Major Events
- 1847 Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government
- 1865 New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad St, near Wall Street in New York City
- 1959 USSR's Luna 1 (Mechta) becomes the 1st spacecraft to leave Earth's gravity
- 1961 Longest recorded strike ends as the Danish barbers' assistants end a 33 year strike
- 2007 The 110th United States Congress convenes and elects Nancy Pelosi as the 1st female Speaker of the House
- 2021 First Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines given to the general public with 82-year-old Brian Pinker in the UK first to be jabbed [1]
- More January 4 Events
Jan 4 in Film & TV
- 1984 "Night Court" starring Harry Anderson, created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC TV; runs for 9 seasons
Jan 4 in Music
- 1936 Billboard magazine publishes its 1st music hit parade
Jan 4 in Sport
- 2001 Washington Wizards forward Michael Jordan becomes 4th player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points; hits a free throw in 2nd quarter of an 89-83 win against his old team, the Chicago Bulls
Did You Know?
Topsy the elephant is electrocuted by her owners at Luna Park, Coney Island and filmed by Edison Manufacturing movie company
Isaac Newton
Jacob Grimm
Louis Braille
Isaac Pitman
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Liza Soberano
Grace Bumbry
Labrinth [Timothy Lee McKenzie]
Don Shula
Floyd Patterson
David Toms
Derrick Henry
Fun Fact About January 4
Four wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton in New York
Famous Weddings
- 1827 Naturalist and entomologist Thomas Say (39) secretly weds natural science illustrator Lucy Way Sistare (26)
- 1926 American songwriter Irving Berlin (37) weds heiress and writer Ellin Mackay (23) in a simple civil ceremony in NYC, until her death in 1988
- 1997 "Smothers Brothers" actor-singer Dick Smothers (58) weds third wife Denby Franklin (47) in Las Vegas, Nevada; divorce in 2006
Famous Divorces
- 2004 Britney Spears has her surprise marriage annulled less than 55 hours after tying the knot with childhood friend Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas
- 2008 Australian pop diva Natalie Imbruglia (32) and "Silverchair" frontman Daniel Johns (28) announce their divorce stating "we have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together"
More January 4 Weddings
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Cornelius Vanderbilt
John William Draper
Albert Camus
Erwin Schrödinger
T. S. EliotArticles, Photos and Quiz
Battle of Nancy
The corpse of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, is discovered after the Battle of Nancy
January 4, 1477
Rise and Fall of the Vanderbilt Empire
When he died on this day Cornelius Vanderbilt allegedly possessed more money than the U.S. Treasury. Much of it was squandered in lavish spending by descendants
January 4, 1877
Topsy the Elephant is Electrocuted
Topsy the elephant is electrocuted to death at Luna Park in New York
January 4, 1903
