- 250 St Fabian ends his reign as Catholic Pope (236-50)
- 1045 Giovanni di Sabina elected Pope Sylvester III
- 1156 According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader Bishop Henry with an axe on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi in Finland
- 1265 First English Parliament summoned other than by royal command (in this instance by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester) mets in Westminster Hall
- 1320 Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes King of Poland
- 1356 Edward Balliol abdicates as King of Scots
- 1502 The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro is first explored
- 1503 Casa Contratacion (Board of Trade) found (Spain) to deal with American affairs
Event of Interest
1513 Christian II succeeds Johan I as Danish and Norwegian king
Christian II
- 1523 Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway
- 1576 The Mexican city of León is founded by order of viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almansa
- 1613 Peace of Knarod ends War of Kalmar between Denmark & Sweden
- 1648 Cornerstone of Amsterdam townhall laid
- 1667 Treaty of Andrussovo ends 13 year war between Poland & Russia
- 1778 1st American military court martial trial begins in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1781 1st edition of Pieter It Hoens "Post of Neder-Rhijn" published
- 1785 Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers
- 1788 Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah, Georgia
Event of Interest
1801 John Marshall appointed US chief justice
John Marshall
Napoléon Bonaparte
Historic Expedition
1850 HMS Investigator headed by Robert McClure leaves England, 1st expedition to make a Northwest passage (though some over ice)
Robert McClure
Event of Interest
1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before US Congress
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- 1870 "City of Boston" vanishes at sea with all 177 aboard
Election of Interest
1870 Hiram R. Revels elected to fill unexpired term of Jefferson Davis as US Senator for Mississippi
Hiram R. Revels
Jefferson Davis
Event of Interest
1905 US begins supervising the Dominican Republic's national and international debts, testing President Theodore Roosevelt's "Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine
Theodore Roosevelt
- 1910 Stanley Cup, Dey's Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators outclass Edmonton HC, 13-7 for a 2-0 sweep of challenge series
- 1914 The first group of Transvaal Indian women satyagrahis are released from Pietermaritzburg Prison in South Africa after three months imprisonment
- 1919 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Double Bay, Sydney: Gerald Patterson beats Algernon Kingscote 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 to retain title for Australasia over the Great Britain, 3-1; ends 4-1
- 1920 Dutch 2nd Chamber passes school laws
- 1920 The American Civil Liberties Union is founded
- 1921 British submarine HMS K5 (which was unusually equipped with steam turbines) sinks with 57 crew during exercises in the Bay of Biscay
- 1921 Dagestan ASSR forms in RSFSR
- 1921 Mountain Autonomous Republic established in RSFSR
- 1921 Republic of Turkey declared out of remnants of Ottoman Empire
Event of Interest
1922 Arthur Honegger's ballet "Skating Rink" premieres, Paris
Arthur Honegger
- 1925 The Soviet and Japan sign a convention resuming relations: Russia agrees to limit revolutionary activity of the Third Communist International, while Japan agrees to leave the Sakhalin
- 1926 2nd German government of Luther begins
- 1929 1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, "In Old Arizona"
- 1930 1st radio broadcast of "Lone Ranger" (WXYZ-Detroit)
- 1934 Japan sends Henry Pu Yi as regent to emperor of Manchuria
Event of Interest
1936 Edward VIII succeeds British King George V
Edward VIII
- 1937 -45°F (-43°C), Boca, California (state record)
- 1937 1st US Presidential Inauguration day held on Jan 20th, (previously March 4th)
- 1939 Charles Ives' 1st Sonata "Concord" premieres
- 1939 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins 3rd straight title by 2 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby
Event of Interest
1941 Bela Bartok's 6th string quartet, premieres in NYC
Béla Bartok
Event of Interest
