- Jan 1 International Year of Elderly
- Jan 1 The Euro currency is introduced.
- Jan 1 85th Rose Bowl: #9 Wisconsin beats #6 UCLA, 38-31
- Jan 1 65th Sugar Bowl: #3 Ohio State beats #8 Texas A&M, 24-14
- Jan 2 A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern United States, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches (487 mm) in Chicago, where temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C); 68 deaths are reported.
- Jan 2 65th Orange Bowl: #7 Florida beats #18 Syracuse, 31-10
- Jan 3 Israel detains, and later expels, 14 members of Concerned Christians.
- Jan 3 The Mars Polar Lander was launched.
- Jan 4 Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as Governor of Minnesota
- Jan 4 Gunmen open fire on Shiite Muslims worshipping in an Islamabad mosque, killing 16 people and injuring 25.
- Jan 4 College Football, 1st BCS National Championship, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ: #1 Tennessee beats #2 Florida State, 23-16, at 28th Fiesta Bowl
- Jan 6 An agreement is reached by the NBA and the players union to end a 204-day lockout which shortened the season by 50 games
Event of Interest
Jan 7 Impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton begins in the US Senate.
Bill Clinton
- Jan 7 NBA Board of Governors unanimously ratifies a new 6-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and the National Basketball Players Association
Event of Interest
Jan 8 Tree planting protest against the privatisation of Karura Forest, including Wangari Maathai, attacked in Kenya prompting outrage
Wangari Maathai
Film and TV Awards
Jan 10 25th People's Choice Awards: Tom Hanks & Sandra Bullock win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen & Helen Hunt win (TV)
Television Debut
Jan 10 "The Sopranos", starring James Gandolfini as mobster Tony Soprano, debuts on HBO
James Gandolfini
Music Awards
Jan 11 26th American Music Awards: Celine Dion & Eric Clapton win
Celine Dion
Eric Clapton
Event of Interest
Jan 11 Marty Schottenheimer resigns as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
Marty Schottenheimer
- Jan 11 Bülent Ecevit becomes Prime Minister of Turkey for the 4th time
Event of Interest
Jan 13 Basketball superstar Michael Jordan announces his second retirement just prior to start of lockout-shortened 1998-99 NBA season; returns in 2001 with Washington
Michael Jordan
AFC Championship
Jan 17 AFC Championship, Mile High Stadium, Denver: Denver Broncos beat New York Jets, 23-10; features infamous "The Miss", Vikings' PK Gary Anderson misses field goal late 4th quarter
John Elway
- Jan 17 NFC Championship, Metrodome, Minneapolis: Atlanta Falcons beat Minnesota Vikings, 30-27 (OT)
- Jan 20 The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafés.
- Jan 21 In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the US Coast Guard intercepts a ship carrying 4,300 kg of cocaine
- Jan 22 Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons are burned alive by radical Hindus while sleeping in their car in Eastern India
- Jan 24 David Duval eagles the 18th hole for a final round 59 to win the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at PGA West; becomes only the 3rd player to fire a sub-60 round on the PGA Tour
NHL All-Star Game
Jan 24 49th NHL All-Star Game, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL: North America beats World, 8-6; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, NY Rangers, C
Wayne Gretzky
Golden Globes
Jan 24 56th Golden Globes: "Saving Private Ryan", Jim Carrey, and Cate Blanchett win
Tennis Open
Jan 30 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Martina Hingis of Switzerland wins her 3rd consecutive Australian title; beats unseeded Amélie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-3
Martina Hingis
Event of Interest
Jan 31 Seth MacFarlane's "Family Guy" first airs on Fox
Seth MacFarlane
- Jan 31 Super Bowl XXXIII, Pro Player Stadium, Miami, FL: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons, 34-19; MVP: John Elway, Denver, QB
- Jan 31 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Yevgeny Kafelnikov becomes first Russian, male or female, to win an Australian title; beats Thomas Enqvist of Sweden 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6
- Jan 31 15th Sundance Film Festival: "Three Seasons" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic