Oilers Defeat Chargers
Jan 1 1st AFL Championship, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston; Houston Oilers beat Los Angeles Chargers, 24-16; QB George Blanda 3 TD passes, 3 conversions and a field goal
- Jan 1 Briggs Stadium, home of baseball's Detroit Tigers is officially renamed Tigers Stadium
- Jan 1 Largest check issued, National Bank of Chicago to Sears ($960.242 billion)
- Jan 1 Russia introduces a new ruble worth $1.11
- Jan 2 27th Orange Bowl: #5 Missouri beats #4 Navy, 21-14
- Jan 2 27th Sugar Bowl: #2 Mississippi beats Rice, 14-6
- Jan 2 47th Rose Bowl: #6 Washington beats #1 Minnesota, 17-7
- Jan 2 Hawaii's, then all time low temperature, 14°F recorded atop Haleakale
Powell Elected to Committee
Jan 3 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. elected Chairman of US House Education and Labor Committee
- Jan 3 An explosion at the Nuclear Reactor Testing Station in Idaho Falls kills three operators
- Jan 3 US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
- Jan 4 Longest recorded strike ends as the Danish barbers' assistants end a 33 year strike
McCartney Plays Bass
Jan 5 The Beatles perform with Paul McCartney on bass guitar for the 1st time, at Litherland Town Hall, in Lancashire, England
- Jan 7 1st NFL Playoff Bowl (runner-up bowl)-Detroit beats Cleveland 17-16
- Jan 7 Trucial States (now UAE) issue their 1st postage stamps
- Jan 8 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Yvor Winters
- Jan 8 The French vote for Algerian independence from French rule in the wake of seven years of guerrilla war
- Jan 9 Twins agree on $500,000 payment to AA for Minn/St Paul territory
- Jan 11 Racial riot at University of Georgia
- Jan 12 "Show Girl" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater NYC for 100 performances
- Jan 12 UN genocide pact goes into effect
- Jan 14 Chicago Bear Willard Dewveall becomes 1st NFLer to join AFL
11th NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 15 11th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 35-31; MVPs: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, QB; Sam Huff, NY Giants, LB
Gordy Signs Supremes
Jan 15 Berry Gordy signs The Supremes to Motown Records
- Jan 16 "Conquering Hero" opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 8 performances
- Jan 16 Russian espionage ring detected in Great Britain
Robertson Youngest All-Star
Jan 17 11th NBA All-Star Game, Onondaga County Coliseum, Syracuse, NY: West beats East, 153-131; MVP: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals, PG; at 22, youngest player to receive All-Star MVP honours, 23 points & 14 assists
Eisenhower's Farewell Address
Jan 17 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military-industrial complex".
- Jan 18 Zanzibar's Afro-Shirazi party wins 1 seat by a single vote & parliament by a single seat
"The Dick Van Dyke Show"
Jan 19 1st episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is filmed
JFK Inaugurated
Jan 20 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".
Djilas Flees
Jan 20 Yugoslav ex-vice-president Milovan Djilas flees
- Jan 21 "Conquering Hero" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 8 performances
- Jan 21 Francis Poulenc's "Gloria" premieres in Boston< Massachusetts by Boston Symphony and Chorus Pro Musica under conductor Charles Münch
- Jan 21 KIFI TV channel 8 in Idaho Falls, Idaho (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Jan 21 Portuguese rebels seize cruise ship Santa Maria
- Jan 23 US Supreme Court rules cities and states have the right to censor films
- Jan 23 Venezuela adopts constitution
American Dream
Jan 24 Edward Albee's one-act play "American Dream" premieres in NYC
Mahovlich's Goal Record
Jan 25 Toronto left wing Frank Mahovlich scores twice, giving him 39 for the season, and making him highest single season goal scorer in Maple Leafs' history, as Toronto beats Montreal Canadiens, 5-3
101 Dalmatians
Jan 25 Walt Disney's animated film "101 Dalmatians", based on the novel by Dodie Smith and directed by Clyde Geronimi and Hamilton Luske is released in the US
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Jan 26 "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley hits #1
- Jan 26 1st woman personal physician to a US President - Janet G. Travell (to John F. Kennedy)
- Jan 27 "Sing Along with Mitch" [Miller] premieres on NBC TV
Emerson Beats Laver
Jan 27 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson beats fellow Australian Rod Laver 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam title
- Jan 27 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Court retains title; repeat of previous year's final beating Jan Lehane O'Neill 6-1, 6-4
"Il trovatore"
Jan 27 Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli make debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in "Il trovatore"; final curtain call lasts 35 minutes
"I Fall to Pieces"
Jan 30 "I Fall to Pieces" single released by Patsy Cline (Billboard Song of the Year 1961)
- Jan 30 Bobby Darin is youngest performer to headline a TV special on NBC
- Jan 30 JFK asks for an Alliance for Progress & Peace Corps, a $20 billion US Aid program for Latin America
- Jan 30 KAET TV channel 8 in Phoenix, AZ (PBS) begins broadcasting
Sports History
Jan 30 Outstanding West Indian spin bowler Lance Gibbs takes hat-trick (Ken Mackay, Wally Grout, Frank Misson) in drawn 4th Test v Australia in Adelaide
Ben-Gurion Resigns
Jan 31 David Ben-Gurion resigns as Prime Minister of Israel
- Jan 31 Ham the chimpanzee is 1st primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2
- Jan 31 Houston voters approve bond to finance luxury domed stadium
- Jan 31 Kanhai completes twin tons (117 & 115) v Aust at Adelaide
- Jan 31 NATO Secretary-General Paul-Henri Spaak says he'll resign
- Jan 31 USAF launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights
- Jan 31 West Indian cricket batsman Rohan Kanhai scores back-to-back centuries in the drawn 4th Test against Australia in Adelaide; follows 1st innings 117 with 115 in 2nd knock
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