Historical Events
- Jan 1 Bank of France issues new franc, worth 100 times the value of existing francs
- Jan 1 Cameroon (French Cameroon) gains independence from France
Music Concert
Jan 1 Johnny Cash plays first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin Prison, California; Merle Haggard among the inmate audience
- Jan 1 Montserrat adopts constitution
- Jan 1 A photograph of a South African boy in a torn vest is published in the Daily Herald; it was illegal to employ a 'native' under 18 in the mines under the Native Labour Regulation Act
- Jan 1 46th Rose Bowl: #8 Washington beats #6 Wisconsin, 44-8
- Jan 1 26th Sugar Bowl: #2 Mississippi beats #3 LSU, 21-0
- Jan 1 26th Orange Bowl: #5 Georgia beats #18 Missouri, 14-0
- Jan 2 1st redshank old world shore bird reported in North America (Halifax)
- Jan 2 John Reynolds sets age of solar system at 4,950,000,000 years
- Jan 2 Roger Sessions' 4th Symphony, in honor of the Minnesota Centennial, premieres by the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti
Historic Event
Jan 2 Senator John F. Kennedy, announces his candidacy for the US Presidency
- Jan 4 European Free Trade Association forms in Stockholm
- Jan 5 Continental League, a proposed third major league, gets an assurance of congressional support from NY Senator Kenneth Keating
- Jan 9 Building of Aswan dam in Egypt, begins
- Jan 10 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Delmore Schwartz
- Jan 11 LaMar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts
- Jan 12 Gary Sobers and Frank Worrell complete 399 stand for 4th wkt WI v England
Sports History
Jan 12 Syracuse National Dolph Schayes is 1st NBA'er to score 15,000 points
- Jan 14 Tuindorp-Oostzaan in Northern Amsterdam, flooded
Elvis Presley in the Army
Jan 14 US Army promotes Elvis Presley to Sergeant
- Jan 14 The Reserve Bank of Australia is established
Sports History
Jan 16 Detroit right wing Gordie Howe scores a goal and assist in his 888th career game, a 3-1 win at home over Chicago; becomes NHL's all time leading scorer, with 947 points passing Montreal's Maurice Richard
NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 17 10th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 38-21; MVPs: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, QB; Eugene Lipscomb, Baltimore Colts, DL
Treaty of Interest
Jan 19 Eisenhower & Premier Kishi sign US-Japanese Security pact
Historic Event
Jan 20 Patrice Lumumba sentenced to 6 months in Belgian Congo
NBA All-Star Game
Jan 22 10th NBA All-Star Game, Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pa: East beats West, 125-115; MVP: Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors, C
- Jan 22 Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson for middleweight boxing title
- Jan 23 Bathosphere "Trieste", crewed by Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, reaches bottom of Pacific (10,900 m)
- Jan 24 Algeria uprises against French President de Gaulle
- Jan 25 Wilt Chamberlain scores 58 points, the most ever by an NBA rookie, as Philadelphia Warriors beat Detroit Pistons, 127-117 at Bethlehem, PA
- Jan 26 High-school basketball sensation Danny Heater scores 135 points
- Jan 26 Oakland Raiders enter the American Football League
Election of Interest
Jan 26 Pete Rozelle elected NFL commissioner on 23rd ballot
- Jan 28 1st photograph bounced off Moon, Washington, D.C.
