This Day in History
January 19

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing a single day's events)

What happened in history on this day: January 19?

On January 19 in ...

  • 379 - Theodosius installed as co-emperor of East Roman Empire.
  • 570 - Birth of Mohammed, Islamic prophet (Koran).
  • 639 - Dagobert I, king of Austrasia/Soissons/Burgundy/Neustrië, dies.
  • 973 - Pope Benedictus VI elected.
  • 1200 - Birth of Dogen Kigen Japan, Zen teacher, first patriarch of the Japanese Soto.
  • 1419 - After nearly six months' seige, French city of Rouen surrenders to King Henry V of England.
  • 1479 - Johan II king of Aragón/Navarra, dies at age 81.
  • 1493 - France cedes Roussillon and Cerdágne to Spain by treaty of Barcelona.
  • 1544 - Birth of Francis II de Valois-Angoulême king of France (1559-60).
  • 1547 - Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, army commander/poet, beheaded at age 29 for treason.
  • 1549 - Barthout van Assendelft first land advocate of Holland, dies.
  • 1576 - Death of Hans Sachs at age 81 in Nürnberg, Germany; wrote over 4,000 songs and plays (Die Wittembergisch Nachtigall Der farent Schüler im Paradeis).
  • 1591 - Edmond Auger French jesuit (under Henri III), dies at about age 60.
  • 1613 - Birth of Jacques Huyn composer.
  • 1629 - Abbas I Shah of Persia (1588-1629), dies at age 57.
  • 1639 - Birth of Noël Alexandre French theologian/historian.
  • 1647 - Johan van Beverwijck physician (Treasurer of Ongesontheyt), dies at age 52.
  • 1668 - King Louis XIV and Emperor Leopold I sign treaty dividing Spain.
  • 1669 - Leo Allatios Greek/Italian theologist/literary, dies at about age 82.
  • 1676 - Birth of John Weldon composer.
  • 1679 - Birth of Girolamo Chiti composer.
  • 1686 - Birth of Hakuin Ekakuborn Japan, Zen Buddhist.
  • 1692 - John Commelin director of Hortus Botanist (Amsterdam), dies at age 62.
  • 1714 - Richard Steele publishes "The Crisis", defending Hanoverian success.
  • 1729 - William Congreve English dramatist (Love for Love), dies in London at age 58.
  • 1736 - Birth of James Watt Scotland, inventor (steam engine).
  • 1736 - Birth of Laurens P van de Spiegel Dutch regent/secretary of State 1787-95.
  • 1737 - Birth of Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre French writer (Paul et Virgin).
  • 1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Stirling.
  • 1747 - Johann Bode "discoverer" of Bode's Law, dies.
  • 1770 - Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan).
  • 1790 - Birth of Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom; Swedish historian/poet (Lycksalighetens, Blommorna).
  • 1793 - French King Louis XVI sentenced to death.
  • 1795 - Democratic revolution in Amsterdam ends oligarchy.
  • 1798 - Birth of Auguste Comte; philosopher/founder (sociology and positivism).
  • 1802 - Birth of [Jean] Silvain van de Weyer; first Belgian minister of Foreign affairs (1831).
  • 1806 - Britain occupies the Cape of Good Hope.
  • 1807 - Birth of Robert Edward Lee Stratford in Virginia, USA; General-in-Chief (Confederacy).
  • 1808 - Louis Napoleon signs first Dutch aviation law.
  • 1809 - Birth of Edgar Allan Poe in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; poet, author and literary critic (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, The Raven).
  • 1813 - Birth of Henry Bessemer; engineer/inventor (Bessemer engine).
  • 1816 - Birth of Henry Gray; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1892).
  • 1820 - Birth of John Haskell King; US Brevet Major General (Union Army) (dies 1888).
  • 1825 - Ezra Daggett and nephew Thomas Kensett patent food storage in tin cans.
  • 1827 - Birth of Carlos Guido y Spano in Argentina; conductor (Ráfagas).
  • 1830 - Birth of George Blake Cosby; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1909).
  • 1833 - Louis-J-Ferdinand Hérold, French composer (Pré aux clercs), dies at age 41.
  • 1839 - Aden conquered by British East India Company.
  • 1839 - Birth of Paul Cézanne in France; impressionist painter (Bathers).
  • 1839 - Death of Ludwig, military governor of Hess-Homburg, in Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
  • 1840 - Antarctica discovered, Charles Wilkes expedition (US claim).
