Gregory Conquers Julius Caesar
1583 Holland begins use of Gregorian calendar (yesterday was 1/1/1583)
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Music Premiere
1723 George Frideric Handel's opera "Ottone" premieres at the King's Theatre London
George Frideric Handel
Event of Interest
1803 US Senate approves Thomas Jefferson's nomination of James Monroe and Robert Livingstone to negotiate purchase of New Orleans from France
James Monroe
Thomas Jefferson
- 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
Event of Interest
1836 HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin reaches Sydney, Australia
Charles Darwin
- 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.
Event of Interest
1867 Leo Tolstoy's "Smert Ioonna Groznogo" premieres in St Petersburg
Leo Tolstoy
- 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)
- 1898 Itō Hirobumi begins his third term as Prime Minister of Japan
- 1899 Lynmouth Lifeboat rescues 18 people from the stricken schooner Forest Hall off the coast of Devon
- 1900 Freeland Colony founded in US
- 1902 Uddevalla Suffrage Association is formally dissolved
Event of Interest
1903 Harry Houdini performs at Rembrandt theater, Amsterdam
Harry Houdini
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
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
H. H. Asquith
David Lloyd George
- 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)
Event of Interest
1913 After using other pseudonyms over the years, Josef Dzhugashvili signs himself as Stalin ("man of steel") in a letter to the newspaper Social Democrat
Joseph Stalin
- 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
Event of Interest
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
Joe Malone
- 1918 Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens.
- 1920 Annual drafting of baseball players from minor leagues to be done in inverse order of the final standings, agreed to
- 1924 History of Science Society organized at Boston
- 1925 John Howard Lawson's "Processional" premieres in NYC
Event of Interest
1928 Philip Barry & Elmer Rice's "Cock Robin" premieres in NYC
Elmer Rice
- 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 US Congress recognizes the Philippines' independence
- 1933 Uprising of Guardia Civil in Spain, 25 dies
- 1937 Plough for laying submarine cable patented
- 1940 World War II: Soviets bombs cities in Finland.
- 1942 British troops reconquer Sollum
- 1942 Dutch troops on Tarakan surrender
- 1942 National War Labor Board created
- 1943 Frankfurters replaced by Victory Sausages (mix of meat & soy meal)
- 1944 Churchill & 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 US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea
- 1945 The Soviets begin a large offensive against the Nazis in Eastern Europe
- 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
Event of Interest
1948 Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast
Mahatma Gandhi
- 1948 US Supreme Court decision (Sipuel v Oklahoma State Board of Regents)
Television Premiere
1949 "Arthur Godfrey & his Friends" premieres on CBS TV
Arthur Godfrey
Boxing Title Fight
1951 Ezzard Charles TKOs Lee Oma in 10 for heavyweight boxing title
Ezzard Charles
- 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 it's 1st black student
- 1953 9 "Jewish" physicians arrested for "terrorist activities" in Moscow
- 1954 Austria's worst avalanche-kills 200; 9hrs later 2nd one-kills 115
Event of Interest
1954 Queen Elizabeth II opens New Zealand parliament
Elizabeth II
- 1956 FBi arrests 6 members of the Great Brink's robbery gang, 6 days before statute of limitations runs out
Event of Interest
1957 Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta
Martin Luther King Jr.