1941 Chinese Communist leaders re-organize the New Fourth Army in defiance of Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek's order for it to be disbanded
Chiang Kai-shek
- 1942 Japanese invade Burma
Wannsee Conference
1942 Nazi officials hold notorious Wannsee Conference in Berlin to organize the "final solution", the extermination of Europe's Jews
Learn More
- 1943 Lead, South Dakota, temperature is 52°F, while 1.5 miles away Deadwood records -16°F
Event of Interest
1943 Operation Weiss: German, Italian, Bulgarian & Croatian troops attempt to retake land liberated by Tito's partisans
Josip Broz Tito
- 1944 RAF drops 2,300 ton of bombs on Berlin
Event of Interest
1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented (and never to be repeated) 4th term as US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 1945 The Hungarian Provisional Government concludes an armistice with the USSR, US, and Britain, agree to pay reparations and to join the war against Germany
- 1946 F Gouin follows De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government
- 1947 Brigadier General Edwin K Wright, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
Event of Interest
1949 J. Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen
J. Edgar Hoover
Shirley Temple
Event of Interest
1949 US President Harry Truman announces his four point program
Harry Truman
- 1949 1st inaugural parade televised, for Harry Truman, watched by 10 million people
- 1950 "Dance Me a Song" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 35 performances
- 1950 Suriname becomes independent part in Realm of Netherlands
- 1950 1950 NFL Draft: Leon Hart from University of Notre Dame first pick by Detroit Lions
- 1952 British army occupies Ismailiya, Suez Canal Zone
Event of Interest
1952 The NBA's first superstar George Mikan scores a career high 61 points leading the Minneapolis Lakers to a 91-81 double-overtime victory over the Rochester Royals
George Mikan
- 1953 1st US telecast transmitted to Canada from Buffalo, New York
Event of Interest
1953 1st live US coast-to-coast inauguration address (Eisenhower)
Dwight D. Eisenhower
- 1954 -70°F (-57°C), Rogers Pass, Montana (US 48 state record)
Music Concert
1954 Dmitri Shostakovich's "Concertino opus 94" premieres
Dmitri Shostakovich
- 1954 The National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations.
Music Recording
1956 Buddy Holly records "Blue Days Black Night" in Nashville
Buddy Holly
- 1957 Gomulka wins Poland's parliamentary election
- 1957 Morton Gould's "Declaration" premieres in Washington, D.C.
- 1958 KUED TV channel 7 in Salt Lake City, UT (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 1958 A group attempting the 1st surface crossing of Antarctic join up at the South Pole
- 1959 Dmitri Shostakovich's Moscow-Tsjerjomoesjki premieres in Moscow
- 1960 Patrice Lumumba sentenced to 6 months in Belgian Congo
- 1961 Francis Poulenc's "Gloria" premieres in Boston
Event of Interest
1961 Yugoslav ex-vice-president Milovan Djilas flees
Milovan Djilas
President Inaugurated
1961 Democrat John F. Kennedy, the youngest elected President of the United States, is administered his oath of office at his inauguration by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. Robert Frost recites "Gift Outright".
Meeting of Interest
1965 Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain
Francisco Franco
NBA Record
1967 Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain makes all 15 of his field goal attempts in a 119-108 win over LA Lakers; NBA record for consecutive shots made; beats mark twice before 1966-67 season ends
Wilt Chamberlain
- 1968 US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
- 1968 US male Figure Skating championship won by Tim Wood
- 1968 Houston Cougars defeat the UCLA Bruins 71-69 to win basketball's Game of the Century and end UCLA's 47 game winning streak
- 1969 Richard M Nixon inaugurated as US president
- 1969 U of Az reports 1st optical id of pulsar (in Crab Nebula)
NBA All-Star Game
1970 20th NBA All-Star Game, Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa: East beats West, 142-135; MVP: Willis Reed, NY Knicks, C; Tom and Dick Van Arsdale, first brothers to play in same NBA All-Star Game
Willis Reed
NHL All-Star Game
1970 23rd NHL All-Star Game, St. Louis Arena: East beats West, 4-1; MVP: Bobby Hull, Chicago, LW
Bobby Hull
- 1970 Super Fight, computer mock championship between Ali & Marciano; Marciano won.
