Today in History
Significant Events
- 1525 The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union
- 1789 1st American novel, WH Brown's "Power of Sympathy" is published
- 1793 Louis XVI of France is executed by the guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for high treason
- 1952 Jawaharlal Nehru's Congress party wins general election in India
- 1968 The Battle of Khe Sanh - one of the most publicized and controversial battles of the Vietnam War - begins at the Khe Sanh Air Base
- 2008 Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks closed with their worst result since 9/11, and Asian stocks drop as much as 15%.
Today in Film & TV
- 1991 CBS News correspondant Bob Simon and four TV crew captured and held for 40 days by Iraqis in the Persian Gulf
Today in Music
Today in Sport
- 1990 John McEnroe becomes 1st ever player to be expelled from the Australian Open
Did You Know?
Parisian baker and "student of medieval life" Henri Littière appears in court charged with forcing his adulterous wife Juliette to wear a chastity belt. Having committed the same offence in 1932, he was sentenced to three months in prison and fined 50 francs for cruelty to his wife
On this day in 1934
Famous Birthdays
Stonewall Jackson
(1824 - 1863)
Grigori Rasputin
(1869 - 1916)
Jack Nicklaus
79th Birthday
Tomorrow's Famous Birthdays
Francis Bacon
(1561 - 1626)
Lord Byron
(1788 - 1824)
Mike Bossy
Turns 61
Would You Believe?
"Sullivan Ordinance" is passed in NYC, making it illegal for a woman to smoke in public places. It was vetoed 2 weeks later by mayor George B. McClellan Jr.
On this day in 1908
Famous Weddings
- 1966 Beatle George Harrison marries model Patti Boyd
- 1973 Actress Jane Fonda weds activist Tom Hayden
- 1975 Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)
Famous Divorces
- 2011 Actress Jaime Pressly (35) divorces entertainment lawyer Simran Singh (33) due to irreconcilable differences after more than 1 year of marriage
Louis XVI
Vladimir Lenin
George Orwell
Victoria
Lyndon B. Johnson
Heath LedgerThis Month in History
British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759
Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927
The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin
It was one of the most remarkable military engagements ever: the day that 139 British soldiers took on 4,000 Zulu warriors – and won.
January 22, 1879
'I Did Not Have Sexual Relations With That Woman'
One of the most notorious denials in political history came on this day when President Bill Clinton held a news conference on his relations with Monica Lewinsky.
January 26, 1998
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