frank Pace Junior; US Secretary of Army (1950-53).
- 1914 - Birth of George Keefer Brewer AKA George Bessolo AKA George Reeves in Woolstock, Iowa, USA; actor (Superman - The Adventures of Superman, Stuart Tarleton - Gone With the Wind, Sergeant Maylon Stark - From Here To Eternity, The Silver Theatre, Suspense, Kraft TV Theatre).
- 1914 - James Cox of Ford Motor Company announces wages will jump from $2.40/9-hour day to $5.00/8-hour day.
- 1916 - Austria-Hungary offensive against Montenegro.
- 1917 - Birth of Darah Jane Mayfield AKA Jane Wyman in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA; first Mrs Ronald Reagan, singer/dancer/actress (Magnificent Obsession, Johnny Belinda (Best Actress Academy Award), Angela Channing - Falcon Crest) (dies 2007).
- 1918 - Birth of Jeanne Dixon in Medford, Wisconsin, USA; psychic (Gift of Prophecy).
- 1918 - British premier Lloyd George makes demand for unified peace.
- 1919 - German Farmers Party forms in Germany (later the National Socialist Party).
- 1919 - The insurrection of the communist Spartakus group in Berlin, Germany, begins.
- 1920 - Birth of Mohammad Aslam Khokhar; cricket player (Pakistani bat scored 16 and 18 in only test).
- 1921 - Birth of Friedrich Dürrenmatt in Konolfinger, Switzerland; playwright/novelist: Romulus der Große (1949), Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi (1952), Der Besuch der alten Dame (1956) and Die Physiker (1952).
- 1921 - Birth of Jean d'Aviano; grand duke of Luxembourg (1964-).
- 1922 - Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer (Endurance), dies aboard his ship at age 47.
- 1923 - Birth of Robert L Bernstein in New York City, New York, USA; publisher (Random House).
- 1923 - Birth of Sam Phillips in rural Alabama, USA; musician, Sun Records company founder (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins).
- 1925 - Birth of Wolf Morris; actor (Decoy).
- 1925 - French Baseball Federation awards silver medals to John McGraw, Charlie Comiskey, and Hugh Jennings.
- 1925 - Under Polish control, Danzig establishes Port Gdansk post office.
- 1926 - Birth of Claude (Buddy) Young; NFL running back (New York Yankees, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts).
- 1926 - Birth of Robert Earle in Baldwin, New York, USA; TV host (GE College Bowl).
- 1927 - Judge Landis begins 3-day public hearing on charges that four games played between Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in 1917 had been thrown to Chicago.
- 1928 - Birth of Imtiaz Ahmed; cricket player (Pakistan wicket-keeper in 41 Tests 1952-62).
- 1928 - Birth of Walter Fritz Mondale; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Minnesota), 42nd Vice President (1977-81).
- 1928 - Birth of Zulfikar Ali Khan Bhutto; President/Premier (Pakistan).
- 1929 - Birth of Wilbert Harrison in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; singer ("Kansas City" (1959)).
- 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia.
- 1930 - Birth of Edward Galven Givens Junior in Quanah, Texas, USA; Major US Air Force/astronaut.
- 1930 - Birth of Richard Hayes in Passaic, New Jersey, USA; singer/emcee (Name That Tune, All About Faces, Supermarket Sweep).
- 1930 - Mao Tse-tung writes "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire".
- 1931 - Birth of Alfred Brendel in Wiesenberg, Austria; one of the leading pianists of the world.
- 1931 - Birth of Alvin Ailey; American choreographer (American Dance Theater) (dies 1989).
- 1931 - Birth of Robert Duvall in San Diego, California, USA; American actor and director (Broken Trail, Lonesome Dove, The Godfather, Great Santini, Taxi Driver).
- 1931 - Birth of Walter Davis; American running high jumper (Olympics-gold-1952).
- 1932 - Birth of Chuck Noll in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL coach (Pittsburgh Steelers).
- 1932 - Birth of Raïsa Maximovna Titorenko Gorbachev; Russia's first lady (1982-1991).
- 1932 - Birth of Umberto Eco; author (Name of the Rose).
