- Jan 1 20th Fiesta Bowl: #18 Louisville beats #25 Alabama, 34-7
- Jan 1 5% sales tax on consumer goods & services goes into effect in USSR
- Jan 1 57th Orange Bowl: #1 Colorado beats #5 Notre Dame, 10-9
- Jan 1 57th Sugar Bowl: #6 Tennessee beats Virginia, 23-22
- Jan 1 77th Rose Bowl: #8 Washington beats #17 Iowa, 46-34
Iraq Rejects Peace
Jan 1 Iraq rejects peace proposal from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over occupation of Kuwait
Gretsky Youngest to 700
Jan 3 Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest and youngest player in NHL history to score 700 goals (886 games at age 29 years, 342 days) in LA Kings’ 6-3 win over the NY Islanders at the Nassau Veteran Memorial Coliseum
- Jan 4 12-year-old Chinese diver Fu Mingxia wins 10m platform gold medal at World Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia; youngest world champion in the history of any aquatic event
- Jan 4 AT&T workers in Newark accidentally snap a cable
- Jan 4 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Goran Prpić beats American David Wheaton 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, (ends 2-1) and Yugoslavia's first title
- Jan 4 Iraq agrees to send Aziz to Geneva to meet Baker on Jan 9th
- Jan 4 Jan Krzystof Bielecki becomes premier of Poland
- Jan 5 Edwin Jongejans of Netherlands wins 1-metre springboard diving title
- Jan 5 Kevin Bradshaw of US Intl scores NCAA Div 1 record 72 pts
"Oh, Kay!"
Jan 5 Revival of George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Kay!" closes at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC, after 77 performances
- Jan 6 "Real Life With Jane Pauley" premieres on NBC-TV
- Jan 6 Jorge Serrano Elias elected President of Guatemala
- Jan 6 Portland Trail Blazers beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 114-111 before a sellout crowd at the Portland Memorial Coliseum; marks the Blazers' 600th consecutive sellout at home
- Jan 6 Qian Hong swims female world record 50m butterfly (27.30 sec)
Gypsy
Jan 6 Revival of Jules Styne and Stephen Sondheim's musical "Gypsy" starring Tyne Daly, closes at St James Theater, NYC. after 476 performances; transfers to Marquis Theatre after 5 month break
- Jan 7 "Nia Peeples Party Machine" premieres on TV
Hussein Prepares Troops
Jan 7 Saddam Hussein prepares his troops for what he says will be a long violent war against the US
"Davis Rules"
Jan 8 "Davis Rules" with Jonathan Winters & Randy Quaid premieres on ABC-TV
- Jan 8 Tamas Darnyi swims world record 400m medley (4:12.36)
- Jan 9 Baker & Aziz meet in Geneva; talks fail to defuse gulf crisis
Jordan Reaches 15,000 Points
Jan 9 Chicago's Michael Jordan scores a game-high 40 points to lead the Bulls to a 107-99 win over Philadelphia at the Spectrum; reaches the 15,000 point mark of his career
- Jan 9 Dean Smith of NC is 6th to win 700 career coaching basketball games
- Jan 10 Japan ends routine fingerprinting of all adult ethnic Koreans
- Jan 10 US Congress begins debate on Persian Gulf crisis
- Jan 11 Ben Johnson's 1st race after being stripped of his 1988 Olympic Gold medal for steroid use, he finishes 2nd
- Jan 11 Congress empowers Bush to order attack on Iraq
- Jan 11 Soviets storm buildings in Vilnius to block Lithuania independence
- Jan 12 Largest crowd to watch Atlantic Coast Women's Basketball game (11,520)
- Jan 12 Melvin Stewart swims world record 200 m butterfly (1:55.69)
US Congress Authorizes War
Jan 12 US Congress gives George H. W. Bush authority to wage war against Iraq
- Jan 13 12th ACE Cable Awards: Weather Channel wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the hurricane "Hugo"
- Jan 13 Football fans of the Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates clash in Orkney, South Africa leading to a riot and 42 deaths in the Oppenheimer Stadium disaster
Soares Re-elected
Jan 13 President Mário Soares of Portugal re-elected
- Jan 13 Soviet troops continue attack on Vilnius, capital of Lithuania; 13 people killed and 140 injured as
- Jan 13 UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar meets with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
- Jan 14 "Barbara DeAngelis Show" premieres on CBS-TV
- Jan 14 Jorge Serrano Elias sworn in as President of Guatemala
- Jan 14 Tyne Daly arrested for drunk driving in Van Nuys, California
- Jan 14 Valentin Pavlov become new premier of USSR
- Jan 15 Dean Jones (76) and Mark Taylor (71) lead Australia to 7 wicket win over New Zealand in cricket's World Series Cup 2nd Final in Melbourne; win series, 2-0
Australia Own Victoria Cross
Jan 15 Elizabeth II signs letters patent that allows Australia to institute its own Victoria Cross, the first Commonwealth realm to do so
- Jan 15 UN's deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait (they don't)
6th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Jan 16 6th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: LaVern Baker; The Byrds; John Lee Hooker; The Impressions; Wilson Pickett; Jimmy Reed; Ike and Tina Turner; Howlin' Wolf; Dave Bartholomew; and Ralph Bass
- Jan 16 7th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Days of Our Lives wins
- Jan 17 Andy Van Hellemond sets NHL record for most games worked by a referee when he appears in his 1,173rd regular season encounter as the St. Louis Blues host the Montreal Canadiens
- Jan 17 Harald V becomes King of Norway on the death of his father, Olav V
- Jan 17 Iraq fires 8 Scud missiles on Israel
- Jan 17 Mountie Jacques Rougeau beats Hart for WWF intercontinental title
- Jan 17 Operation Desert Storm begins, with US-led coalition forces bombing Iraq, during the Gulf War
- Jan 18 Eastern Air Lines goes out of business after 62 years, citing financial problems.
