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What happened in history on this day: January 20?
On January 20 in ...
- 250 - Saint Fabian dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope (236-50).
- 820 - Abu Abdallah M ibn Idris al-Sjafi'i, Islamic (Book of Mother), dies.
- 820 - The Book of Mother is published.
- 842 - Theophilus, Byzantine kaiser (829-42), dies.
- 882 - Louis II/III the Younger, German king (876-82), dies.
- 1045 - Giovanni di Sabina elected Pope Sylvester III.
- 1265 - First English Parliament called into session by Earl of Leicester.
- 1320 - Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland.
- 1356 - Scottish king Edward Baliol resigns.
- 1488 - Birth of Sebastian Münster in Ingelheim, Germany; professor of Hebrew at the University of Basel, author (Cosmography).
- 1503 - Casa Contratacion (Board of Trade) found (Spain) to deal with American affairs.
- 1513 - Christian II succeeds Johan I as Danish/Norwegian king.
- 1555 - Medieval heresy laws are revived in England; Protestant heretics face burning at the stake.
- 1569 - Miles Coverdale English bible translator Great bible, dies at age 80.
- 1586 - Birth of Johann Hermann Schein in Grünhain; composer of sacred and secular music (Fontana d'Israel), introduced Italian Baroque style into German music, cantor at the Church of Saint Thomas in Leipzig.
- 1612 - Death of Rudolf II von Habsburg at age 59; emperor of Germany (1576-1612), king of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1613 - The Peace of Knäred is signed between Sweden and Denmark in Halland, mediated by King James I of England. Kalmar is retured to Sweden, but Denmark retains the fortress of Älvborg and Göteborg at the mouth of the Göta river for six years or until one million riksdaler (25,000kg silver) is paid. Sweden surrenders claims to the far north of Norway.
- 1622 - Birth of Susanna van Baerle Dutch poet/wife of Geeraert Burns.
- 1639 - Mustapha I sultan of Turkey (1622-23), dies.
- 1648 - Cornerstone of Amsterdam town hall laid.
- 1649 - Trial of King Charles of England begins, in Westminster Hall. English Parliament charges the King with treason.
- 1654 - Birth of Michiel de Swaen South Netherlands physician/poet.
- 1666 - Anna of Austria queen of France/daughter of Philip III, dies at age 64.
- 1667 - Treaty of Andrussovo-ends 13 year war between Poland and Russia.
- 1681 - Birth of Francesco Bartolomeo Conti composer.
- 1687 - Ships under the command of William Phips locate the wreck of the Spanish treasure galleon Concepción, off the Bahama Islands.
- 1691 - Christian de Placker composer, dies at age 77.
- 1713 - Pavao Vitezovic Croatian historian, dies.
- 1716 - Birth of Carlos III king of Naples/Spain (1759-88) Pompei/Jesuits.
- 1716 - Birth of Jean-Jacques Barthélemy French historical writer (Greek Antiquity).
- 1732 - Birth of Richard H Lee US farmer (signed Declaration of Independence).
- 1745 - Charles VII Albert German emperor (1742-45), dies at age 47.
- 1760 - Birth of Charles III king of Spain (1759-88).
- 1763 - Birth of Theobald Wolfe Tone Irish patriot.
- 1775 - Birth of Andre-Marie Ampere Lyon France, discovered electromagnetism.
- 1778 - First American military court martial trial begins, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1779 - Death of John Burman at age 71; Dutch botanist/director (botanical gardens).
- 1782 - Birth of Johan B J F S; archduke of Austria.
- 1783 - Hostilities cease in US Revolutionary War.
- 1788 - Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah, Georgia.
- 1798 - Death of Christian Cannabich at age 66; German composer/royal chaplain master.
- 1800 - Napoleon I's sister Carolina marries King Joachim Murat of Naples.
- 1801 - John Marshall is appointed US Chief Justice.
- 1806 - Birth of Nathaniel Willis; writer/editor/founder (American Monthly Magazine).
- 1807 - Napoleon convenes the great Sanhedrin, in Paris, France.
- 1809 - Birth of Sebastian de Iradier; Spanish composer (La Paloma).
- 1812 - Birth of Ralph Pomeroy Buckland; US Brevet Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1892).
- 1813 - Birth of Jacon Gartner Lauman; US Brevet Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1867).