- 1933 - French liner L'Atlantique (42,500 tons) burns out in the English Channel, with no passengers, en route to Le Havre. The ship is a total write-off.
- 1933 - Calvin Coolidge, 30th President (1923-29), dies in Northampton, Massachusetts at age 60.
- 1933 - Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge between San Francisco and Marin County, California. Workers begin excavating for the structure's anchorages.
- 1934 - Fenway Park catches fire for second time (May 8th 1926 also).
- 1934 - National and American baseball leagues select a uniform ball.
- 1935 - Birth of Nancy L Johnson; American politician (Representative-Republican-Connecticut, 1983-).
- 1936 - Ramón M del Valle-Inclán, playwright (Tirano banderas), dies at age 66.
- 1937 - Fingleton and Donald Bradman make record stand of 346 for 6th wicket.
- 1937 - Only unicameral state legislature in US opens first session (Nebraska).
- 1938 - Birth of Edwin Elliason in Washington, USA; archer (Olympics-1992).
- 1938 - Birth of Jim Otto; NFL center (Oakland Raiders).
- 1938 - Birth of Juan Carlos I; king of Spain (1975-).
- 1938 - Birth of Leo Avery; abbot of Quarr.
- 1939 - Birth of Bridget Parker in England; equestrian three day event (Olympics-gold-1972).
- 1939 - Felix Frankfurter is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Frankfurter had been born in Vienna, Austria and immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age 12.
- 1940 - Birth of Dany Saval in Oakland, California, USA; actress (Boeing Boeing, Moon Pilot).
- 1940 - US Federal Communications Commission hears first transmission of FM radio with clear, static-free signal.
- 1940 - Finnish offensive at Suomossalmi against Russia.
- 1941 - Birth of Bob Cunis; cricket player (New Zealand pace bowler of the late 1960s).
- 1941 - Birth of Grady Thomas; American rock vocalist (Parliaments, Funkadelic, Maggot Brain).
- 1941 - Birth of Mansur Ali Khan; cricket player (Nawab of Pataudi, Indian batsman and captain).
- 1941 - British/Australian troops conquer Bardia Lybia.
- 1942 - 55 German tanks reach North-Africa.
- 1942 - Birth of Charlie Rose in Henderson, North Carolina, USA; newscaster (CBS Night Watch).
- 1942 - Birth of Cliff Potts in Glendale, California, USA; actor (Ted - "Lou Grant").
- 1942 - Birth of Eusebio de Silva Ferreira; Mozambique/Portugal soccer star (Europa Cup 1 1962).
- 1942 - Yves Paringaux, French chief of staff, is murdered.
- 1943 - George Washington Carver, famous black American agricultural scientist, dies at age 81.
- 1943 - William H Hastie, civilian aide to secretary of war, resigns to protest segregation in armed forces.
- 1944 - Birth of Felix Arons; Dutch director/actor (Waaldrecht).
- 1945 - Birth of Sam Wyche; NFL coach (Cincinnati Bengals).
- 1945 - Dezsö Szabó, Hungarian writer (Wiped-out Village), dies at age 65.
- 1945 - Surprise attack on Liese-Aktion office on Marnix Street, Amsterdam.
- 1946 - Show Boat opens at Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, New York for 417 performances.
- 1946 - The US resumes diplomatic relationships with Siam.
- 1946 - Birth of Diane Keaton in Louisiana, USA; director, actress (Annie Hall, Little Drummer Girl, Northern Lights, Amelia Earhart:Final Flight, The Godfather).
- 1947 - Birth of Michael DeWine; American politician (Representative-Republican-Ohio, 1983-).
- 1948 - Birth of Parthasarathy Sharma; cricket player (Indian batsman of the mid-1970s).
- 1948 - Birth of Ted Lange in Oakland, California, USA; (Isaac - The Love Boat TV show, Mr T and Tina TV show).
- 1949 - Birth of George Brown; rock drummer (Kool and the Gang - "Celebration").
- 1949 - General Spoor orders cease-fire on Sumatra.
- 1949 - US President Harry S Truman labels his administration the "Fair Deal".
