January 2018 in History

Events in History

Jan 1 California becomes largest US state to legalise cannabis for recreational use

Iranian Protests

Jan 1 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says recent unrest "is nothing" after 30 people killed in 5 days of anti government demonstrations

Jan 2 Bus crash in Pasamayo, Peru, kills 51 on notorious "Devil's Curve" road
Jan 2 Storm Eleanor forms near Ireland then sweeps across the UK and Western Europe in next few days
Jan 2 US senator Al Franken resigns
Jan 2 WHO reveals it will classify gaming addiction as mental health condition in its next Classification of Diseases
Jan 3 First bionic hand with a sense of touch, for use outside a lab unveiled in Rome
Jan 3 Landslide and flooding caused by heavy rains in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, kills at least 37

Fire and Fury

Jan 3 Lawyers of US President Donald Trump try to stop the publication of book on Trump's administration "Fire and Fury" by Michael Wolff

45th US President, Businessman and TV Personality Donald Trump

Jan 3 Previously unknown ancient Beringians group of people unearthed in Alaska, earliest known Native Americans at 11,500 years old
Jan 3 Security expert reveal two security flaws, Meltdown and Spectre which affect most microprocessors
Jan 4 'Bomb Cyclone' hits US Northeast prompting flooding and snow in New York subway system
Jan 4 Truck hits a train near Kroonstad city, South Africa killing 19 passengers
Jan 5 "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff is published by Henry Holt and Company
Jan 5 Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak
Jan 5 North Korea accepts South Korean invitation for high-level talks
Jan 6 Oil tanker Sanchi collides with a freighter off the coast of Shanghai with 32 probable deaths
Jan 7 It snows in the Sahara desert - 15 inches reported in Aïn Séfra, Northwest Algeria
Jan 7 Sydney, Australia has its hottest day for 80 years as Penrith reaches 47.3 degrees
Jan 8 Self-declared Republic of Somaliland passes its first ever law against rape
Jan 8 US record year for cost of natural disasters announced - $306 billion in 2017
Jan 9 Former White House strategist Steve Bannon leaves Breitbart News after his criticism of the White House in "Fire and the Fury" book
Jan 9 Mudslides sweep away 100 houses in Montecito, California, killing at least 20, on land stripped bare by recent fires
Jan 9 The first same-sex marriages take place in Australia after legislation passed a month earlier
Jan 9 US President Trump cancels program allowing 200,000 Salvadorans temporary status to live in the US

Event of Interest

Jan 10 Jeff Bezos becomes the second man worth over $100 billion as his wealth hits $106 billion due to a rise in Amazon's share price

Jan 11 In China's first significant #MeToo moment Beihang University in Beijing fires a professor for sexual misconduct
Jan 11 US President Donald Trump causes worldwide controversy when it is reported he called African countries "shitholes" during immigration meeting
Jan 13 Chelsea Manning, former soldier responsible for Wikileaks announces her bid to run for US Senate
Jan 13 Early-morning ballistic missile alert sent across Hawaii in error, revoked after 38 minutes
Jan 15 Fashion photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber are suspended from magazines including Vogue, after allegations of sexual harassment in "The New York Times"
Jan 15 Operation in El Junquito, Venezuela, to capture terrorist group including Oscar Pérez, accused of mounting a coup, ends in 4 deaths

Papal Visit

Jan 15 Pope Francis arrives in Chile for a three-day visit amid child sexual abuse claims against church clergy

Jan 15 Protests against the current government turn violent in Tunis, Tunisia marking the seventh anniversary of the revolution
Jan 15 Romanian Social Democrat (PSD) Prime Minister Mihai Tudose resigns after 7 months in office
Jan 18 First drone rescue of swimmers by lifeguards in New South Wales, Australia

Election of Interest

Jan 21 Gambian Dictator Yahya Jammeh finally concedes office and leaves Gambia 2 months after losing the presidential election

