Gregory Conquers Julius Caesar
1583 Holland begins use of Gregorian calendar (yesterday was 1/1/1583)
Premiere of Ottone
1723 George Frideric Handel's opera "Ottone" premieres at the King's Theatre London
New Orleans Purchase
1803 US Senate approves Thomas Jefferson's nomination of James Monroe and Robert Livingstone to negotiate purchase of New Orleans from France
- 1806 French evacuate Vienna
- 1807 Gunpowder-ship explodes in Leiden, Netherlands, 150 die
- 1808 The organizational meeting that led to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
- 1809 British take Cayenne (French Guiana) from French (until 1814)
- 1812 1st cargo arrives in New Orleans by steam, from Natchez
- 1816 France decrees Bonaparte family excluded from the country forever
- 1820 Astronomical Society of London (now the Royal Astronomical Society) founded in England
- 1836 Battle of Wetumka, Fla
Darwin Reaches Sydney
1836 HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin reaches Sydney, Australia
- 1839 Anthracite coal 1st used to smelt iron, Mauch Chunk, Penn
- 1842 Franciscan nuns begin missionary work on Netherland Antilles
- 1848 Palermo rising against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies takes place in Sicily
- 1861 Florida state troops demand surrender of Fort Pickens (US Civil War)
- 1863 President Davis delivers his "State of Confederacy" address
- 1866 The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
- 1867 Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy's play "Smert Ioanna Groznogo" (The Death of Ivan the Terrible) premieres in St Petersburg
- 1872 Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, 1st imperial coronation in Axum in over 200 years
- 1875 Kwang-su becomes Emperor of China
- 1895 The National Trust is founded in Britain.
- 1896 1st X-ray photo in US (Dr Henry Smith, Davidson NC)
Japanese History
1898 Itō Hirobumi begins his third term as Prime Minister of Japan
Magic Show
1903 Harry Houdini performs at Rembrandt theater, Amsterdam
Election of Interest
1906 Henry Campbell-Bannerman's cabinet (which included H. H. Asquith, David Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill) embarks on sweeping social reforms after a Liberal landslide in the British general election
- 1907 Britain grants responsible government to former colony of Transvaal
- 1908 A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
- 1911 The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees.
- 1912 -47°F (-44°C), Washta, Iowa (state record)
- 1915 US House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women right to vote
- 1916 Britain proclaims Gilbert & Ellice Islands as a colony in Pacific
- 1916 Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke receive the Pour le Merite, the German Empire's highest military award, for achieving eight aerial victories each over Allied aircraft
- 1918 Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law comes into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens
NHL Record
1918 Montreal Canadien's center Joe Malone scores 5 goals in a 9-4 win over Ottawa to become the first 20 goal scorer in NHL history; goes on to score 44 regular season goals
Theater Premiere
1928 Philip Barry and Elmer Rice's play "Cock Robin" premieres in NYC
- 1929 Seatrain (RR cars on ships) service begins, New Orleans-Havana
- 1932 Hattie W Caraway elected 1st woman senator (D-Ark)
- 1932 Philip Barry's "Animal Kingdom" premieres in NYC
- 1933 Uprising of Guardia Civil in Spain, 25 dies
- 1933 US Congress recognizes the Philippines' independence
- 1937 Plough for laying submarine cable patented
Churchill and De Gaulle Meet in Marrakesh
1944 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill & French General Charles de Gaulle begin a 2-day wartime conference in Marrakesh
- 1944 Failed resistance raid on distribution office of Borgerstraat, Amsterdam
- 1945 German forces in Belgium retreat in Battle of Bulge
- 1945 The Soviets begin a large offensive against the Nazis in Eastern Europe
- 1945 US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea
- 1946 "Polonaise" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 113 performances
- 1946 Edouardo de Filippo's "Questi Fantasmi!" premieres in Rome
- 1946 NFL champs Cleveland Rams given permission to move to LA
- 1948 1st Supermarket in UK opens
Gandhi's Final Fast
1948 Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast
- 1948 US Supreme Court decision (Sipuel v Oklahoma State Board of Regents)
Television Premiere
1949 "Arthur Godfrey & his Friends" premieres on CBS TV
- 1949 Dutch court affirms death sentence against SS chief Hanns Rauter
- 1950 Swedish tanker rams British submarine Truculent in Thames, 64 die
- 1950 USSR re-introduces death penalty for treason, espionage & sabotage
Boxing Title Fight
1951 Ezzard Charles TKOs Lee Oma in 10 for heavyweight boxing title
- 1952 2nd NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: National Conference beats American Conference, 30-13; MVP: Dan Towler, LA Rams, FB
- 1952 University of Tennessee admits its 1st black student, Gene Mitchell Gray, as a graduate student in chemistry
- 1953 9 "Jewish" physicians arrested for "terrorist activities" in Moscow
- 1954 Austria's worst avalanche-kills 200; 9hrs later 2nd one-kills 115
Elizabeth II in New Zealand
1954 Queen Elizabeth II opens New Zealand parliament
- 1956 FBi arrests 6 members of the Great Brink's robbery gang, 6 days before statute of limitations runs out
Civil Rights History