- Jan 18 Iraq launches SCUD missiles against Israel
The Longest Match
Jan 18 Longest tennis match at the Australian Open, Boris Becker beats Italy's Omar Camporese in 5 hours & 11 mins
Noriega Paid $320,000
Jan 18 US acknowledges CIA and US Army paid Manuel Noriega $320,000 over his career
- Jan 18 WLAF's NY Knights become NY-NJ Knights
- Jan 19 42nd NHL All-Star Game, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Campbell beats Wales, 11-5; Vincent Damphousse, Toronto Maple Leafs, C
48th Golden Globes
Jan 19 48th Golden Globes: Dances with Wolves, Jeremy Irons, & Kathy Bates win
- Jan 19 Eastern Airlines shuts down operations
- Jan 19 Iraq files SCUD missiles at Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel during the Gulf War
- Jan 19 Sgt Slaughter defeats Ultimate Warrior for WWF championship belt
- Jan 20 "Black & Blue" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 829 performances
- Jan 20 13th UCP Telethon
- Jan 20 AFC Championship, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills beat Los Angeles Raiders, 51-3
- Jan 20 NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: New York Giants beat San Francisco 49ers, 15-13
- Jan 20 Paul Chihara and John Driver's musical "Shogun - The Musical", based on James Clavell's novel, closes at Marquis Theater, NYC, after 72 performances
- Jan 20 Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Cathy Rigby, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 45 performances
- Jan 20 Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.
- Jan 20 US Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles
- Jan 21 CBS News correspondant Bob Simon and four TV crew captured and held for 40 days by Iraqis in the Persian Gulf
- Jan 21 Sacramento's Dick Motta coaches in his 1,648th regular season game, a 97-94 Kings' victory over Houston; at the time an NBA record for the most regular-season coaching appearances
- Jan 22 Cholera epidemic begins in Peru with first known sufferer, 300,000 people infected over the next 12 months
Kuwaiti Oil Fires
Jan 22 Kuwaiti oil facilities are destroyed by Iraqi forces
- Jan 23 Bagogwe Massacre of Tutsi in and around Ruhengeri, Northern Rwanda
- Jan 23 World's largest oil spill, caused by embattled Iraqi forces in Kuwait
- Jan 25 Manuel Noriega is given access to assets frozen by US government
- Jan 25 Mark Waugh scores ton in 1st Test Cricket innings, v England Adelaide
- Jan 25 Soap opera "Generation's" last episode after a 2½ year run
Hull's 50 Points Record
Jan 25 St. Louis right wing Brett Hull scores twice in Blues' 9-4 win at Detroit, to give him 50 goals in 49 games; becomes 3rd player in NHL history with 50 goals in less than 50 games
- Jan 26 "A Few Good Men" closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 497 performances
- Jan 26 Alfaro Vive guerrilla group of Ecuador gives arms to Catholic church
Seles Beats Novotná
Jan 26 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Monica Seles becomes the only Yugoslav player – male or female – to win a Grand Slam singles title; beats Jana Novotná 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
- Jan 26 Jan Stenerud becomes 1st pure placekicker to make NFL Hall of Fame
- Jan 26 NY Lotto pays $90 million to nine winners (#s are 5-15-30-35-46-50)
- Jan 27 7th Sundance Film Festival: "Poison" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
- Jan 27 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Boris Becker of Germany wins his 1st Australian title; beats Ivan Lendl 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- Jan 27 Dutch Pacifist Socialistic Party disbands
- Jan 27 Nadine Strossen is 1st female president of the ACLU
- Jan 27 Super Bowl XXV, Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL: New York Giants beat Buffalo Bills, 20-19; MVP: Ottis Anderson, NY Giants, RB
- Jan 28 "A Closer Look" with Faith Daniels premieres on NBC-TV
18th American Music Awards
Jan 28 18th American Music Awards: M.C. Hammer & Janet Jackson win
Boon's 9th Test Century
Jan 28 David Boon completes ninth Test century, 121 v England at Adelaide
- Jan 28 Dictator Siad Barre flees Somalia ending 22 year rule
- Jan 29 "Piano Lesson" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC after 320 performances
Mandela, Buthelezi Meet
Jan 29 Nelson Mandela and anti-Apartheid leader and Zulu prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet after 28 years
- Jan 29 The Battle of Khafji begins, the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War
- Jan 30 Iraqi troops gain control of Al Khafji inside the Saudi Arabian border
- Jan 31 "Close-Up", Iranian film directed by Abbas Kiarostami, starring Hossain Sabzian and Mohsen Makhmalbaf, is released
- Jan 31 American pilot Robert Gibson flies record 27,040 feet (8,242 m) altitude in horizontal flight, over Houston, Texas (since superseded)
- Jan 31 Denver Nuggets Michael Adams becomes shortest NBAer to get a triple-double
Authors
Dictators
Explorers
Outlaws
Queens
Spies