NBA Record
1958 Syracuse National Dolph Schayes sets NBA record at 11,770 points
Dolph Schayes
Event of Interest
1959 American record company Motown is founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records
Berry Gordy
- 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
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
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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
Johnny Unitas
Lyndon B. Johnson
Event of Interest
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
Red Auerbach
Television Debut
1966 "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as The Joker, debuts on ABC
Cesar Romero
- 1966 3 British Members of Parliament are attacked in a hotel in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe)
Event of Interest
1967 Louisville, Kentucky, draft board refuses exemption for boxer Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
- 1967 Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation and remains preserved at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
- 1967 NBC premiers the colorized remake of "Dragnet"
- 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
Super Bowl
1969 Super Bowl III, Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: New York Jets beat Baltimore Colts, 16-7; MVP: Joe Namath, NY Jets, QB
Joe Namath
Event 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
Henry Kissinger
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
Lenny Wilkens
Event of Interest
1972 Abu Sayeed Chudhury becomes President of Bangladesh and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Prime Minister
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
- 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 Organisation
- 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
Music Awards
1979 6th American Music Awards: Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt win
Barry Manilow
Linda Ronstadt
Event of Interest
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
Björn Borg
Television Premiere
1981 Soap opera "Dynasty" produced by Aaron Spelling and starring John Forsythe, Linda Evans and Joan Collins premieres on ABC-TV
Linda Evans
- 1981 -35°F (-37°C), Chester, Massachusetts (state record)
- 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 Chicago Blackhawk centre Denis Savard scores at 4 seconds of 3rd period
- 1986 AFC Championship, Miami Orange Bowl: New England Patriots beat Miami Dolphins, 31-14
- 1986 NFC Championship, Soldier Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat Los Angeles Rams, 24-0
Event of Interest
1987 Britain's Prince Edward resigns from his Royal Marines training
Prince Edward
Hall of Fame
1988 Willie Stargell (Pitts Pirate), elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Willie Stargell
- 1989 6 claim to survive in rubble, 35 days after Armenian quake (hoax)
Event of Interest
1990 Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton is stabbed in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
Al Sharpton
Event of Interest
1991 US Congress gives George H. W. Bush authority to wage war against Iraq
George H. W. Bush
- 1992 13th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the Persian Gulf War
- 1992 Last building in Gateway area in Cleveland is demolished
- 1992 US male Figure Skating championship won by Christopher Bowman
- 1992 Algeria's general elections canceled after strong gains by Islamic Salvation Front in the 1st round
- 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
John Elway
Event of Interest
1993 NHL great Mario Lemieux announces that he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma
Mario Lemieux
Hall of Fame
1994 Steve Carlton (Phillies) elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Steve Carlton
- 1995 Major earthquake kills 5,092 in Kobe Japan
Murder of Interest
1995 Murder trial against O.J. Simpson, begins in LA
O.J. Simpson
Papal Visit
1995 Pope John Paul II begins visit to SE Asia
John Paul II
- 1996 Russian troops arrived in Bosnia (joint operation with US)
Film and TV Awards
1997 23rd People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson & Sandra Bullock win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen & Oprah Winfrey win (TV)
Event of Interest
1997 Tiger Woods wins Mercedes Championships
Tiger Woods
- 1997 AFC Championship, Foxborough Stadium: New England Patriots beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6
- 1997 NFC Championship, Lambeau Field, Green Bay: Green Bay Packers beat Carolina Panthers, 30-13
- 1998 Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
- 2001 Downtown Disney opens to the public in Anaheim
Event of Interest
2001 Disney Channel series "Lizzie McGuire" premieres starring Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Film and TV 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
- 2006 Turkey releases Mehmet Ali Ağca from jail after he served 25 years for shooting Pope John Paul II
- 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.
Event of Interest
2006 During an emotional ceremony, Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the New York Rangers
Mark Messier
- 2007 Comet McNaught reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years.
Event of Interest
2009 Cristiano Ronaldo is awarded 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year for the first time at a ceremony in Zurich
Cristiano Ronaldo
Earthquake Devastates Haiti
2010 Earthquake devastates Haiti, killing approximately 160,000 and destroying the majority of the capital Port-au-Prince
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- 2010 Colombia officially leaves the recession after achieving 2% economic growth in the last quarter of 2009
- 2012 17th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: The Artist wins Best Film
- 2013 A failed attempt to rescue a French hostage in Bulo Marer, Somalia, results in 18 deaths
- 2013 Beijing’s level of air pollution is declared to be at levels that are hazardous to human health