1957 Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta
- 1958 8th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-7; MVPs: Hugh McElhenny, SF 49ers, HB; Gene Brito, Washington Redskins, DE
- 1958 NCAA adds 2 point conversion to football scoring
NBA Record
1958 Syracuse National Dolph Schayes sets NBA record at 11,770 points
Motown Founded
1959 Berry Gordy Jr.'s Tamla Records (later Motown) begins operating in Detroit, Michigan
- 1959 KOED TV channel 11 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 1959 Rediscovery of the Caves of Nerja in Malaga, Spain
- 1960 Gary Sobers and Frank Worrell complete 399 stand for 4th wkt WI v England
- 1960 Syracuse National Dolph Schayes is 1st NBA'er to score 15,000 points
- 1961 "Show Girl" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 100 performances
- 1961 UN genocide pact goes into effect
- 1962 Operation Chopper begins, America's first combat mission in the Vietnam War
Agent Orange in Vietnam
1962 Operation Ranch Hand begins, a US Air Force operation to spray South Vietnamese forests with defoliants such as Agent Orange
- 1963 "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence peaks at #1
- 1963 Spin bowler Bobby Simpson takes 5-57 for Australia v England
NFL Pro Bowl
1964 14th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 31-17; MVPs: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, QB; Gino Marchetti, Baltimore Colts, DE
- 1964 Revolution overthrows Sultan of Zanzibar, 1 month after independence
- 1965 "Hullabaloo" premieres on NBC-TV
- 1965 At 10:58 am PST burn up a nuclear rocket in Nevada
Television Debut
1966 "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as The Joker, debuts on ABC
- 1966 12 day NYC transit strike ends
- 1966 3 British Members of Parliament are attacked in a hotel in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe)
Auerbach's 1,000th Win
1966 Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach records his 1,000th NBA career victory (regular season and playoffs), 114-102 over the Los Angeles Lakers in Boston
Vietnam War
1966 LBJ says US should stay in South Vietnam until communist aggression ends
- 1967 Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation; remains preserved at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Boxing History
1967 Louisville, Kentucky draft board refuses exemption for boxer Muhammad Ali [1]
- 1967 NBC revival of Jack Webb's police drama "Dragnet", now broadcast in color, debuts; runs through 1970
- 1968 Beatles Film Production Ltd changes name to Apple Film Production Ltd
- 1968 Nighttime version of "Hollywood Squares" premieres on NBC TV
- 1969 "Golden Rainbow" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 355 performances
- 1969 Atlantic Records releases eponymous debut album of Led Zeppelin in US
Super Bowl
1969 Super Bowl III, Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: New York Jets beat Baltimore Colts, 16-7; MVP: Joe Namath, NY Jets, QB
- 1971 "All in the Family" premieres on CBS featuring 1st toilet flush on TV
- 1971 2 bombs explode at UK Employment Secretary Robert Carr's home
NBA All-Star Game
1971 21st NBA All-Star Game, San Diego Sports Arena: West beats East, 108-107; MVP: Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics, PG; oldest MVP in All-Star history (33); scores 21 points
- 1971 Congressional Black Caucus organizes
- 1971 Joseph Kookoolis and Scott Fagan's rock opera musical "Soon" opens at Ritz Theater, NYC; runs for 3 performances
- 1971 Negotiations over price of petroleum begin in Tehran between 6 OPEC Persian Gulf states and 22 oil companies
Trial of Interest
1971 US Federal grand jury indicts Rev Philip Berrigan & 5 others, including a nun & 2 priests, on charges of plotting to kidnap Henry Kissinger
History of Bangladesh
1972 Abu Sayeed Chudhury becomes President of Bangladesh and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Prime Minister
- 1972 Tigers sign a lease to build a $126M domed stadium (doesn't happen)
- 1974 "Joker" by Steve Miller Band peaks at #1
- 1974 Libya & Tunisia announces they are merging as "Islamic Arab Republic"
- 1975 Chrysler Corp offers 1st car rebates
- 1975 Super Bowl IX, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, LA: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Minnesota Vikings, 16-6; MVP: Franco Harris, Pittsburgh, RB
- 1976 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to seat Palestine Liberation Organization
- 1977 "Ipi Tombi" opens at Harkness Theater NYC for 39 performances
- 1977 Anti-French demonstrations takes place in Israel after Paris released Abu Daoud, responsible 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli athletes
American Music Awards
1979 6th American Music Awards: Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt win
- 1979 LA's Hillside Strangler, Kenneth Bianchi, arrested in Bellingham
- 1979 Record blizzard strikes the US midwest killing over 100
Sports History
1980 Björn Borg of Sweden wins his first of 2 season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles outclassing American Vitas Gerulaitis 6–2, 6–2 at Madison Square Garden, NYC
- 1980 Phoenix point guard Mike Bratz begins NBA free throw streak of 57 games during a 107-96 loss at the Golden State Warriors
- 1981 -35°F (-37°C), Chester, Massachusetts (state record)
- 1981 MLB Cincinnati Reds become last team to sign a free agent, outfielder Larry Biitner
Premiere of Dynasty
1981 Soap opera "Dynasty" produced by Aaron Spelling and starring John Forsythe, Linda Evans and Joan Collins premieres on ABC-TV