- 1950 - Birth of Chris Stein in Brooklyn, New York, USA; rock guitarist (Blondie - "Heart of Glass", "Call Me").
- 1951 - Andrei P Platonov, Russian author (Prok, Kotlovan), dies at age 51.
- 1951 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Ponte Vedra Beach Women's Golf Open.
- 1952 - Nawab of Pataudi, cricket player (play polo three Tests for England three for India), dies.
- 1952 - Victor Alexander John Hope, viceroy of India (1936-43), dies at age 64.
- 1953 - Birth of Pamela Sue Martin in Westport, Connecticut, USA; actress (Nancy Drew, Fallon - Dynasty).
- 1953 - Passenger ships Willem Ruys and Orange collide in the Red Sea.
- 1954 - Birth of Bryan Hitt; rocker (REO Speedwagon - "Keep on Loving You").
- 1956 - Jeanne F Bourgeois, French head mistress (Moulin Rouge), dies at age 84.
- 1957 - Birth of Vincent Calloway in Kentucky, USA; trumpet player (Midnight Star - "No Parking").
- 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson retires rather than be traded to New York Giants.
- 1957 - US President Dwight Eisenhower asks Congress to send troops to the Middle East.
- 1958 - Birth of Suzy Amis in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; actress (Blame it on Rio, Where the Heart Is).
- 1959 - Bozo the Clown live children's show premieres on TV.
- 1959 - Buddy Holly releases his last record "It Doesn't Matter".
- 1959 - Birth of Clancy Brown; actor/voice actor (SpongeBob SquarePants, Justice League, Carnivale).
- 1960 - Continental League, a proposed third major baseball league, gets an assurance of congressional support from New York Senator Kenneth Keating.
- 1960 - Donald Knight, cricket player (54 runs in two Tests for England 1921), dies.
- 1961 - Birth of Curt Bader in Bloomfield, Iowa, USA; sprint kayak (Olympics-1996).
- 1961 - US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba.
- 1962 - Birth of Brendon Kuruppu; cricket player (Sri Lankan batsman, 201 debut versus New Zealand 1987).
- 1962 - Birth of Danny Jackson; US baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Saint Louis Cardinals).
- 1962 - Birth of Donald John Cowie in Auckland, New Zealand; yachting Star class (Olympics-1996).
- 1962 - Birth of Joel Wyner; actor/director (Lyle Springer - Sirens, Listen, Club).
- 1963 - Camelot closes at Majestic Theater in New York City, New York after 873 performances.
- 1963 - Carnival! closes at Imperial Theater in New York City, New York after 719 performances.
- 1963 - Birth of Jeff Fassero in Springfield, Illinois, USA; pitcher (Montreal Expos).
- 1963 - Birth of Rick Ambrose; singer (Jewel).
- 1963 - San Diego Chargers beat Boston Patriots 51-10 in AFL championship game.
- 1964 - Birth of John Erickson in Woodland Hills, California, USA; golfer (1991 Windsor Charity).
- 1964 - Birth of Ted Harris Poley in Englewood, New Jersey, USA; rocker (Danger Danger - "Screw It").
- 1964 - Birth of Tracy Ham; Canadian Football League quarterback (Montreal Alouettes).
- 1964 - Pope Paul VI visits Jordan and Israel.
- 1964 - San Diego Chargers win AFL-championship.
- 1965 - Birth of Rick Tuten; NFL punter (Seattle Seahawks).
- 1965 - Neil Craig, actor (Calling Dr Kildare), dies at age 73.
- 1966 - Birth of Kate Schellenbach; musician (Luscious Jackson).
- 1966 - Birth of Renaldo Turnbull; NFL defensive end (New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers).
- 1966 - George Duckworth; cricket player (24 Tests for England, ct 45 stp 15), dies.
- 1967 - Birth of Chris Nabholz; US baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox).
- 1967 - Birth of J B Brown; NFL cornerback (Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers).
- 1967 - Birth of Ray Crockett; NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII).
- 1967 - Birth of Ricky Paull Goldin in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (Doug - Hail to the Chief, Another World).
- 1968 - Birth of Carl Evans; actor (Guiding Light).
- 1968 - Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (Utah Jazz).