  • 1851 - Birth of David Starr Jordan in New York, USA; biologist/university president (Leland Stanford).
  • 1858 - Birth of Eugene Brieux; French playwright (Blanchette, Lesson Avaries).
  • 1859 - Birth of Alice Eastwood in Toronto; botanist (Handbook of Trees of California).
  • 1861 - Georgia becomes fifth state to secede from the USA.
  • 1861 - Mississippi troops take Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island.
  • 1863 - Birth of Werner Sombart; German fascist (Juden und das Wirtschaftsleben).
  • 1863 - General Mieroslawski appointed dictator of Poland.
  • 1865 - USA occupies Fort Anderson, North Carolina.
  • 1866 - Birth of Harry Davenport in New York City, New York, USA; actor/director (Her Unborn Child, My Sin).
  • 1869 - Birth of Alfred R Zimmerman; mayor (Rotterdam 1906-22), Director (League of Nations).
  • 1876 - Death of Philos Tyler at age 60 of typhus fever in New York City, New York, USA; engineer (Pontchartrain Railroad), coiner (New Oleans Mint (1839-1847)), superintendent (American Machine Works), mayor (Springfield (1854)).
  • 1877 - Birth of Charles Coburn in Savannah, Georgia, USA; actor (Devil and Miss Jones).
  • 1879 - Birth of Marie Koenen; author/wife of Felix Rutten (Wassend Cereal).
  • 1885 - Battle at Abu Klea, Sudan: 800-1000 killed.
  • 1885 - Fred Burnaby, English Colonel/balloon pioneer, dies in battle.
  • 1886 - Aurora Ski Club, first in US, founded in Minnesota.
  • 1887 - Birth of Alexander Woollcott in New Jersey, USA; short story writer/critic (The Man Who Came to Dinner).
  • 1889 - Birth of Sophie Taeuber/Täuber-Arp Swiss sculptor/wife of Hans Arp (Dada).
  • 1892 - Birth of Olafur Thors; Icelandic Prime Minister (six times, 1942-63).
  • 1897 - Birth of René Victor; Flemish lawyer/knight (Rechtskundig Weekblad).
  • 1898 - Brown defeats Harvard 6-0 in first intercollegiate hockey game.
  • 1899 - Anglo-Egyptian Sudan forms.
  • 1902 - Birth of Heinrich Schmist-Barrien; German author (Moorkeerl).
  • 1903 - The first transatlantic tadio broadcast takes place, as King Edward VII and US President Theodore Roosevelt speak with one another in a coded radio transmission between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cornwall, England.
  • 1903 - New bicycle race "Tour de France" is announced.
  • 1904 - Birth of James Winston Watts; developer (Frontal Lobotomy).
  • 1905 - Birth of Anne Schumacher Hummert; pioneer radio writer/producer (Our Gal Sunday, The Romance of Helen Trent, Mr Keen Tracer of Lost Persons, Betty and Bob, Backstage Wife, Waltztime, The American Album of Familiar Music).
  • 1905 - Birth of Oveta Culp Hobby; government official/newspaper publisher/CEO (Houston Post).
  • 1906 - Birth of Ish Kabbible [Merwyn Bogue] in Pennsylvania, USA; comedian (Kay Kyser's Kollege).
  • 1906 - Birth of Lanny Ross in Seattle, Washington, USA; radio singer ("Troubadour on the Moon" (1928), "Moonlight and Roses", Maxwell House Show Boat radio show, Packard Car Mardi Gras, Camel Caravan, Your Hit Parade, The Swift Show).
  • 1907 - Birth of Lillian Harvey in London, England; actress (Invitation to the Waltz).
  • 1910 - Germany and Bolivia end commerce/friendship treaty.
  • 1912 - Birth of Francis David Charteris; Earl of Wemyss and March/Scottish landowner.
  • 1912 - Birth of Jean G H "Sjeng" Tans; Dutch socialist democratic chairman (1965-69).
  • 1912 - Birth of Leonid V Kantorovich in Saint Petersburg, Russia; economist (Nobel Prize).
  • 1913 - Raymond Poincaré installed as President of France.
  • 1914 - Birth of Lester Flatt; country musician (Flatt and Scruggs - "Ballad of Jed Clampett", "Rocky Top").
  • 1915 - First German Zeppelin L3s make bombing attack over Great Britain; four die in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
  • 1915 - Birth of Alvy West in Brooklyn, New York, USA; orchestra leader (Andy Williams Show).
  • 1915 - Neon Tube sign patented by George Claude.
  • 1917 - Silvertown Essex's ammunition factory explodes; 300 die.
  • 1918 - Birth of John H Johnson; US publisher (Negro Digest, Ebony, Jet).
  • 1918 - Russia disallows a Constitution Assembly.
  • 1919 - "Tidal wave" of 2 million gallons of molasses 15 metres high by 25 metres wide drowns 21 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
  • 1919 - Birth of Walter Fleischmann AKA Anthony Dexter AKA Tony Dexter AKA Walter Craig in New Brunswick, Canada; actor (Valentino).
  • 1919 - Birth of Dharam Singh in India; field hockey player (Olympics-gold-1964).
  • 1920 - Alexandre Millerand forms French government.
  • 1920 - Birth of Javier Pérez de Cuéllar in Lima, Perú; 5th Secretary-General of United Nations (1982-91).
  • 1920 - US Senate votes against membership in League of Nations.
  • 1921 - Birth of Patricia Highsmith [Plangman]; US/Swiss writer (Strangers on a Train, L'amateur d'escargot).
  • 1921 - Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador sign Pact of Union.
  • 1922 - Birth of Arthur Morris; cricket player (great Australian lefty opening batsman).
  • 1922 - Birth of Guy Madison AKA Robert Ozell Moseley in Bakersfield, California, USA; actor (Wild Bill Hickok on radio and TV).
  • 1922 - Birth of Ken Hughes in Liverpool, England; director (Casino Royale).
  • 1922 - US Geological survey says US oil supply would be depleted in 20 years.
  • 1923 - Birth of Jean Stapleton in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Damn Yankees, Klute, Edith Bunker - All in the Family).
  • 1924 - Birth of 7th Earl of Carnarvon; English large landowner.
  • 1924 - Birth of Jean François Revel; French journalist/author (Ni Marx ni Jésus).
  • 1924 - Birth of Nicholas Colasanto in Providence, Rhode Island, USA; actor (Coach Ernie - Cheers).
  • 1925 - -48 degrees F (-44 degrees C), Van Buren, Maine (state record).
  • 1925 - Birth of Nina [Mary] Bawden; English author (Afternoon of a Good Woman).
  • 1926 - Birth of Fritz Weaver in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Josef - Holocaust, Day of the Dolphin, Against the Law, Dream West, All My Children).
  • 1926 - Birth of Libera Carlier; Flemish author (Action Station Go!).
  • 1927 - British government decides to send troops to China.
  • 1927 - Charlotte, princess of Belgium/Empress of Mexico (1864-67), dies at age 86.
  • 1928 - Birth of Dainin Katagiri in Osaka, Japan; Zen teacher, associate of Shunryu Suzuki.
  • 1929 - Acadia National Park in Maine is established.
  • 1929 - Birth of Ulu Grosbard in Belgium; actor (Straight Time, Georgia, Falling in Love).
  • 1929 - Clas Thunberg skates world record 500m in 42.8 seconds.
  • 1930 - Birth of Tippi Hedren; actress (Fashion House, Providence, Dream On).
  • 1930 - Birth of John Waite; cricket wicket-keeper (great South African).
  • 1931 - Birth of Robert MacNeil in Montréal, Québec, Canada; news anchor (NBC Weekend News 1965-67, MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour).
  • 1931 - Birth of Ron Packard; American politician (Representative-Republican-California, 1983-).
  • 1932 - Birth of Joe Schmidt; NFL Hall of Fame linebacker (Detroit Lions).
  • 1932 - Birth of Richard Lester; movie director (A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Petulia).
  • 1932 - Charlie Conacher becomes first Toronto Maple Leafs' player to score five goals in a game, the first coming at 7 seconds of the game.
  • 1933 - Birth of Marc F A Andries; Flemish actor (Central Station).
  • 1934 - Birth of Lloyd Robertson; CTV news anchor.
  • 1935 - Birth of Tippi Hedren in Minnesota, USA; actress (The Birds, Marnie, The Bold and the Beautiful).
  • 1935 - KLM begins flight path between Curaçao and Aruba.
  • 1937 - Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes sets transcontinental air record (7:28:25).