Dictator and President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh

Jan 22 US government ends three-day shutdown after an agreement in Congress to extend funding
Jan 23 Chinese researchers report they have cloned two monkeys, using the same technology as Dolly the Sheep
Jan 23 Twelve camels disqualified from the King Abdulaziz Camel beauty contest, Saudi Arabia after their owners used botox on their lips
Jan 24 UK charity Presidents Club forced to close after revelations of sexual harassment at event revealed by the "Financial Times"
Jan 25 Doomsday clock moved by 30 seconds to 2 minutes to midnight by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, closest since 1950s
Jan 25 Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi asked "are there any bookshops in Nigeria?" in controversial French interview
Jan 26 Residents left without heat in -27C in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan after boiler breaks in main power station
Jan 27 Bomb in an ambulance kills over 100 people in Kabul, Taliban claim responsibility
Jan 28 Seven survivors from missing Kiribati ferry carrying 100 people rescued after week at sea
Jan 29 F.B.I deputy director Andrew G. McCabe steps down from office
Jan 29 Toronto police arrest landscaper Bruce McArthur for murder after remains of at least 5 people found in potted plants
Jan 31 trump administration formally suspends the Clean Water Act

Deaths in History

Jan 1 John V Tunney, American politician (Rep/Sen-D-California), dies of prostate cancer at 83
Jan 2 Thomas Monson, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 90
Jan 5 Bruce Hood, Canadian National Hockey League referee (1965-84), and author (Calling The Shots), dies of prostate cancer at 81
Jan 5 John Young, American astronaut and 9th person to walk on the Moon (Gemini 3 & 10, Apollo 10 & 16, STS 1 & 9), dies of pneumonia complications at 87
Jan 7 Anna Mae Hays [McCabe], American military officer and US military's 1st female General, dies from a heart attack at 97
Jan 7 Peter Sutherland, Irish businessman (Allied Irish Banks) and politician (Fine Gael), dies at 71
Jan 9 Odvar Nordli, 21st Prime Minister of Norway (Labour: 1976-81), dies at 90
Jan 10 Doreen Tracey, British-born American performer (Mickey Mouse Club-Mouseketeer), dies at 74
Jan 10 Tom Luken, American politician (U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio), dies at 92
Jan 11 Doug Barnard Jr, American politician (Rep-D-GA, 1977-93), dies at 95
Jan 11 Edgar Ray Killen, American convict, former preacher, K.K.K. member and murderer, dies at 92
Jan 15 Joe Frank [Joseph Langermann], American radio personality (KCRW), dies of cancer at 79
Jan 15 Mathilde Krim, American medical researcher and founding chairman of amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research), dies at 91
Jan 18 John Barton, British theatre director and co-founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, dies at 89
Jan 18 Lucas M Mangope, 1st president of Bophuthatswana (1977-94), dies at 94
Jan 19 Geoffrey Caston, British diplomat and academic administrator (University of Oxford, 1972-79; Vice-Chancellor of University of the South Pacific, 1983-92), dies at 91

Jan 20 Jack Whitten, American abstract painter, dies of chronic leukemia at 78
Jan 20 Naomi Parker Fraley, American who inspired "Rosie the Riveter" poster, dies at 96
Jan 20 Paul Bocuse, French great chef (Legion of Honor), dies of Parkinson's disease at 91
Jan 22 Ursula K. Le Guin, American sci-fi author (The Left Hand of Darkness, Tombs of Atuan), dies at 88
Jan 23 Nicanor Parra, Chilean poet, mathematician, and physicist (Defense of Violeta Parra), dies at 103
Jan 23 Stansfield Turner, American admiral and CIA director (1977-81), dies at 94
Jan 23 Wyatt Tee Walker, African-American pastor, civil rights leader, chief of staff for Martin Luther King, Jr. and cultural historian, dies at 88
Jan 24 Jack Ketchum [Dallas William Mayr], American horror fiction author (Off Season, Red, The Woman), dies of cancer at 71