- 1968 - Birth of Jean Zedlitz in Stockton, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Children's Med-14th).
- 1968 - Birth of Joe Juneau in Pont-Rouge, Québec, Canada; NHL center (Washington Capitals).
- 1968 - Birth of Leila Meskhi in Tbilisi, Georgia; tennis star (1995 Hobart).
- 1968 - Dr Benjamin Spock indicted for conspiring to violate draft law.
- 1968 - Dubcek succeeds President Novotny as party leader of Czechoslovakia.
- 1968 - Jean Murat, actor (On the Riviera), dies at age 79.
- 1969 - Birth of David Dixon; NFL guard (Minnesota Vikings).
- 1969 - Birth of Derrick Ned; NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints).
- 1969 - Birth of Kurt Barber; NFL defensive end (New York Jets).
- 1969 - Bollingen prize for poetry presented to John Berryman and Karl Shapiro.
- 1969 - Franz T Csokor, Austria author (Gottes General), dies at age 83.
- 1969 - Neville Williams' Chronology of the Expanding World completed.
- 1969 - Birth of Heather Paige Kent; actress (That's Life, Stark Raving Mad).
- 1969 - Tom Aherne, actor (Hustler, April Fools), dies of influenza in New York.
- 1969 - USSR Venera 5 launched for first successful planet landing (Venus).
- 1970 - 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike.
- 1970 - Birth of James Patton; NFL defensive end (Buffalo Bills).
- 1970 - Joseph A Yablonski, candidate for United Mine Workers president, murdered.
- 1970 - Death of Max Born in Gottingen, Germany; Nobel Prize for Physics in 1954, professor of physics.
- 1970 - ABC debuts daytime TV drama All My Children.
- 1971 - First one-day international, Australia versus England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- 1971 - Birth of Eric Smith; NFL/WLAF wide receiver (Chicago Bears, Scotland Claymores).
- 1971 - Birth of Hillary Butler; WLAF linebacker (Frankfurt Galaxy).
- 1971 - Birth of Jason Bates in Downey, California, USA; infielder (Colorado Rockies).
- 1971 - Harlem Globetrotters lose 100-99 to New Jersey Reds, ending 2,495-game win streak.
- 1971 - Sonny Liston, American World Champ heavyweight boxer (1962-64), found dead at age 36.
- 1971 - ABC debuts 60-minute TV series Alias Smith and Jones.
- 1972 - Birth of Joseph Patton; NFL guard (Washington Redskins).
- 1972 - Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers versus Los Angeles Lakers-11,178).
- 1972 - US President Richard Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on manned shuttle.
- 1972 - West-Pakistani sheik Mujib ur-Rahman freed.
- 1973 - Cornelis van Dis, Dutch Member of Parliament (SGP), dies at age 79.
- 1973 - Mali and Niger break diplomatic relations with Israel.
- 1973 - Netherlands recognizes German Democratic Republic.
- 1974 - Birth of Calvin Collins; center/guard (Atlanta Falcons).
- 1974 - Birth of John Drew in Nichols, Oklahoma; rocker (PC Quest - "Can You See").
- 1974 - Birth of Michelle Scerri in Melbourne, Australia; golfer (1995 Tasmanian).
- 1974 - In Vanda Station, Scott Coast, an Antarctican record hot temperature of 59 degrees F is recorded.
- 1974 - Death of Roy Bargy at age 79; bandleader, musical director (Jimmy Durante Show radio show).
- 1975 - Charlie Smalls' play The Wiz opens at the Majestic Theater in New York City, New York for 1672 performances.
- 1975 - British freighter Lake Illawarra rams pylon bridge between Derwent and Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; ship sinks, killing 14.
- 1975 - Birth of Warrick Dunn; running back (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
- 1975 - Don Wilson, Houston Astros' pitcher, dies at age 29 of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- 1976 - MacNeil-Lehrer Report premieres on PBS.
- 1976 - Cambodia is renamed Democratic Kampuchea.
- 1976 - Greg Chappell scores 182* at Sydney Cricket Ground against West Indies.
- 1977 - Kenya President Jomo Kenyatta disbands parliament.