- 1819 - Carlos IV, King of Spain (1788-1808), dies at age 70.
- 1820 - Birth of Anne Jemima Clough in England; promoted higher education for women.
- 1831 - Birth of Pieter J Joubert; General (South Africa).
- 1837 - John Soane, English architect (Book of Designs), dies at age 84.
- 1840 - Dumont D'Urville discovers Adélie Land, Antarctica.
- 1840 - Dutch King Willem II is crowned.
- 1841 - China cedes Hong Kong to the British.
- 1843 - Birth of Pierre-Paul Cambon; French diplomat (Madrid, Constantinople, London).
- 1848 - Death of Christian VIII, King of Denmark (born 1786).
- 1850 - Investigator, first ship to effect northwest passage, leaves England.
- 1855 - Birth of Amedee-Ernest Chausson in Paris, France; composer (Poème for Violin and Orchestra).
- 1860 - Dutch troops conquer Watampone in Celebes.
- 1862 - Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer killed after mistakenly riding into US lines.
- 1865 - Birth of Friedrich A H von Waldeck; brother of queen Emma/last ruler of Waldeck.
- 1866 - Birth of Richard Le Gallienne; English writer (Maker of Gainborg).
- 1866 - Prim's Insurrection in Spain ends.
- 1868 - Birth of Wilhelm Schäfer; German writer (Ein Totschläger).
- 1868 - Florida constitutional convention meets in Tallahassee.
- 1870 - Ship City of Boston vanishes at sea with all 177 aboard.
- 1871 - The Boston Red Stockings baseball team is incorporated by Ivers Whitney Adams.
- 1872 - California Stock Exchange Board organizes.
- 1873 - Birth of Johannes V Jensen in Denmark; novelist/poet/essayist (Energy Storage, Nobel Prize 1944).
- 1877 - Birth of Ruth Saint Denis in Newark, New Jersey, USA; ballerina (Dances of the Five Senses).
- 1878 - Birth of Finlay Currie in Scotland; actor (Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe, Avengers).
- 1879 - British troops under Lord Chelmsford set camp at Isandlwana.
- 1883 - Birth of Betram Home Ramsay; English admiral/Commander Allied Naval Forces.
- 1884 - Birth of Abraham P Merritt; US sci-fi author (Moon Pool, Creep Shadow!).
- 1887 - US Senate approves the naval base lease of Pearl Harbor.
- 1889 - Birth of Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter in Mooringsport, Louisiana, USA; blues 12-string guitarist (Rock Island Line).
- 1891 - David Kalakahua, Emperor of Hawaii, dies.
- 1892 - Birth of Roscoe Ates in Grange, Mississippi, USA; actor (Deputy Roscoe - Marshal of Gunsight Pass).
- 1893 - Birth of Kaj Birket-Smith; Danish etnologist/anthropologist (Eskimos).
- 1894 - Birth of Harold L Gray; creator (Little Orphan Annie).
- 1894 - Birth of Walter Hamor Piston in Rockland, Maine, USA; composer (Incredible Flutis).
- 1895 - Birth of Eva A Jessye; US singer/actress/songwriter ("Hallelujah").
- 1896 - Birth of Elmer R Diktonius; Finnish musicologist/author (Janne Kubik).
- 1896 - Birth of George Burns AKA Nathan Birnbaum, in New York City, New York; actor/comedian (Oh God).
- 1896 - Birth of Rolfe Sedan in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Mailman - George Burns Show).
- 1896 - Heinrich M von Battenberg, German son-in-law of Queen Victoria, dies at age 37.
- 1897 - Birth of Mae Busch; Australian/US actress (Cowboy Socialist).
- 1898 - Birth of Colin Clive [Greig] in Saint Malo, France; actor (Bride of Frankenstein).
- 1899 - Birth of Kenjiro Takayanagi; Vice President (JVC).
- 1900 - John Ruskin, English writer/critic (Dearest Mama Talbot), dies of influenza at age 81.
- 1900 - Richard D Blackmore, English novelist (Lorna Doone), dies at age 74.
- 1903 - Birth of Leon Ames in Portland, Indiana, USA; actor (Mr Ed, Father of the Bride).
- 1904 - Birth of Alexandra Danilova in Peterhof, Russia; ballerina (Turning Point).