  • 1938 - Birth of Denny Smith; American politician (Representative-Republican-Oregon, 1981-).
  • 1938 - Birth of Phil Everly in Brownie, Kentucky, USA; singer (Everly Bros - "Wake Up Little Susie").
  • 1938 - General Motors begins mass production of diesel engines.
  • 1939 - Ernest Hausen of Wisconsin, USA sets chicken-plucking record-4.4 seconds.
  • 1939 - Birth of Phil Everly; singer (The Everly Brothers).
  • 1940 - Birth of Barend J du Plessis; South African minister of Finance (1984-).
  • 1941 - British offensive in Eritrea.
  • 1941 - British troops occupy Kassalaf Sudan.
  • 1942 - Birth of Michael Crawford in England; Broadway star (Phantom of the Opera).
  • 1942 - Birth of Shelly Fabares in Santa Monica, California, USA; actress (Donna Reed Show, Coach).
  • 1942 - Titus Brandsma (Carmelite priest) arrested by German occupiers for speaking out against Nazism as a "lie" and "pagan".
  • 1943 - Birth of Janis Joplin in Port Arthur, Texas, USA; singer (Big Brother and The Holding Company, "Me and Bobby McGee", "Down on Me").
  • 1943 - Birth of Margriet Francisca; Dutch Princess.
  • 1944 - Birth of Shelley Fabares; actress (Coach, Mary Hartman, Donna Reed Show).
  • 1944 - Birth of Dan Reeves; NFL Coach (New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons).
  • 1945 - Birth of Rod Evans; rocker (Deep Purple - "Come Taste the Band").
  • 1945 - Birth of Vadim Abdrashitov; director (Fox Hunt, Parade of Planets).
  • 1946 - Birth of Alexandr Vladimirovich Shchukin; Russian cosmonaut.
  • 1946 - Birth of Dolly Rebecca Parton in Sevierville, Tennessee, USA; country singer (Dolly, 9 to 5).
  • 1946 - Birth of Julian Barnes in England; writer (Before She Met Me).
  • 1947 - Birth of Alessandro Haber; actor (China is Near).
  • 1947 - Birth of Ann Compton; news reporter (ABC TV).
  • 1947 - Greek steamer Himara strikes a wartime mine in Saronic Gulf south of Athens with loss of 392 of 637 aboard.
  • 1949 - Birth of Robert Palmer in Batley, England; rocker ("Addicted to Love" (Grammy Award), "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley").
  • 1950 - Maiden flight by Canada's Avro Canada CF-100 military plane.
  • 1951 - Birth of Dewey Bunnell in Yorkshire, England; rock guitarist (America - "Daisy Jane", "Sister Golden Hair").
  • 1951 - Birth of Linda Hayden in Middlesex, England; actress (Blood on Satan's Claw, Shattered).
  • 1951 - Wilhelm Schäfer, German writer (Mein Leben), dies at age 82.
  • 1951 - Birth of Martha Davis; singer (The Motels).
  • 1952 - PGA approves allowing black participants.
  • 1952 - Birth of Dewey Bunnell; singer (America).
  • 1953 - CBS-TV airs episode of I Love Lucy in which Lucy Ricardo gives birth to a baby boy, just as the actress does in real life. 68 percent of all TV sets in the U.S. are tuned in to watch.
  • 1953 - Birth of Desi Arnaz Junior in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Craig - Here's Lucy, Fakeout, Joyride, Automan).
  • 1953 - Jesse Owens named Illinois Athletic Commission secretary.
  • 1954 - Birth of Katey Sagal in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Peg Bundy - Married With Children).
  • 1954 - Birth of Steve DeBerg; NFL quarterback (Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers).
  • 1954 - Sydney Greenstreet, actor (Conflict, Maltese Falcon), dies at age 74.
  • 1955 - "Scrabble" debuts on board game market.
  • 1955 - CBS TV debuts The Millionaire TV program.
  • 1955 - First Presidential news conference filmed for TV (Dwight Eisenhower).
  • 1955 - Birth of Simon Rattle in England; orchestra conductor (Birmingham Symphony Orchestra).
  • 1956 - Hoboken dedicates a plaque honoring achievements of Alexander Cartwright in organizing early baseball at Elysian Field.
  • 1956 - The General Motors Motorama show opens in the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, running for nine days. The 1956 Corvette makes its debut. The Corvette Impala show car is displayed.