Radio History
Jan 28 "The Goon Show"'s final episode on BBC radio
- Jan 28 NFL announces Dallas Cowboys (1960) & Minnesota Vikings (1961) franchises
Historic Event
Jan 28 A new version of "La fille mal gardée" choreographed by Frederick Ashton debuts by the Royal Ballet with Nadia Nerina debuts at Covent Garden, London
- Jan 30 CIA OKs Lockheed to produce a new U-2 aircraft (Oxcart)
- Jan 30 Dutch communist trade union EVC'58 disbands
- Jan 30 Riot curtails third days play at Port-Of-Spain WI v England
- Jan 30 US female Figure Skating championship won by Carol Heiss
- Jan 30 US male Figure Skating championship won by David Jenkins
- Jan 30 African National Party is founded in Chad
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Michael David Morrison, actor (Caleb Snyder-As the World Turns)
- Jan 2 Raman Lamba, Indian cricketer (opening batsman 1986-87)
- Jan 2 Naoki Urasawa, Japanese manga author
- Jan 3 Sandeep Marwah Founder of Film City, Noida, India
- Jan 4 Cory Everson, American body builder (6X Ms Olympia), born in Racine Wisconsin
- Jan 4 Michael Stipe, American rock vocalist and songwriter (R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion"; "Stand"; "Everybody Hurts"), born in Decatur, Georgia
- Jan 4 April Winchell, American actress
- Jan 5 Steve Jones, British aviator (Red Bull Air Race World Series)
- Jan 5 Glenn Strömberg, Swedish footballer, born in Lundby, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Jan 6 Paul Azinger, American golfer, broadcaster (PGA C'ship 1993, 12 PGA Tour titles), born in Holyoke, Massachusetts
- Jan 6 Nigella Lawson, English chef and writer, born in London, England
- Jan 7 David Marciano, American actor (Det Ray Vecchio-Due South), born in Newark, New Jersey
- Jan 7 Tierre Turner, American actor (Waverly Wonders, Cop & the Kid), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Jan 7 Loretta Sanchez, American politician, born in Lynwood, California
- Jan 7 Mohammed Javad Zarif, Iranian politician (Minister of Foreign Affairs), born in Broujerd
- Jan 9 Lisa Walters, Canadian golfer (Hawaiian Open 1992-93), born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
- Jan 9 Haukur Tómasson, Icelandic classical composer (Gudruns 4th Song; Strati), born in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Jan 10 Benoît Pelletier, Canadian politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
- Jan 10 Samira Said, Moroccan pop singer, born in Rabat, Morocco
- Jan 12 Dominique Wilkins, American Basketball HOF forward (9 × NBA All Star 1986–94; NBA scoring champion 1986; NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion 1985, 90; Atlanta Hawks), born in Paris, France
- Jan 12 Rob Derksen, Australian baseball head coach (Olympics 1996), born in Hales Corner, Wisconsin (d. 2004)
- Jan 12 Oliver Platt, Canadian actor, born in Windsor, Canada
- Jan 13 Kevin Anderson, American actor (Hoffa, Sleeping with the Enemy), born in Gurnee, Illinois
- Jan 13 Takis Lemonis, Greek footballer and coach
- Jan 15 Tim Curtis, English cricketer (batsman in 5 Tests 1988-89), born in Chislehurst, United Kingdom
- Jan 15 Kelly Asbury, American animated film director (Shrek 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village), born in Beaumont, Texas (d. 2020)
- Jan 15 Aaron Jay Kernis, American composer, born in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania
- Jan 16 Richard Elliot, Scottish-born American jazz saxophonist ("When a Man Loves a Woman"), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- Jan 17 Chili Davis, American-Jamaican baseball outfielder (California Angels), born in Kingston, Jamaica
- Jan 17 John Crawford, American bass (Berlin-You Take My Breath Away), born in Palo Alto, California
- Jan 17 Chatchai Plengpanich, Thai actor, born in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
- Jan 18 Mark Rylance [David Mark Rylance Waters], English actor (Bridge of Spies) & theatre director, born in Ashford, Kent
- Jan 19 Alfrederick Joyner, American triple jumper (Olympic gold 1984), born in East St. Louis, Illinois
Michael Hutchence
Jan 22 Michael Hutchence, Australian rock vocalist (INXS - "Devil Inside": "New Sensation"), and actor (Dogs in Space), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1997)
- Jan 23 Greg Ritchie, Australian cricketer (Qld & Aust batsman Fat Cat Mahatma Cote), born in Stanthorpe, Queensland
- Jan 23 Misha Mck, American actress (Gerri-Me & Mrs C), born in East Orange New Jersey