- 1904 - Birth of Theodore Brameld; author/educator (Use of Explosive Ideas).
- 1907 - Birth of Roy Welensky; Premier (Rhodesia/Nyasaland 1956-63).
- 1908 - Birth of Ian Peebles; cricket player (Scottish leg-spinner, England 1927-31).
- 1908 - Birth of Paula Wessely; Austrian actress/producer (Masquerade).
- 1910 - Birth of Abram Hill; director/playwright/founder (American Negro Theater).
- 1910 - Birth of Joy Adamson; naturalist/author (Born Free).
- 1910 - Ottawa Senators sweep Edmonton Eskimos in two games for the Stanley Cup (second of 1910).
- 1912 - Birth of Christopher Casson; Irish actor (Zardoz, Educating Rita).
- 1914 - Birth of Wensley Pithey in Cape Town, South Africa; actor (Winston Churchill - Ike).
- 1915 - Birth of C W Ceram [Kurt W Marek]; German/US writer (March of Archaeology).
- 1915 - Birth of Joe Hitchcock; darts player (leader of Saint Dunstan's Four).
- 1916 - Birth of Johan Adolf Pengel AKA Jopie Pengel in Paramaribo, Suriname; premier of Suriname (1963-69).
- 1919 - Birth of Alex Nicol in Ossining, New York, USA; actor (Man From Laramie, Air Cadet).
- 1920 - Birth of DeForest Kelley in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; actor (Dr Leonard McCoy - Star Trek).
- 1920 - Birth of Federico Fellini in Rimini, Italy; director (8 1/2, Satyricon, La Dolce Vita).
- 1920 - Birth of Sam M Gibbons; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Florida, 1963-).
- 1920 - Dutch second Chamber passes school laws.
- 1921 - British submarine K5 leaves with man and mouse.
- 1921 - Dagestan ASSR forms in RSFSR.
- 1921 - Mountain Autonomous Republic established in RSFSR.
- 1921 - Turkey is declared out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire.
- 1922 - Birth of Lord James Hanson; English industrialist/House of Lords (Conservative).
- 1922 - Birth of Ray Anthony in Pennsylvania, USA; orchestra leader (Ray Anthony Show, Peter Gunn Theme).
- 1925 - Birth of Edwin Gordon in New York City, New York, USA; Voice of America correspondent.
- 1925 - USSR and Japan sign treaty of Peking, Seychelles back to USSR.
- 1926 - Second German government of Luther begins.
- 1926 - Birth of Michael Higgins in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (1918, Wanda, Black Stallion).
- 1926 - Birth of Patricia Neal in Packard, Kentucky, USA; actress (Hud, Subject Was Roses).
- 1926 - Birth of Robert L Van Citters; cardiology/advisory panelist/UW dean.
- 1927 - Birth of Geoffrey WT Atkins; British World Champion racket player (1954-72).
- 1928 - Birth of Peter Donat in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada; actor (Flamingo Road, Different Story).
- 1928 - Birth of William Berger in Austria; actress (Adventures of Hercules).
- 1929 - First feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, In Old Arizona.
- 1929 - Birth of Arte Johnson in Chicago, Illinois, USA; comedian (Laugh-in, Don't Call Me Charlie).
- 1930 - First radio broadcast of The Lone Ranger (WXYZ-Detroit).
- 1930 - Birth of Edwin Eugene Aldrin Junior AKA Buzz Aldrin in Montclair, New Jersey, USA; US Air Force/astronaut (Gemini 12, Apollo 11, 2nd to set foot on Moon).
- 1931 - Birth of Sawako Ariyoshi; Japanese writer (Compound Pollution, Doctor's Wife).
- 1931 - Birth of David Lee; American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate.
- 1933 - Birth of Earl Grant in Oklahoma City; singer and keyboardist ("At The End Of a Rainbow", "Ebb Tide", "Swinging Gently") (dies 1970).
- 1934 - Birth of Tom Baker; actor (Angels Die Hard, Vault of Horror).
- 1934 - Japan sends Henry Pu Yi as regent to emperor of Manchuria.
- 1936 - Birth of Eldred G Maduro; minister (Netherlands Antilles).
- 1936 - King George V of Great Britain dies at age 70 at Sandringham, succeeded by Edward VIII.
- 1937 - -45 degrees F (-43 degrees C), Boca, California (state record low).