  • 1957 - Birth of Michael "Mickey" Virtue in Birmingham, England; rock keyboardist (UB40 - "Red Red Wine").
  • 1957 - Birth of Ottis "O J" Anderson; NFL running back (New York Giants).
  • 1957 - Birth of Katey Sagal; actress (Married...With Children, Eight Simple Rules).
  • 1957 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test.
  • 1958 - Canadian Football Council renamed Canadian Football League.
  • 1960 - Birth of Alfrederick Joyner in East Saint Louis, Illinois, USA; triple jumper (Olympics-gold-1984).
  • 1960 - US President Dwight Eisenhower and Japanese Premier Kishi sign US-Japanese Security pact.
  • 1961 - Birth of Paul McCrane; actor (Hotel New Hampshire, We're Fighting Back, ER, Champs, 24).
  • 1961 - Birth of William Ragsdale in Alaska, USA; actor (Fright Night, Mannequin 2, Smooth Talk).
  • 1962 - Birth of Anthony Edwards in Santa Barbara, California, USA; actor (Mike Monroe - Northern Exposure).
  • 1962 - Birth of Chris Sabo in Detroit, Michigan, USA; pitcher (Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles).
  • 1962 - Snub Pollard, actor (Limelight, Arizona Days), dies of cancer at age 72.
  • 1963 - Birth of Caron Wheeler; English singer (Soul II Soul - "Keep on Movin'").
  • 1963 - Birth of Michael Adams; NBA guard (Charlotte Hornets).
  • 1964 - AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 27-24.
  • 1965 - Birth of Ricky Reynolds; NFL cornerback (New England Patriots).
  • 1965 - Frank Reicher, actor (King Kong, Nazi Agent, Son of Kong), dies at age 89.
  • 1966 - Birth of Anthony Young; US baseball pitcher (New York Mets, Chicago Cubs).
  • 1966 - Birth of Ronnie Williams; NFL tight end (Miami Dolphins).
  • 1966 - Birth of Stefan Edberg in Sweden; tennis player (Wimbledon 1988, US Open 1991).
  • 1966 - Birth of Sylvain Cote Duberger; NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals).
  • 1966 - Indira Gandhi elected India's third prime minister.
  • 1967 - Birth of Christine Tucci; actress (Amanda Cory - Another World).
  • 1967 - Grace Cunard, actress (Untamed, Ressurection), dies at age 73.
  • 1967 - Herr Karl Tausch writes shortest will "Vse Zene" (All to wife).
  • 1968 - Birth of Marty Conlon; NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks).
  • 1968 - Birth of Whitfield Crane; rocker (Ugly Kid Joe - "Mad Man", "Too Bad").
  • 1969 - AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 38-25.
  • 1969 - Birth of Andrew Murray Stone in Auckland, New Zealand; open 470 yachter (Olympics-1996).
  • 1969 - Birth of Junior Seau; NFL inside linebacker (San Diego Chargers).
  • 1969 - Birth of Luc Longley; NBA center (Chicago Bulls).
  • 1969 - Birth of Orlando Palmeiro in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA; outfielder (California Angels).
  • 1969 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Burdine's Golf Invitational.
  • 1969 - NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 10-7.
  • 1970 - Birth of Ghetty Chasun in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Red Lips).
  • 1970 - Birth of Rick Krivda in Mckeesport, Pennsylvania, USA; pitcher (Baltimore Orioles).
  • 1970 - Birth of T J Mathews in Bellevillem Illinois, USA; pitcher (Saint Louis Cardinals).
  • 1970 - Dutch bishop says he is in favor of married priest.
  • 1970 - US President Richard Nixon nominates G Harrold Carswell to Supreme Court (fails).
  • 1970 - Death of Hal March at age 49 of lung cancer; comedian/actor/host (Sweeney and March radio show, Burns and Allen TV show, The Imogene Coca Show, I Love Lucy, $64,000 Question).
  • 1971 - 24th NHL All-Star Game: West beat East 2-1 at Boston.
  • 1971 - Birth of Jeff Juden in Salem, Massachusetts, USA; baseball pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants).
  • 1971 - Birth of John Wozniak; singer, guitarist (Marcy Playground).
  • 1971 - Birth of Maurice Hofman; Dutch soccer player (MVV).
  • 1971 - Birth of Reggie Brooks; NFL running back (Washington Redskins).