- Jan 23 Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver & skysurfing pioneer, born in Oullins, France (d. 1998)
- Jan 26 Jeanette Bolden, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 26 Charlie Gillingham, American rock Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, piano, and keyboard player (Counting Crows - "Accidentally In Love"), born in Torrance, California
- Jan 28 John Caliri, American actor (Vinnie-Square Pegs, Double Trouble), born in Providence Rhode Island
- Jan 28 Robert von Dassanowsky, American cultural historian, writer, and producer
- Jan 29 Cho-Liang Lin, American classical violinist (Queen Sophia prize, 1977), and teacher (Juilliard, 1991-present), born in Hsinchu, Taiwan [1]
Greg Louganis
Jan 29 Greg Louganis, American diver (Olympic gold 10m & 3m springboard 1984, 88), born in San Diego, California
- Jan 29 Matthew Ashford, American actor (Days of Our Lives - "Jack Devaraux"), born in Davenport, Iowa
- Jan 29 Sean Kerly, English hockey player (Olympic Gold 1988), born in Whistable, England
- Jan 29 Steve Sax, American MLB 2nd baseman, NL rookie of the year, 1981, 5x all-star (LA Dodgers, 1981-88; NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox), born in West Sacramento, California
- Jan 29 Gia Carangi, American model (one of 1st supermodels), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1986)
- Jan 29 James "JG" Thirlwell, Australian musician, composer and record producer, born in Melbourne
- Jan 30 Tony O'Dell, American actor (Alan Pinkard-Head of the Class), born in Pasadena, California
- Jan 31 Elaine Roque, American beach volleyballer (Olympics 1996), born in Santa Monica, California
- Jan 31 Grant Morrison, British comic book author, born in Glasgow, United Kingdom
Famous Weddings
Bob Denver
Jan 22 Comedic actor Bob Denver (25) weds Maggie Ryan in California
- Jan 31 Songwriter Adolph Green marries actress and singer Phyllis Newman in NYC
Famous Deaths
- Jan 1 Margaret Sullavan, American actress (Three Comrades), dies of barbiturate overdose at 50
- Jan 2 Cees [Cornelis J] Laseur, Dutch actor & director (Hague Comedy), dies at 60
- Jan 2 Chris van Abkoude, Dutch-American writer & novelist (Pietje Bell, Kruimeltje), dies at about 79
- Jan 2 Fausto Coppi, Italian cyclist (Giro d'Italia 1940, 47, 49, 52-53; Tour de France 1949, 52; World Championship gold Individual pursuit 1947, road race 1953), dies from malaria at 40
- Jan 2 Friedrich Adler, Austrian socialist politician & revolutionary (assassinated Count von Storgkh), dies at 80
- Jan 2 Paul Sauvé, Canadian politician, dies at 52
- Jan 3 Victor Sjöström, Swedish director (Wind, Under the Red Robe), dies at 80
Albert Camus
Jan 4 Albert Camus, French author (Stranger), dies in an auto accident at 46
- Jan 5 Donald Knight, cricketer (54 runs in 2 Tests for England 1921), dies
- Jan 5 Pavel P Parenago, Russian cosmonaut, dies at 53
- Jan 6 Edith Barstow, American choreographer (Frankie Laine Time, The Gem of the Ocean), dies at 54
- Jan 6 Erik Lindahl, Swedish economist (Theory of Money & Capital), dies at 68
- Jan 7 Dorothea Lambert Chambers, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1903-04, 06, 10-11, 13-14), dies at 81
- Jan 7 Luiz Costa, Portuguese pianist, and composer, dies at 80
- Jan 9 Elsie J. Oxenham, British children's author (Abbey Series), dies at 79
- Jan 10 Jack Laviolette, Canadian ice hockey player, dies at 80
- Jan 11 Johan E. Elias, Dutch historian (Amsterdam's regency), dies at 84
- Jan 12 Nevil Shute [Norway], English-Australian novelist (On the Beach, Town like Alice), dies at 60
- Jan 13 Sibilla Aleramo [Rina Faccio], Italian feminist and poet (Una Donna), dies at 83
- Jan 20 Matt Moore, Irish-American actor and director (Coquette, Deluge), dies at 72
- Jan 24 John Miljan, American actor (The Ten Commandments, Possessed, Final Extra, Susan Lenox), dies at 67
- Jan 24 Edwin Fischer, Swiss concert pianist and conductor, dies at 73
- Jan 25 Diana Barrymore, American actress (Nightmare, Lady Courageous, Fired Wife), dies of an alcohol and drug overdose at 38
- Jan 25 Rutland Boughton, British composer (The Immortal Hour), dies at 82
- Jan 28 Jacques de Menasce, composer, dies at 54
- Jan 28 Zora Neale Hurston, American author, dies at 69
- Jan 29 Louis Jean Heydt, American character actor (Waterfront; Gone With The Wind; The Great McGinty), dies from a heart attack at 56
- Jan 31 Lowell Gilmore, American actor (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Living Christ Series), dies at 53