- 1937 - First Presidential Inauguration day on January 20th, (held every fourth years thereafter).
- 1937 - Birth of Dorothy Provine in Deadwood, South Dakota, USA; actress (Good Neighbor Sam, Darn Cat).
- 1939 - Adolf Hitler proclaims to German parliament to exterminate all European Jews.
- 1940 - Birth of Carol Heiss Jenkins in New York City, New York, USA; figure skater (Olympics-gold/silver-1956, 1960).
- 1941 - Birth of Ron Townson in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; singer (The 5th Dimension - "Up Up and Away", "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "One Less Bell to Answer", "I Didn't Get to Sleep at All") (dies 2000).
- 1942 - Birth of Slim Whitman; yodeler/country singer ("Home on the Range").
- 1942 - Japanese air raid on Rabaul, New Britain.
- 1942 - Japanese forces cross the Thai border into Burma, making a major thrust toward Rangoon.
- 1942 - German officials hold notorious Wannsee conference in Berlin deciding on "final solution" calling for extermination of Europe's Jews.
- 1943 - Birth of Roeland HG "Roel" van Duyn; Dutch Provo politician.
- 1943 - Temperature in Lead, South Dakota is 52 degrees F, while 1.5 miles away Deadwood, South Dakota records -16 degrees F.
- 1943 - Operation-Weiss: Assault of German, Italian, Bulgarian and Croatian.
- 1944 - Birth of Eddie Shah; English publisher (Today, Post).
- 1944 - Birth of Isao Okano in Japan; middleweight judo (Olympics-gold-1964).
- 1944 - Birth of Lieven Soete; Dutch publicist (Molotov-Ribbentrop pact).
- 1944 - British Royal Air Force drops 2300 ton bombs on Berlin, Germany.
- 1944 - The Soviet Red Army captures Novgorod.
- 1944 - The German siege of Leningrad is lifted.
- 1945 - Birth of Eric Stewart; singer, guitarist (10CC - "I'm Not in Love", Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders).
- 1945 - Birth of Peter Beckwith; English real estate developer/multi-millionaire.
- 1945 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented fourth term as US President.
- 1945 - German forces in Hungary surrender to the Soviet army.
- 1946 - Birth of David Lynch in Missoula, Montana, USA; actor/director (Blue Velvet, Dune, Eraserhead, Twin Peaks).
- 1946 - F Gouin follows Charles De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government.
- 1947 - Birth of George Grantham; rocker (Poco - "Crazy Eyes").
- 1947 - Birth of Malcolm McLaren; founded rock group (Sex Pistols - "God Save the Queen").
- 1947 - Brigadier General Edwin K Wright becomes deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1947 - Josh Gibson, Negro League slugger, dies of a brain tumor at age 35.
- 1948 - Birth of Anatoly Shcharansky; Soviet human rights activist/émigré.
- 1948 - Birth of Jerry L Ross in Indiana, USA; Lieutenant-Colonel US Air Force/astronaut (STS 61B, 27, 37, 55, 74, 88).
- 1948 - Birth of Melvyn John Pritchard in England; rocker (Barclay James Harvest).
- 1949 - Josephus T J Cuypers, architect (Amsterdam Stock Exchange), dies at age 87.
- 1949 - US President Harry Truman announces his four-point program.
- 1950 - Birth of Henk Batenburgh; cabaret performer/singer (Waaldrecht).
- 1950 - Suriname becomes independent part in Realm of Netherlands.
- 1951 - Birth of Magomed Omarovich Tolboyev; Russian cosmonaut.
- 1952 - Birth of Ian Hill; bass guitarist (Judas Priest - "Breakin the Law").
- 1952 - Birth of Paul Stanley [Eisen]; rock guitarist (KISS - "Beth").
- 1952 - British army occupies Ismailiya, Suez Canal Zone.
- 1952 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.
- 1953 - First US telecast transmitted to Canada from Buffalo, New York, USA.
- 1953 - First live coast-to-coast inauguration address (US President Dwight Eisenhower).
- 1954 - -70 degrees F (-57 degrees C), Rogers Pass, Montana (state 48 record).
- 1954 - Fred Root, cricket player (England pace bowler in three Tests vs Australia 1926), dies.
- 1954 - Warren Bardsley, cricket player (41 Tests for Australia, 2469 runs), dies.