World Record
1971 Ard Schenk skates world record 1000m (1:18.8)
Ard Schenk
Meeting of Interest
1971 John Lennon meets Yoko Ono's parents in Japan
Yoko Ono
John Lennon
Music Single
1971 Single "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye about police brutality is released
Marvin Gaye
- 1972 Six oil exporting countries conclude meetings with Western oil companies; an agreement is reached to raise the price of crude
- 1972 Number of people out of work and claiming unemployment benefit in UK rises to over 1 million
- 1973 A car bomb explodes in Sackville Place, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, killing 1 person and injuring 17 (no organisation claimed responsibility)
President Inaugurated
1973 Richard Nixon's second inauguration as President of the United States takes place in Washington, D.C.
Richard Nixon
- 1974 24th NFL Pro Bowl, Arrowhead Stadium, KC, Missouri: AFC beats NFC, 15-13; MVP: Garo Yepremian, Miami Dolphins, PK
- 1974 7th ABA All-Star Game: East 128 beats West 112 at Virginia
- 1974 Essex Comm College beats Englewood Cliffs 210-67 in basketball
- 1975 25th NFL Pro Bowl, Miami Orange Bowl: NFC beats AFC, 17-10; MVP: James Harris, LA Rams, QB
- 1975 Terrence McNally's play "Ritz" premieres in NYC
- 1976 29th NHL All-Star Game, Spectrum, Philadelphia: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 7-5; MVP: Peter Mahovlich, Montreal, C
- 1977 George H. W. Bush ends his term as 11th director of CIA replaced by E. Henry Knoche as acting director
- 1978 Columbia Pictures pays $9.5 million for movie rights to "Annie"
Event of Interest
1979 1 million Iranians march in Tehran in a show of support for the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, fundamentalist Muslim leader
Ayatollah Khomeini
Olympic Games
1980 President Jimmy Carter announces US boycott of Olympics in Moscow
Jimmy Carter
- 1980 US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne
- 1980 US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner
- 1980 Super Bowl XIV, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: Pittsburgh Steelers beat LA Rams, 31-19; MVP: Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh, QB
- 1981 Adm Stansfield Turner, USN (Ret), ends term as 12th director of CIA
- 1981 Frank C. Carlucci, ends his term as deputy director of CIA
- 1981 Islander Glenn Resch's 25th & last shut-out opponent-Flames 5-0
President Inaugurated
1981 Ronald Reagan inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America
Ronald Reagan
Iran Hostage Crisis
1981 The US diplomats and citizens held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran are released and begin their journey home after 444 days
Learn More
Event of Interest
1982 Future Hockey Hall of Fame center Darryl Sittler is traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Rich Costello, a 2nd round draft pick and future considerations
Darryl Sittler
Event of Interest
1982 Heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat on stage in Des Moines, Iowa
Ozzy Osbourne
Super Bowl
1985 Super Bowl XIX, Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16; MVP: Joe Montana, SF, QB
Joe Montana
Event of Interest
1986 1st federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr
Martin Luther King Jr.