Hall of Fame
1983 Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
- 1983 NCAA creates football Kickoff Classic to begin in August
- 1983 Quebec Nordiques play 230th NHL game without being shut out
- 1986 24th space shuttle (61-C) mission-Columbia 7-launched
- 1986 AFC Championship, Miami Orange Bowl: New England Patriots beat Miami Dolphins, 31-14
- 1986 Chicago Blackhawk centre Denis Savard scores at 4 seconds of 3rd period
- 1986 NFC Championship, Soldier Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat Los Angeles Rams, 24-0
British History
1987 Britain's Prince Edward resigns from his Royal Marines training
Hall of Fame
1988 Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman Willie Stargell elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- 1989 6 claim to survive in rubble, 35 days after Armenian quake (hoax)
Al Sharpton Stabbed
1990 Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton is stabbed in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
- 1990 Romania bans Communist party (1st Warsaw Pact member to do so)
- 1991 Largest crowd to watch Atlantic Coast Women's Basketball game (11,520)
- 1991 Melvin Stewart swims world record 200 m butterfly (1:55.69)
Iraq War
1991 US Congress gives George H. W. Bush authority to wage war against Iraq
- 1992 13th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the Persian Gulf War
- 1992 A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali.
AFC Championship
1992 AFC Championship, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills beat Denver Broncos, 10-7
- 1992 Algeria's general elections canceled after strong gains by Islamic Salvation Front in the 1st round
- 1992 Highest scoring NCAA basketball game; Troy State Trojans defeat DeVry Hoyas 258-149 in Troy, Alabama
- 1992 Last building in Gateway area in Cleveland is demolished
- 1992 NFC Championship, RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.: Washington Redskins beat Detroit Lions, 41-10
- 1992 US male Figure Skating championship won by Christopher Bowman
Hall of Fame
1993 8th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Ruth Brown; Cream; Creedence Clearwater Revival; The Doors; Etta James; Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; Van Morrison; Sly and the Family Stone; Dinah Washington; Dick Clark; and Milt Gabler
Sports History
1993 NHL great Mario Lemieux announces that he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hall of Fame
1994 Lefthanded pitcher Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
1995 10th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Allman Brothers Band; Al Green; Janis Joplin; Led Zeppelin; Martha and the Vandellas; Neil Young; Frank Zappa; The Orioles; Paul Ackerman
- 1995 Major earthquake kills 5,092 in Kobe Japan
OJ Simpson Trial
1995 Murder trial against O.J. Simpson, begins in LA
- 1995 Pope John Paul II begins visit to SE Asia
- 1996 Russian troops arrived in Bosnia (joint operation with US)
People's Choice Awards
1997 23rd People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson & Sandra Bullock win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen & Oprah Winfrey win (TV)
- 1997 AFC Championship, Foxborough Stadium: New England Patriots beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6
- 1997 Ladies' figure skating star Oksana Baiul injured slightly while driving intoxicated in Bloomfield, Connecticut
- 1997 NFC Championship, Lambeau Field, Green Bay: Green Bay Packers beat Carolina Panthers, 30-13
- 1997 Space Shuttle STS 81 (Atlantis 18), launches into space
Hall of Fame
1998 13th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Eagles; Fleetwood Mac; Mamas and Papas; Lloyd Price; Santana; Gene Vincent; "Jelly Roll" Morton; and Allen Toussaint
- 1998 Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
Lizzie McGuire Premieres
2001 Disney Channel TV series "Lizzie McGuire" premieres starring Hilary Duff
- 2001 Downtown Disney opens to the public in Anaheim
People's Choice Awards
2003 29th People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson & Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Ray Romano & Jennifer Aniston win (TV)
- 2004 The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
- 2005 Deep Impact (space mission) launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket.
- 2006 A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims
NHL History
2006 During an emotional ceremony, Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the New York Rangers
- 2006 French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal. Greenpeace activists board the ship.
- 2006 The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declare that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have reached a dead end and recommend that Iran be referred to the United Nations Security Council.
- 2006 Turkey releases Mehmet Ali Ağca from jail after he served 25 years for shooting Pope John Paul II
- 2007 Comet McNaught reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years.
Football Awards
2009 Cristiano Ronaldo is awarded 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year for the first time at a ceremony in Zurich
- 2010 Colombia officially leaves the recession after achieving 2% economic growth in the last quarter of 2009
Earthquake Devastates Haiti
2010 Earthquake devastates Haiti, killing approximately 160,000 and destroying the majority of the capital Port-au-Prince