- 1954 - The General Motors' Motorama show goes on display at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Chevrolet shows the Corvette Nomad prototype, with Corvette front and station wagon back. Chevrolet also shows a cherry red Corvair prototype, a two-seat fastback coupe with a Corvette front end. The name is a combination of "Corvette" and "Bel Air". Oldsmobile shows the F-88 two-seater convertible with fiberglass body. Pontiac shows the Bonneville Special, a two-seater with fiberglass body, straight 8-cylinder engine, mostly clear roof, similar headlights to Corvette.
- 1955 - Birth of Joe Doherty in Ireland; Irish Republican Army activist (jailed in US).
- 1956 - Birth of Bill Maher; comedian (Politically Incorrect).
- 1956 - Birth of John McNally Naha in Okinawa, Japan; US rapid fire pistol (Olympics-1984, 1988, 1992, 1996).
- 1956 - Birth of John Phillips Naber in Evanston, Illinois, USA; American 100m/200m backstroke swimmer (Olympics-4 gold/silver-1976).
- 1957 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.
- 1957 - Birth of Leonard C Clements in Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Bob Hope-second).
- 1957 - Gomulka wins Poland's parliamentary election.
- 1957 - James Connolly, first Olympic winner (1896) since Barasdates (369 CE), dies.
- 1958 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.
- 1958 - Birth of Lorenzo Lamas in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Lance - Falcon Crest, California Fever).
- 1959 - Carl Switzer, actor (Alfalfa - Our Gang), shot to death at age 31.
- 1960 - Matt Moore, actor (Deluge, Coquette), dies at age 72.
- 1960 - Birth of Will Wright, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; creator of software games SimCity, The Sims.
- 1961 - Arthur M Ramsay becomes archbishop of Canterbury.
- 1961 - Inauguration ceremony for John Kennedy as President of the United States.
- 1961 - Yugoslav ex-Vice-President Milovan Djilas flees.
- 1962 - Robinson Jeffers, poet/playwright (Dear Judas), dies at age 75.
- 1963 - Birth of Scott Fisher in San Jose, California, USA; Australian basketball forward (Olympics-1996).
- 1964 - "Meet The Beatles" album released in US.
- 1964 - Birth of Ozzie Guillen in Oculare del Tuy, Venezuela; shortstop (Chicago White Sox).
- 1964 - Birth of Roger Smith in Freeport, Bahamas; tennis doubles player.
- 1964 - Birth of Ron Harper; NBA guard (Chicago Bulls).
- 1964 - Birth of Victoria Sellers in London, England; actress (Crime Zone, Warlords).
- 1965 - Death of Alan Freed AKA Moon Doggy at age 42 in a hospital in Palm Springs, California, USA; radio disc jockey (WJW Radio in Cleveland, WABC in New York), coined the phrase "rock 'n' roll".
- 1965 - Birth of Brad Brink; US baseball pitcher (San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies).
- 1965 - Spain's Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain.
- 1965 - American Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars and return.
- 1965 - The Beatles appear on Shindig (ABC-TV).
- 1966 - Birth of Bert Weidner; NFL guard (Miami Dolphins).
- 1966 - Birth of Chris Morris; NBA forward (Utah Jazz).
- 1966 - Birth of Rich Gannon; NFL quarterback (Kansas City Chiefs).
- 1966 - Birth of Tracii Guns; rock guitarist (LA Guns - "It's Over Now").
- 1967 - Birth of Joe Pasquale; rocker (Prey).
- 1967 - Birth of Mark Stepnoski; NFL center (Houston/Tennessee Oilers).
- 1967 - Birth of Stacey Dash in Bronx, New York, USA; actress (Dionne - Clueless).
- 1968 - Birth of Junior Murray; cricket player (West Indies keeper).
- 1968 - Birth of Nick Anderson; NBA guard/forward (Orlando Magic).
- 1968 - Houston ends UCLA's 47-game basketball winning streak, 71-69.
- 1968 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming.
- 1968 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Tim Wood.
- 1969 - Birth of Andre Romal Cason in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA; 100m runner.
- 1969 - Birth of Melissa Rivers in New York City, New York, USA; TV hostess (MTV, CBS Morning News).
- 1969 - Birth of Tia Marie Zorne in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Miss America-Nevada (1990).