  • 1971 - Birth of Shawn Wayans; actor (The Wayans Brothers, In Living Color).
  • 1971 - NHL Writers' Association renamed Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
  • 1972 - Birth of Tyrone Wheatley; NFL running back (New York Giants).
  • 1972 - Birth of Drea de Matteo; actress (Joey, The Sopranos).
  • 1972 - Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, and Early Wynn elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1973 - Birth of Chris Stynes in Queens, New York, USA; infielder (Kansas City Royals).
  • 1973 - Max Adrian, actor (Boy Friend, Her Favorite Husband), dies at age 69.
  • 1974 - Belgium government of Leburton falls.
  • 1974 - Birth of Amaury Telemaco in Higuey, Dominican Republic; pitcher (Chicago Cubs).
  • 1974 - Birth of Gregory Playfair; Suriname/Dutch soccer player (PSV).
  • 1974 - Birth of Tarik Oulida; soccer player (Ajax/Seville).
  • 1974 - Birth of Walter Jones; tackle (Seattle Seahawks).
  • 1974 - Notre Dame beats UCLA, ends NCAA-record 88-game basketball win streak.
  • 1975 - Four mail truck assault on El Al B-747 in Paris, escape to Iraq.
  • 1975 - Birth of Natalie Harvey; Australian 3k/5k runner (Olympics-1996).
  • 1975 - In the Kashmir-Xizang border region, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. 42 dead, 40 seriously injured, 2,500 people left homeless, and extensive damage in the Kinnaur district of the Himachal Pradesh State.
  • 1975 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Colgate Golf Triple Crown.
  • 1976 - Birth of Claire Grech; Miss Malta-Universe (1997).
  • 1976 - Birth of Sky Christopherson in Tucson, Arizona; cyclist (Olympics-1996).
  • 1976 - The Beatles turn down an offer by rock music promoter Bill Sargent of $50 million to play together again on the same stage.
  • 1976 - Birth of Marsha Thomason; actress (Las Vegas, Lost).
  • 1976 - Kevin Coughlin, actor (T R Ryan - Mama), killed in hit-and-run at age 30.
  • 1977 - Birth of Anne Miller in Midland, Michigan; tennis star (1995 Darmstadt Germany).
  • 1977 - Birth of Taliesin Jaffe in Venice, California; actor (Willy - Hail to the Chief).
  • 1977 - Ernie Banks elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1977 - Geraldine Brooks, actress (Faraday and Co, Dumplings), dies at age 51.
  • 1977 - US President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri (Tokyo Rose), convicted in 1949 of treason, as witness testimony included lies under threat by the FBI and occupation police.
  • 1977 - World's largest crowd-12.7 million-for Indian religious festival.
  • 1977 - Rare snow flurries in southeast Florida, USA.
  • 1978 - Eddie Mathews elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1978 - US Federal Appeals Court Judge William H. Webster is appointed FBI Director.
  • 1979 - Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
  • 1979 - Paul Meurisse, actor (Diabolique, Truth, Suspects, Monocle), dies.
  • 1980 - William O Douglas, member of US Supreme court (1939-75), dies at age 81.
  • 1981 - Muhammad Ali talks a despondent 21-year old out of committing suicide.
  • 1981 - In Irian Jaya, Indonesia, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. Three hundred five people killed, some injured and about 1,000 missing in the Jayawijaya Mountains.
  • 1981 - United States and Iranian officials sign an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 14 months of captivity.
  • 1982 - Australia-West Indies one-day game that produced a Privy Council libel case.
  • 1982 - Birth of Jodie Sweetin; American actress (Stephanie Tanner - Full House, Pants-off Dance off).
  • 1982 - Heater explodes at Star Elementary School-Oklahoma, kills six kids and teacher.
  • 1982 - Leopold Trepper, Polish/Israeli spy (WWII), dies at age 77.
  • 1982 - Marc Demeyer, Belgian bicyclist (Paris-Roubaix 1976), dies at age 31.
  • 1983 - Apple Computer announces the Lisa computer. It features a 5 MHz 68000 processor, 12-inch monochrome monitor, 720x364 graphics, two 5.25-inch floppy drives, 5 MB hard drive, and six integrated programs. Its initial price is US$10,000. It is the first commercial personal computer with a graphical user interface.
  • 1983 - Klaus Barbie, SS chief of Lyon in France, arrested in Bolivia.
  • 1983 - Saint Louis Cardinals' infielder Ozzie Smith becomes baseball's first $1 million shortstop, signing a three-year contract.
  • 1984 - Francesco Moser bicycles world record time 50,808 km (he is the first man to break the 50 km/h barrier).
  • 1984 - California Supreme Court refuses to allow quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia to starve herself to death in a public hospital; she appeals and is later granted the right to die.
  • 1985 - Four die in a car and train crash in Buda, Illinois.
  • 1985 - Death of Eric Voegelin, philosopher of history, in Stanford, California (born in Cologne, Germany).
  • 1986 - Israeli premier Simon Peres visits Netherlands.
  • 1986 - The first virus program for the IBM PC appears, called the Brain. It infects the boot sector of 360 kB floppy disks.
  • 1986 - Spain recognizes Israel.
  • 1987 - Guy Hunt becomes Alabama's first Republican governor since 1874.
  • 1988 - CBS-TV debuts TV newsmagazine 48 Hours.
  • 1988 - Ballard Berkeley, actor (East meets West), dies at age 83.
  • 1989 - Norma Varden, actress (Loose in London), dies.
  • 1989 - President Reagan pardons George Steinbrenner for illegal funds for Nixon.
  • 1990 - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian guru, dies at age 58.
  • 1990 - Herbert Wehner, German ex-communist/chairman (1958-73), dies at age 83.
  • 1990 - Test debut of Mushtaq Ahmed, versus Australia at Adelaide.
  • 1991 - 42nd NHL All Star Game: Campbell beats Wales 11-5 in Chicago, Illinois.
  • 1991 - The Party of the Alliance of Youth, Workers and Farmers of Angola is founded in Luanda, Angola.
  • 1991 - Twenty-nine people are injured by a SCUD attack on Tel Aviv, Israel.
  • 1991 - Don Beddoe, actor (Bullwhip, Loophole, Texas), dies at age 87.
  • 1991 - Glenn Langan, actor (Big Chase, Jungle Heat, Rapture), dies at age 73.
  • 1991 - Death of John (William Lawrence) Russell of emphysema at age 70; actor (Apache Uprising, Yellow Sky, Marshal Dan Troop - Lawman TV series, recurring roles in It Takes a Thief, Alias Smith and Jones, Jason of Star Command).
  • 1991 - Jumbo Tsuruta beats Stan Hansen to win All Japan Triple Crown title.
  • 1991 - Sergeant Slaughter defeats Ultimate Warrior for WWF championship belt.
  • 1992 - Birth of Logan Lerman; actor (Jack and Bobby).
  • 1992 - Nature Boy Ric Flair becomes WWF champion at Royal Rumble.
  • 1993 - Israel recognizes Palestinian Liberation Organization as no longer criminal.
  • 1993 - Kees Scherer, Dutch photographer (World Press Photo), dies at age 72.
  • 1993 - Oakland Athletics unveil new elephant logo.
  • 1993 - Reginald Lewis, CEO (Beatrice), dies of brain cancer at age 50.
  • 1993 - Robert M Gates ends term as 15th director of US Central Intelligence Agency.
  • 1993 - STS-54 (space shuttle Endeavour) lands.
  • 1993 - IBM announces a US$4.97 billion loss for 1992, the largest single-year corporate loss in United States history.
  • 1993 - Iraq refuses to allow UNSCOM inspectors to use its own aircraft to fly into Iraq, and begins military operations in the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait, and the northern Iraqi no-fly zones. U.S. forces fire approximately 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Baghdad factories linked to Iraq's illegal nuclear weapons program. Iraq then informs UNSCOM that it will be able to resume its flights.
  • 1993 - William LeMassena, actor (All that Jazz), dies of lung cancer at age 76.
  • 1994 - Record cold temperatures hit the eastern United States. The coldest temperature ever measured in Indiana state history, -36 degrees F (-38 degrees C), is recorded in New Whiteland. The coldest temperature ever measured in Ohio state history, -20 degrees F (-29 degrees C), is recorded in Cleveland.
  • 1995 - In Colombia, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurs. Five people killed, several injured and at least 20 major buildings damaged in the Bogota area. Felt in much of Colombia and western Venezuela and as far as Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1995 - Jean-Claude Juncker (28) sworn in as premier of Luxembourg.
