- 1942 Carole Lombard [Jane Alice Peters], American actress (My Man Godfrey, To Be or Not to Be), dies in a plane crash at 33
- 1946 Johanna HC Albregt, actress/wife of Henri Dons (Paradise), dies at 71
- 1957 Arturo Toscanini, Italian US conductor (NBC), dies in NYC at 89
- 1971 Kermit Maynard, American cowboy actor (Valley of Terror, Saturday Roundup), dies at 73
Ted Cassidy
1979 Ted Cassidy, actor (Lurch-Addams Family), dies at 46
Ted Cassidy
- 1981 Bernard Lee, British actor (M in James Bond movies, Fallen Idol, Dr No), dies at 73
- 1987 Joyce Jameson, American comedienne and actress (Spike Jones Show, The Outlaw Josey Wales), commits suicide at 59
- 1988 Ballard Berkeley [Blascheck], British actor (Fawlty Towers, East meets West, The BFG), dies at 83
- 1989 Pierre Boileau, screenwriter (Vertigo), dies at 82
- 1989 Romo Vincent, actor (Naked Jungle), dies
- 1989 Trey Wilson, actor (Bull Durham, Twins, Raising Arizona), dies
- 1992 Roselle Novelle, silent film actress, dies at 95
- 1993 Florence Desmond, [Dawson], actress (Sally in Our Alley), dies at 87
- 1993 Glenn Corbett, US actor (Shenandoah, Chisum, Midway), dies at 63
- 1994 Martin Kosleck, German actor (Pursuit to Algiers, Agent for H.A.R.M.), dies at 89
- 1998 Dimitris Horn, Greek actor (A Girl in Black), dies of cancer at 66
- 2001 Virginia O'Brien, American actress and singer (Meet the People, Gus, Ziegfeld Follies), dies of a heart attack at 81
- 2002 Ron Taylor, American actor (b. 1952)
- 2007 Ron Carey, American actor (Barney Miller), dies of a stroke at 71
- 2009 John Mortimer, British barrister, screenwriter and author. (b. 1923)
- 2014 Russell Johnson, American television and film actor, best known for his role as "The Professor" on Gilligan's Island, dies of kidney failure at 89
- 2014 Dave Madden, Canadian-born American actor (Charlotte's Web, Alice, The Partridge Family), dies from heart and kidney failure at 82
- 2018 Bradford Dillman, American actor (Compulsion, Piranha, Sudden Impact, Enforcer), dies of complications of pneumonia at 87
January in History
The Man Who Saved Elton John's Life
Long John Baldry was born on this day - a friend of stars from Rod Stewart to The Beatles and who, in 1969, famously took Elton John aside and saved the life.
January 12, 1941
British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759
Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927
The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin
It was one of the most remarkable military engagements ever: the day that 139 British soldiers took on 4,000 Zulu warriors – and won.
January 22, 1879