- 1969 - Richard M Nixon inaugurated as President of the United States.
- 1969 - University of Arizona reports first optical identification of pulsar (in Crab Nebula).
- 1970 - 20th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 142-135 at Philadelphia.
- 1970 - 23rd NHL All-Star Game: East beat West 4-1 at Saint Louis.
- 1970 - Birth of Anita Saint Rose; Miss Great Britain-Universe (1996).
- 1970 - Birth of Dennis Hulshof; soccer player (Go Ahead Eagles).
- 1970 - Birth of Deon Figures; cornerback (Jacksonville Jaguars).
- 1970 - Birth of Marvin Benard in Bluefields, Nicaragua; outfielder (San Francisco Giants).
- 1970 - Birth of Rob Gaudreau in Lincoln, Rhode Island, USA; NHL center (Ottawa Senators).
- 1970 - Birth of Ron Carpenter; NFL/WLAF safety (New York Jets, Amsterdam Admirals).
- 1970 - Birth of Skeet Ulrich; actor (Scream).
- 1970 - Birth of Terry Kirby; NFL running back (Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers).
- 1970 - Birth of Thomas "Tom" Murray in Buffalo, New York, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1970 - In Hokkaido, Japan, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. One person killed, 38 injured.
- 1970 - Super Fight, computer mock championship between Muhammed Ali and Marciano.
- 1971 - Ard Schenk skates world record 1000m (1:18.8).
- 1971 - Birth of Alan Young; NFL defensive end (New York Jets).
- 1971 - Birth of Andrei Skabelka; NHL forward (Belarus, Olympics-1998).
- 1971 - Birth of Johnny Mitchell; NFL tight end (New York Jets).
- 1971 - Birth of Karin Smith; Miss Minnesota USA (1996).
- 1971 - Gilbert M Anderson, actor (first Movie Cowboy), dies at age 88.
- 1972 - Birth of ?uestlove; drummer (The Roots).
- 1972 - Birth of Alcides Catanho; NFL outside linebacker (New England Patriots).
- 1973 - Amilcar L Cabral, fought for Guinea Bissau independence, murdered at age 51.
- 1973 - Birth of Eddie Kennison; wide receiver (Saint Louis Rams).
- 1973 - Birth of Jalen Rose; NBA guard (Denver Nuggets).
- 1974 - 4th NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 15-13.
- 1974 - 7th ABA All-Star Game: East 128 beats West 112 at Virginia.
- 1974 - Birth of Calvin Harrison in Orlando, Florida, USA; 200m/400m runner.
- 1974 - Birth of Rae Carruth; wide receiver (Carolina Panthers).
- 1974 - Edmund Blunden, British poet/critic, dies at age 77.
- 1974 - Essex Community College beats Englewood Cliffs 210-67 in basketball.
- 1975 - 5th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 17-10.
- 1976 - 29th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 7-5 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1977 - Birth of Paul "Goggo" Adams, cricket player (lefty very unorthodox bowler for South Africa).
- 1977 - George H.W. Bush ends term as 11th director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1978 - Columbia Pictures pays US$9.5 million for movie rights to Annie.
- 1979 - Birth of Rob Bourdon; drummer (Linkin Park).
- 1980 - NFL Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Los Angeles Rams, 31-19; Most Valuable Player: Terry Bradshaw, quarterback. The Pittsburgh Steelers become the first NFL franchise to win four Super Bowls.
- 1980 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne.
- 1980 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner.
- 1980 - Birth of Jenson Button; British racecar driver.
- 1981 - Birth of Owen Hargreaves; Canadian-born football player.
- 1981 - Admiral Stansfield Turner, US Navy (Retired), ends term as 12th director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1981 - New York Islanders' Glenn Resch's 25th and last shut-out opponent-Calgary Flames 5-0.
- 1981 - Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter, becoming the 40th President of the United States.
- 1981 - Minutes after Ronald Reagan takes office as US President, the United States frees almost US$8 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis.
- 1981 - Birth of Jason Richardson; American basketball player.
- 1982 - Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament.
- 1982 - Seven miners killed in an explosion in Craynor, Kentucky.
- 1982 - Honduras constitution goes into effect.
- 1984 - Death of Peter John [Johnny] Weissmuller at age 79 after a series of strokes in Acapulco, Mexico; Austrian-born swimmer and actor (Tarzan, Jungle Jim).
- 1984 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Rosalynn Sumners.
- 1985 - Cold front strikes US, at least 40 die (-27 degrees F (-33 degrees C) in Chicago, Illinois).
- 1985 - Super Bowl XIX: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16 in Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California; Most Valuable Player: Joe Montana, quarterback.
- 1985 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan is privately sworn in for a second term in office (publicly sworn in January 21).
- 1986 - The first US federal Martin Luther King Day holiday, honoring Martin Luther King Junior, is observed.
- 1986 - The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel (railroad tunnel under English Channel).
- 1986 - Military coup in Lesotho under General-Major Lekhanya and premier Leabua Jonathan.
- 1987 - Shiite Muslims in Beirut, Lebanon kidnap Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite (released November 1991).
- 1987 - Tom Dollery, cricket player (4 Tests for England 1947-50), dies.
- 1988 - André Hoffman skates world record 1500m (1:52.06).
- 1988 - Arizona committee opens hearing on impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham.
- 1988 - Philippe de Rothschild, Bordeaux Vineyard manager, dies in Paris, France at age 86 (born 1902).
- 1989 - Beatrice Lillie, actress (Thoroughly Modern Millie), dies at age 94.
- 1989 - George H.W. Bush succeeds Ronald Reagan as the 41st President of the United States of America.
- 1989 - Wayne Holdsworth takes a wicket first ball in first-class cricket.
- 1989 - The Soviets begin to airlift supplies to Afghanistan as they pull out.
- 1990 - Death of Barbara Stanwyck AKA Ruby Stevens of congestive heart failure and emphysema at age 82; actress (The Big Valley TV show, The Colbys, The Thorn Birds mini-series).
- 1990 - Naruhito Higashi-Kuni, Japanese Prime Minister (1945), dies.
- 1990 - US 64th manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) returns from space.
- 1990 - Soviet troops occupy Baku, Azerbaijan, under the state of emergency decree issued by Gorbachev, and kill over 130 and wound over 700 protesters for national independence.
- 1991 - Bill Riordon, US tennis promoter (Jimmy Connors), dies.
- 1991 - Buffalo Bills beat Los Angeles Raiders 51-3 for AFC title.
- 1991 - Iraq parades captured Allied airmen on TV.
- 1991 - Jane Geddes wins LPGA Jamaica Golf Classic.
- 1991 - Louis Seigner, actor (Eclipse, Special Section), dies in a fire at age 87.
- 1991 - Matt Barr's field goal with no time left gives New York Giants 15-13 victory over defending champions San Francisco 49ers, for NFC title.
- 1991 - US Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles.
- 1992 - Australia beats India 2-0 to win the World Series Cup.
- 1992 - Muhammad Abd al-Khaliq Hassuna, Secretary-General of Arab League (1952-72), dies.
- 1992 - Roberto d'Aubuisson, leader of El Salvador, dies.
- 1992 - Score company begins selling international soccer cards.
- 1993 - Admiral Studeman, serves as acting director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
- 1993 - Audrey Hepburn, Belgian actress (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday), dies of colon cancer in Tolochenaz, Switzerland at age 63 (born 1929).
- 1993 - William Jefferson (Blythe) Clinton III is inaugurated as 42nd President of the USA.
- 1993 - Joseph Anthony [Deuster], US director/actor (Rainmaker), dies at age 80.
- 1993 - Market value of Microsoft reaches US$26.78 billion, above IBM at US$26.76 billion for the first time. Microsoft becomes the highest valued computer industry company, 14th among all public companies.
- 1993 - The Czech Republic issues its first postage stamps.
- 1994 - Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenyan Vice-President (1963-66), dies at about age 81.
- 1994 - Matt Busby, Scottish soccer coach (Manchester United), dies at age 84 (born 1909).
- 1995 - 1994-95 NHL Season begins after a lengthy strike.
- 1995 - John Halas, Hungarian/US cartoonist (Animal Farm), dies at age 81.
- 1995 - Mehdi Bazargan, director Iranian oil corp/premier (1979), dies at age 86.
- 1995 - Robert Shaw, town planner, dies at age 81.
- 1995 - Russian ruble drops to 3,947 per dollar (record).
- 1996 - 46th NHL All-Star Game: East beat West 5-4 at Fleet Center in Boston, Massachussetts.