- 1986 Chunnel announced (railroad tunnel under Channel)
- 1986 Military coup in Lesotho under major general Lekhanya & premier Leabua Jonathan
- 1987 Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite taken hostage in Beirut, Lebanon by Islamic militia group
- 1987 Rhino Records 1st #1, Billy Vera & Beaters' "At This Moment"
Event of Interest
1987 8th ACE Cable Awards: Ted Turner wins the Golden CableACE
Ted Turner
Event of Interest
1987 Bank robber Robert A. Litchfield is arrested at Lake Tahoe
Robert Allen Litchfield
President Inaugurated
1989 George H. W. Bush inaugurated as 41st US President, Dan Quayle becomes 44th Vice President
George H. W. Bush
Event of Interest
1989 Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux becomes just the 2nd player in NHL history to score 50 goals in less than 50 games; #50 in 44th game as the Penguins lose 7-3 to the Jets in Winnipeg
Mario Lemieux
Golden Globes
1990 47th Golden Globes: "Born on the Fourth of July", Tom Cruise and Michelle Pfeiffer win
Tom Cruise
- 1990 US 64th manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) returns from space
- 1990 Black January - crackdown of Azerbaijani pro-independence demonstrations by Soviet army in Baku
- 1991 "Black & Blue" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 829 performances
- 1991 "Les Miserables" opens at Pantages Theatre, LA
- 1991 "Peter Pan" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC or 45 performances
- 1991 "Shogun - The Musical" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 72 performances
- 1991 13th UCP Telethon
- 1991 US Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles
- 1991 Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.
- 1991 AFC Championship, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills beat Los Angeles Raiders, 51-3
- 1991 NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: New York Giants beat San Francisco 49ers, 15-13
- 1992 Australia beat India 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup; Australian opener David Boon scores the most runs in the series (432)
- 1992 Score begins selling international soccer cards
- 1993 Adm Studeman, serves as acting director of CIA
President Inaugurated
1993 Bill Clinton (D) inaugurated as 42nd US President
Bill Clinton
President Inaugurated
1993 Maya Angelou is 1st African American and woman to recite a poem at inauguration of a US President - "On the Pulse of Morning" for Bill Clinton
Maya Angelou
Bill Clinton
Film Premier
1994 British comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral" written by Richard Curtis, starring Hugh Grant premieres at the Sundance Film Festival
Hugh Grant
NHL All-Star Game
1996 46th NHL All-Star Game, FleetCenter, Boston, MA: East beats West, 5-4; MVP: Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins, D
Ray Bourque
- 1996 Australia defeat Sri Lanka 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup
- 1996 US female Figure Skating championship won by Michelle Kwan
- 1996 WPAT FM NYC radio station switches to English-Spanish format
- 1997 Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars' orbit
- 1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in New Orleans LA on KKND 106.7 FM
- 1997 Pakistan defeat West Indies 2-0 to win Aust one-day Series
- 1997 2nd Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Fargo wins Best Film
- 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts Mama & Papas & Eagles
- 1998 Warner Brothers TV Network begins Tueday night programming
- 1998 3rd Critics' Choice Movie Awards: L.A. Confidential wins Best Film
Film Premier
1998 "Dawson's Creek" created by Kevin Williamson, starring James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson premieres on WB in the US
Katie Holmes
James Van Der Beek
- 1999 The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafés.
Event of Interest
2001 President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is ousted in the EDSA II Revolution and succeeded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Joseph Estrada
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
- 2002 Photographs showing al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects shackled and masked are published by the United States military
Golden Globes
2002 59th Golden Globes: "A Beautiful Mind", Russell Crowe, & Sissy Spacek win
Sissy Spacek
Russell Crowe
- 2002 18th Sundance Film Festival: "Personal Velocity: Three Portraits", directed by Rebecca Miller, wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Film Release
2006 TV movie "High School Musical" released starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hugdens, becomes Disney Channel's most successful TV movie
Ashley Tisdale
Martin Scorsese
- 2007 Utah coach Jerry Sloan passes Larry Brown for 4th on the NBA's all-time win list (1,010) after the Jazz beat the Chicago Bulls, 95-85 at the United Center
- 2008 AFC Championship, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough: New England Patriots beat San Diego Chargers, 21-12
- 2008 NFC Championship, Lambeau Field, Green Bay: New York Giants beat Green Bay Packers, 23-20 (OT)
Event of Interest
2008 "Breaking Bad", created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul premieres on AMC
Bryan Cranston
Aaron Paul
President Inaugurated
2009 Barack Obama, inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, becomes the United States' first African-American president
Barack Obama
