- Jan 1 31st Orange Bowl: #5 Texas beats #1 Alabama, 21-17
- Jan 1 31st Sugar Bowl: #7 LSU beats Syracuse, 13-10
- Jan 1 49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews becomes only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing (Stoke City)
- Jan 1 51st Rose Bowl: #4 Michigan beats #8 Oregon State, 34-7
Murphy Joins US Senate
Jan 1 American actor George Murphy begins his term as US Senator from California
- Jan 1 International Cooperation Year begins
- Jan 1 Palestinian al-Fatah organization forms
- Jan 1 The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul.
- Jan 2 Ayub Khan elected President of Pakistan
King's Voter Drive
Jan 2 Martin Luther King Jr. begins a drive to register black voters
Jets Sign Namath
Jan 2 New York Jets sign future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath to a $427,000 contract over three years (pro football record at the time)
- Jan 2 Obverse design of all Canadian coins is changed to depict present-day
- Jan 6 Geoff Boycott takes 3-47 against South Africa, his best Test bowling
- Jan 7 France announces it will convert $150 million of its currency to gold
- Jan 7 Twin brothers are in held in custody in London charged with abduction and murder
- Jan 8 Senator Everett Dirksen introduces a bill to make marigold the American natonal flower (it does not pass)
- Jan 8 Star of India returned to American Museum of Natural History
- Jan 9 Beatles '65 album goes #1 & stays #1 for 9 weeks
15th NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 10 15th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 34-14; MVPs: Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings, QB; Terry Barr, Detroit Lions, DB
15th NBA All-Star Game
Jan 13 15th NBA All-Star Game, St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Mo: East beats West, 124-123; MVP: Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals, F
- Jan 15 Brunswick Records releases the single "I Can't Explain" by British rockers "The Who" in the UK, their 1st after changing their band name
Warriors Trade Chamberlain
Jan 15 One of the biggest trades in NBA history; San Francisco Warriors send Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, Paul Neumann and cash
- Jan 15 Soviet underground nuclear test creates the atomic lake Chagan, Kazakhstan
- Jan 15 Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, forms
- Jan 16 "Oh What a Lovely War" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 125 performances
- Jan 16 "Outer Limits" last airs on ABC-TV
- Jan 16 4th AFL All Star Game, Jeppeson Stadium, Houston: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 38-14; MVPs: Keith Lincoln, LA Chargers, RB; Willie Brown, Denver Broncos, DB
- Jan 16 The Searchers' "Love Potion Number 9" peaks at #3
- Jan 16 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Jan 18 H L de Vries appointed Dutch governor of Suriname
Franco Meets Jewish Representatives
Jan 20 Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain
- Jan 20 The Byrds record "Mr Tambourine Man"
- Jan 20 The US Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars & return
- Jan 21 Iranian premier Hassan Ali Mansur assassinated by 17-year-old Mohammad Bokharaei, a member of the Fadayan-e Islam
- Jan 22 US launches TIROS 9 weather satellite
Celtics Lose to 76ers
Jan 23 Boston Celtics' center Bill Russell misses all 14 shots in 104-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers, led by newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain
- Jan 23 BPAA All-Star Tournament won by Dick Weber
- Jan 23 Musical variety program "King Family Show", featuring big band vocal group The King Sisters, premieres on ABC TV
- Jan 26 South Vietnam military coup under general Nguyen Khanh
- Jan 27 1st ground station-to-aircraft radio communication via satellite
- Jan 27 Groundbreaking for "Dragon Gateway" at Grant Avenue
- Jan 28 "The Who" make their 1st appearance on British television programme "Ready Steady Go!"
- Jan 30 "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis hits #3
Churchill's State Funeral
Jan 30 State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funeral
- Jan 31 19th century pitcher James 'Pud' Galvin elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
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