- 1996 - Australia defeats Sri Lanka 2-0 to win World Series Cup.
- 1996 - David Robin Francis Guy Greville, 8th Duke of Warwick, dies at age 61.
- 1996 - Yasser Arafat is re-elected president of the Palestinian Authority.
- 1996 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Michelle Kwan.
- 1996 - The last episode of The Stephanie Miller Show airs.
- 1997 - Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars' orbit.
- 1997 - Death of Curt Flood, American baseball player (centerfielder, Saint Louis Cardinals), at age 59 of throat cancer (born 1938).
- 1997 - Edith Haisman, the oldest survivor of Titanic, dies at age 100.
- 1997 - Pakistan defeats West Indies 2-0 to win Australia one-day Series.
- 1997 - Vladimir Yamnikov, owner of Kristall vodka, dies of cirrhosis at age 56.
- 1997 - Bill Clinton starts his second term as President of the United States.
- 1998 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts The Mama and The Papas, The Eagles.
- 1998 - Premiere of the Dawson's Creek TV show in the USA.
- 1998 - Nepalese police intercept a shipment of 272 human skulls in Kathmandu.
- 1998 - Zevulun Hammer, Vice Prime Minister of Israel, dies.
- 1999 - The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafes.
- 2001 - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sworn in by Chief Justice Hilario Davide as the 14th President of the Republic of the Philippines after the Armed Forces of the Philippines and several cabinet members withdraw their support for Joseph Estrada.
- 2001 - George W. Bush is sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States.
- 2004 - Cargo vessel Rocknes capsizes off Bergen, Norway, spilling several thousand litres of oil and bunker fuel along the coastline.
- 2005 - Eric Gagne and the Los Angeles Dodgers agree to a $19-million, two-year deal.
- 2005 - Death of Per Borten, Prime Minister of Norway (born 1913).
- 2005 - George W. Bush is inaugurated in Washington, D.C. for his second term as the 43rd President of the United States.
- 2005 - Ireland completes conversion to the metric system.
- 2006 - Baseball's second application to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control to allow Cuba to play in the World Baseball Classic is approved.
- 2006 - In Quang Tri province, Viet Nam, just south of the demilitarized zone, the country's first baseball field is dedicated. The former soccer field was transformed into a diamond for the Le Loi High School using money donated from Major League Baseball and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
- 2009 - Italian carmaker Fiat and American carmaker Chrysler agree to a global strategic alliance. Fiat will get a 35 percent stake in Chrysler, which will get access to Fiat's fuel-efficient vehicle technologies.
- 2009 - Israeli troops complete their pullout from Gaza, ending their 22-day offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
- 2009 - The Bank of Canada cuts borrowing costs to a record low to one percent. The previous record low was 1.12 percent in 1958.
- 2009 - Barack Hussein Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.
- 2009 - Death of Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian Patriarch of Alexandria (born 1920).
- 2010 - Republican Scott Brown wins the vacated Senate seat in Massachusetts, reducing the Democrats' majority to 59 seats to the Republicans' 41.
- 2010 - Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is killed in a Dubai hotel room, likely by Israeli Mossad.
- 2016 - World Economic Forum meet at Davos, Switzerland. Theme: fourth industrial revolution.
- 2016 - Pavel Filip is voted in as Prime Minister of Moldova.
- 2016 - In Pakistan, four terrorists invade Bacha Khan University near Peshawar, killing 20.
- 2017 - Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Trump, a Republican New York City businessman, becomes the first person that is not a political office holder or a military general to be elected President of the United States.
- 2018 - Turkey announces the beginning of a military offensive to capture a portion of northern Syria from Kurdish forces.
- 2018 - (to January 22) The United States government enters a federal government shutdown as a result of a dispute over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
- 2020 - People's Republic of China authorities publicly confirm human-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
- 2020 - Chinese health authorities impose a quarantine on the inland province of Hubei (population 60 million people), to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
- 2021 - Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States.
- 2021 - Death of Justin Lekhanya, Chairman of the Military Council of Lesotho (born 1938).
- 2022 - Death of Meat Loaf AKA Marvin Lee Aday at age 74 in Los Angeles, California, USA; singer ("Paradise by the Dashboard Light", "I'd do Anythying for Love", Grammy award).
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