- 1977 - Onslow Stevens, actor (Mr Fisher - This is the Life), dies at age 74.
- 1978 - Bülent Ecevit, of CHP forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government).
- 1978 - Birth of January Jones; actress (Mad Men, Huff).
- 1979 - Birth of Sarah Price; Miss Louisiana Teen-USA (1997).
- 1980 - Birth of Garette Patrick Ratliff; actor (Return to Blue Lagoon).
- 1981 - Harold C Urey, American chemist (Deuterium, Nobel Prize 1934), dies at age 87 (born 1893).
- 1981 - Paul Félix, Flemish architect (Song of the Sun), dies at age 67.
- 1982 - Arkansas judge rules against obligatory teaching of creation.
- 1982 - Death of Hans Conried at age 64 of a heart ailment; actor (Professor Kropotkin - My Friend Irma radio show, The Bullwinkle Show, Uncle Toonoose - Make Room for Daddy TV show).
- 1982 - Death of Harvey Lembeck of a heart attack at age 56; actor (Bilko, The Hathaways).
- 1984 - Greg Chappell scores 182 in his last Test innings.
- 1984 - Adrian Dantly (Utah Jazz), ties NBA record of 28 free throws.
- 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Commodore International unveils the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. It functions as three computers in one: a complete Commodore 64, a CP/M mode, and a new 128 kB mode. It features a 8502 processor, Z80 processor, 128 kB RAM, and ROM cartridge port. Price is US$300.
- 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Atari introduces the Atari 520ST computer. It features 512 kB RAM, 192 kB ROM including Digital Research's GEM operating system, 640x400 monochrome or 320x200 16-color graphics from a palette of 512 colors, 32 kB screen RAM, MIDI interface, and mouse. Price is US$599.
- 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nintendo first shows the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US.
- 1987 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan undergoes prostate surgery, causing speculation about his physical fitness to continue in office.
- 1988 - "Pistol Pete" Mavarich, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), dies of a heart attack at age 40 (born 1947).
- 1989 - Major League Baseball signs US$400 million with ESPN, to show 175 games in 1990.
- 1990 - Death of Arthur Kennedy of a brain tumor at age 76; character actor (Air Force, Playhouse 90, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Ford Television Theatre, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour).
- 1990 - J Donald Crump appointed 8th Commissioner of Canadian Football League.
- 1991 - Edwin Jongejans of Netherlands wins 1-metre springboard diving title.
- 1991 - John Eckhardt, actor born without legs (Freaks), dies at age 82.
- 1991 - Kevin Bradshaw of US International scores NCAA Division 1 record 72 points.
- 1991 - Marie Madeline Sullivan, actress (Elvira Mistress of Dark), dies at age 80.
- 1991 - Vasko Popa, Serbian WWII-partisan/poet (Sporedno Nebo), dies at age 68 (born 1922).
- 1992 - Ravi Shastri scores 206 at Sydney Cricket Ground before being Warne's first cricket Test wicket.
- 1993 - Brian Lara completes 277 versus Australia at cricket Sydney Cricket Ground.
- 1993 - Henk Knol, Suriname Member of Parliament (PvdA), dies at age 61.
- 1993 - Juan Benet, Goitia Spanish writer (Herrumbrosas Lanzas), dies at age 65.
- 1993 - Klaas Wiersma, Dutch Secretary of Justice (VVD), dies.
- 1993 - Nyamuisi Muvingi, Zaire minister of Culture, is murdered.
- 1993 - Reggie Jackson is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1993 - Ronnie Welsh, actor (Patterns), dies of brain cancer at age 52.
- 1993 - Liberian-registered oil tanker MV Braer hits rocks on the coast of northern Scotland's Shetland Islands, pouring out up to 98 million litres of crude oil in a 40km slick up the coast.
- 1993 - In the USA, the state of Washington executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (the first legal hanging in America since 1965).
- 1994 - Aleksandr Popov swims world record 100m free style (47.82).
- 1994 - Death of Brian Johnston; British cricket player, BBC Radio commentator for 40 years.
- 1994 - Louis R J Ridder van Rappard, Dutch mayor of Zoelen, dies at age 87.
