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
Johnny Cash
- 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, premieres
Event of Interest
Jan 2 Senator John F. Kennedy, announces his candidacy for the US Presidency
John F. Kennedy
- 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 7 The Polaris missile is tested
- 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
Event of Interest
Jan 12 Syracuse National Dolph Schayes is 1st NBA'er to score 15,000 points
Dolph Schayes
- Jan 14 Tuindorp-Oostzaan in Northern Amsterdam, flooded
Elvis Presley in the Army
Jan 14 US Army promotes Elvis Presley to Sergeant
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- Jan 14 The Reserve Bank of Australia is established
Event of Interest
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
Gordie Howe
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
Johnny Unitas
Treaty of Interest
Jan 19 Eisenhower & Premier Kishi sign US-Japanese Security pact
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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
Wilt Chamberlain
- 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
Pete Rozelle
- Jan 28 1st photograph bounced off Moon, Washington, D.C.
Event of Interest
Jan 28 "The Goon Show"'s final episode on BBC radio
Spike Milligan
- Jan 28 NFL announces Dallas Cowboys (1960) & Minnesota Vikings (1961) franchises
Event of Interest
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
Frederick Ashton
- 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, US rock vocalist (REM-Losing My Religion, Stand)
- 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 10 Benoît Pelletier, Canadian politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
- Jan 10 Samira Said, Moroccan singer, born in Rabat, Morocco
- Jan 12 Dominique Wilkins, American NBA forward (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 (England righty batsman in 5 Tests 1988-89), born in Chislehurst, United Kingdom
- Jan 15 Kelly Asbury, American director & actor, born in Beaumont, Texas
- 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 cover), 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 & actor (INXS, Dogs in Space), born in Sydney, New South Wales (d. 1997)
Michael Hutchence
- 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 Gary Plummer, American NFL linebacker (San Diego Chargers, SF 49ers), born in Fremont, California
- Jan 26 Jeanette Bolden, American 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 26 Charlie Gillingham, American musician (Counting Crows), 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, Taiwan, violinist (Queen Sophia 1st prize)
- Jan 29 Eddie Jackson, bassist (Queensryche-Breaking the Silence)
- Jan 29 Greg Louganis, American diver (Olympic gold 10m & 3m springboard 1984, 88), born in San Diego, California
- Jan 29 Matthew Ashford, American actor (Jack Devaraux-Days of Our Lives), born in Davenport Iowa
- Jan 29 Sean Kerly, hockey player
- Jan 29 Steve Sax, 2nd baseman (LA Dodgers, NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox)
- Jan 29 Gia Carangi, American model (d. 1986)
- Jan 29 J. G. Thirlwell, Australian-born musician
- 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
Wedding of Interest
Jan 22 Comedic actor Bob Denver (25) weds Maggie Ryan in California
Bob Denver
- 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
Albert Camus
- 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 Luís Costa, Portuguese composer, dies at 80
- Jan 7 Dorothea Lambert Chambers, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1903-04, 06, 10-11, 13-14), dies at 81
- 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], Eng/Aust author (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 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 actor (Waterfront, Gone with the Wind, The Great McGinty), dies from a heart attack at 54
- Jan 31 Lowell Gilmore, American actor (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Living Christ Series), dies at 53