  • 1995 - Death of Gene MacLellan at age 56 by suicide in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada; composer ("Snowbird", "Put Your Hand in the Hand").
  • 1996 - NHL approves move of Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix.
  • 1997 - Ivan Rodriguez signs the richest one-year deal in baseball history, agreeing to a contract worth US$6.65 million to play with the Texas Rangers.
  • 1997 - In Beverly Hills, California, the 54th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony is held.
    • Best Film, Musical or Comedy: Evita;
    • Best Actress, Musical or Comedy: Madonna in Evita;
    • Best Original Song: "You Must Love Me" in Evita;
    • other winners: The English Patient, Brenda Blethyn and Geoffrey Rush.

  • 1997 - Michelle McGann wins LPGA Healthsouth Inaugural.
  • 1997 - Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years, and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city.
  • 1998 - Death of Carl Perkins, at age 65 after a series of strokes; American singer/songwriter/guitarist ("Blue Suede Shoes", Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee).
  • 2000 - Death of Bettino Craxi, Prime Minister of Italy (born 1934).
  • 2003 - Cuban elections, renewing Fidel Castro as president for next five years, as well as other official candidates for the single-chamber parliament.
  • 2004 - U.S. Senator John Kerry (Democrat-Massachusetts) wins the Iowa Democratic caucus. Vermont Governor Howard Dean's concession speech ends with a lively but controversial scream.
  • 2006 - After an 80-day departure, Theo Epstein returns to the Red Sox in a yet-to-be named capacity. The youngest general manager in baseball history, who assembled a World Champion team in 2004, left Boston on Halloween Day citing the position was not 'the right fit'.
  • 2006 - Death of Wilson Pickett at age 64 of a heart attack; soul singer ("In the Midnight Hour", "Land of 1,000 Dances", "Funky Broadway", "Mustang Sally", "I'm a Midnight Mover").
  • 2006 - Death of Tony Franciosa AKA Anthony Papaleo at age 75 of a stroke; actor (Valentine's Day, The Name of the Game, Matt Helm, Finder of Lost Loves).
  • 2007 - Israel releases US$100 million in frozen assets to President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority in order to bolster the president's position.
  • 2007 - Death of Denny Doherty at age 66 of an abdominal aneurysm following surgery in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; singer, songwriter (The Mamas and the Papas - "California Dreamin'", "Monday, Monday").
  • 2008 - French bank Société Générale discovers that stock trader Jérôme Kerviel had managed to defraud the bank of 4.9 million euros (US$7.1 billion) through bad bets on stock futures. This is the biggest trading scandal in banking history.
  • 2008 - Death of Don Wittman at age 71 of cancer; Canadian sports broadcaster for 47 years.
  • 2008 - Death of Suzanne Pleshette at age 70 of lung cancer; actress (The Bob Newhart Show).
  • 2008 - Death of John Stewart at age 68 from massive stroke or brain aneurysm; singer-songwriter ("Daydream Believer", The Kingston Trio folk group).
  • 2009 - The United Kingdom Government launches a second bank rescue plan, allowing banks to insure themselves against losses on their riskiest assets, offering guarantees on their debt, and setting up a 50 billion-pound (US$75 billion) fund to buy up high-quality securities.
  • 2009 - Royal Bank of Scotland records the biggest loss in UK corporate history, up to 28 billion pounds (US$52 billion), and RBS shares close down 67 percent. The government increases its stake in RBS from 58 percent to 70.
  • 2009 - Irish bank shares plunge over 50 percent.
  • 2009 - Baltimore Orioles' outfielder Nick Markakis agrees to a six-year, US$66 million contract.
  • 2010 - US food company Kraft Foods makes a deal to buy British candy maker Cadbury for about US$19.6 billion, the largest European food and beverage deal on record.
  • 2010 - Japan Airlines Corp files for bankruptcy protection owing more than US$25 billion. Shareholders, creditors, and combined banks will give up US$11 billion in debt in a restructuring deal.
  • 2022 - Genting Hong Kong cruise ship company files to end operations and liquidate the company.
  • 2022 - Crystal Cruises (part of Genting Hong Kong) suspends operations of its two ocean-going cruise ships and one expedition ship to the end of April, and its river cruise ship through the end of May.
  • 2022 - Death of Gaspard Ulliel at age 37 of a skiing accident in French Alps; French actor (Moon Knight).
  • 2023 - New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announces she will step down by February 7.

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