- 1994 - Thomas P "Tip" O'Neill, American politician (Democrat-Massachusetts)/Speaker of House (1977-86), dies of cancer at age 81 (born 1912).
- 1994 - Yat Weiju swims world record 100m butterfly stroke (58.71).
- 1995 - Francis Lopez, French dentist/operetta composer (Andalousie), dies at age 78.
- 1995 - Lockheed C-140 Jetstar crashes at Isfahan Persia, 18 killed.
- 1995 - Mansour Satari, Brigadier General/commandant (Iran Air Force), dies at age 46.
- 1995 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian Liberation Organization bomb maker, is killed by booby-trapped cellular phone at age 28.
- 1996 - Miami Dolphins' coach Don Shula announces his retirement.
- 1996 - Muralitharan no-balled for throwing in ODI versus West Indies at the Gabba.
- 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone.
- 1996 - Tenor Richard Versalle dies onstage at New York's Metropolitan Opera of a heart attack and 20-foot fall at age 63. His last line in the performance of Janacek's The Makropulos Case was: "Too bad you can only live so long".
- 1996 - German physicist Walter Oelert succeeds in creating antimatter atoms at the CERN Research Center.
- 1997 - Prince Bertil dies, in Stockholm, Sweden, at age 84.
- 1998 - Ice storm knocks out electricity in Québec and Ontario, Canada.
- 1998 - The CBS TV network debuts the Style and Substance TV show.
- 1998 - Death of Sonny Bono at age 62, from head injuries after hitting a tree while skiing; politician (mayor - Palm Springs California, Representative - California), singer/songwriter (Sonny and Cher - "I Got You Babe", "Baby Don't Go", "The Beat Goes On", The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour TV show).
- 1998 - Vandals decapitate Copenhagen's Little Mermaid statute.
- 2000 - Steve Jobs announces that he is accepting the position as full-time CEO of Apple Computer.
- 2002 - Charles Bishop, a 15 year-old student pilot, crashes a light aircraft into a Tampa, Florida building.
- 2003 - Two suicide bombers explode in south Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 22, injuring over 100.
- 2003 - Death of Ray Jenkins at age 82; British political reformist, former home secretary, chancellor of the exchequer, president of the European Commission, author of 19 books.
- 2004 - Apple Computer introduces the iPod mini music player. Colors available are silver, blue, green, pink, and gold anodized aluminum. Each comes with 4 GB RAM and FireWire port. Price is US$249; weight is 3.6 ounces; size is 3.6 x 2 x 0.5 inches.
- 2006 - A hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia collapses, killing 76 pilgrims visiting to perform hajj.
- 2007 - Taiwan High Speed Rail opens between Taipei and Kaohsiung.
- 2007 - In Somalia, the first shots are fired in the battle for control of the border town of Ras Kamboni.
- 2008 - Georgia presidential election: 52 percent vote for Mikhail Saakashvili.
- 2009 - Canada beats Sweden 5-1 to win gold in the world junior hockey championships. This is Canada's fifth straight championship, and its 15th gold, matching Russia/Soviet Union for the all-time lead.
- 2009 - Free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley reaches terms on a three-year, US$30 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
- 2009 - The new US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, opens. The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, where about 1,200 staff will live and work.
- 2009 - German billionaire Adolf Merckle commits suicide at age 74, stepping in front of a train in Germany.
- 2010 - At the World Junior Hockey final in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, team USA beats team Canada 6-5 in overtime.
- 2011 - (to January 9) In Tampa, Florida, Heritage Numismatic Auctions conducts coin auctions at the FUN convention. Some highlights:
- USA 1907 Indian Head, Rolled Edge gold $10, PR-67 NGC: $2,185,000;
- USA 1909-O Indian Head gold $5, MS-66 PCGS: $690,000.
- 2019 - Bartholomew I of Constantinople issues a formal decree granting independence to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from the Russian Orthodox Church.
- 2020 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces the deployment of Turkish troops to Libya on behalf of the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord.
- 2020 - Death of Anri Jergenia, 4th Prime Minister of Abkhazia (born 1941).
- 2021 - Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia ends the 3+ year rift with Qatar.
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