- 250 St Fabian ends his reign as Catholic Pope (236-50)
- 1045 Giovanni di Sabina elected Pope Sylvester III
- 1156 According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader Bishop Henry with an axe on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi in Finland
- 1265 First English Parliament summoned other than by royal command, in this instance by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. Meets in Westminster Hall.
- 1320 Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes King of Poland
- 1356 Edward Balliol abdicates as King of Scots
- 1502 The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro is first explored
- 1503 Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) established by the Crown of Castile in the port of Seville to deal with American affairs
Christian II Crowned
1513 Christian II succeeds Johan I as Danish and Norwegian king
- 1523 Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway
- 1576 The Mexican city of León is founded by order of viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almansa
- 1613 Peace of Knarod ends War of Kalmar between Denmark & Sweden
- 1648 Cornerstone of Amsterdam townhall laid
- 1667 Treaty of Andrussovo ends 13 year war between Poland & Russia
- 1778 1st American military court martial trial begins in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1781 1st edition of Pieter It Hoens "Post of Neder-Rhijn" published
- 1785 Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers
- 1788 Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah, Georgia
Marshall Chief Justice
1801 John Marshall appointed US chief justice
1st Northwest Passage
1850 HMS Investigator headed by Robert McClure leaves England, 1st expedition to make a Northwest passage (though some over ice)
1st Woman Testifies Before Congress
1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before US Congress
- 1870 "City of Boston" vanishes at sea with all 177 aboard
Revels Elected Senator
1870 Hiram R. Revels elected to fill unexpired term of Albert Brown as US Senator from Mississippi
US Supervises Dominican Debt
1905 US begins supervising the Dominican Republic's national and international debts, testing President Theodore Roosevelt's "Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine
- 1910 Stanley Cup, Dey's Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators outclass Edmonton HC, 13-7 for a 2-0 sweep of challenge series
- 1914 The first group of Transvaal Indian women satyagrahis are released from Pietermaritzburg Prison in South Africa after three months imprisonment
- 1920 Dutch 2nd Chamber passes school laws
Event of Interest
1920 Prime Minister of France Georges Clémenceau resigns and is replaced be Alexandre Millerand
- 1920 Russian Imperial Navy Admiral Alexander Kolchak, leader of anti-communist "White Movement" surrenders to Bolshevik troops
- 1920 The American Civil Liberties Union is founded
- 1921 British submarine HMS K5 (which was unusually equipped with steam turbines) sinks with 57 crew during exercises in the Bay of Biscay
- 1921 Dagestan ASSR forms in RSFSR
- 1921 Mountain Autonomous Republic established in RSFSR
- 1921 Republic of Turkey declared out of remnants of the Ottoman Empire
"Skating Rink"
1922 Arthur Honegger's ballet "Skating Rink" premieres at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France
- 1925 The Soviet and Japan sign a convention resuming relations: Russia agrees to limit revolutionary activity of the Third Communist International, while Japan agrees to leave the Sakhalin
- 1926 2nd German government of Luther begins
- 1929 1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, "In Old Arizona"
- 1930 1st radio broadcast of "Lone Ranger" (WXYZ-Detroit)
- 1934 Japan sends Henry Pu Yi as regent to emperor of Manchuria
Edward VIII
1936 Edward VIII succeeds British King George V
- 1937 -45°F (-43°C), Boca, California (state record)
- 1937 1st US Presidential Inauguration day held on Jan 20th, (previously March 4th)
"Concord"
1939 Charles Ives' 1st Sonata "Concord" premieres
Berg's 3rd Title
1939 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins 3rd straight title by 2 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby
Bartók's 6th String Quartet,
1941 Béla Bartók's 6th string quartet, premieres in NYC
New Fourth Army Reorganized
1941 Chinese Communist leaders reorganize the New Fourth Army in defiance of Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek's order for it to be disbanded
- 1942 Japanese invade Burma
Wannsee Conference
1942 Nazi officials hold the notorious Wannsee Conference in Berlin to organize the "final solution", the extermination of Europe's Jews
- 1943 Lead, South Dakota, temperature is 52°F, while 1.5 miles away Deadwood records -16°F
- 1944 RAF drops 2,300 ton of bombs on Berlin
Roosevelt's Fourth Term
1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented (and never to be repeated) 4th term as US President
- 1945 The Hungarian Provisional Government concludes an armistice with the USSR, US, and Britain, agree to pay reparations and to join the war against Germany
- 1946 F Gouin follows De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government
- 1947 Brigadier General Edwin K Wright, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
- 1947 Nova Scotia Supreme Court rules against case of black woman Viola Desmond - ejected from a cinema seat in New Glasgow reserved for whites and arrested in landmark case (pardoned 2010) [1]
- 1949 1st inaugural parade televised, for Harry Truman, watched by 10 million people
Hoover's Shirley Temple Present
1949 J. Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen
Truman's Four Point Program
1949 US President Harry Truman announces his four point program
Mikan's 61 Points
1952 The NBA's first superstar George Mikan scores a career high 61 points leading the Minneapolis Lakers to a 91-81 double-overtime victory over the Rochester Royals
1st Live Inauguration
1953 1st live US coast-to-coast inauguration address (Eisenhower)
- 1953 1st US telecast transmitted to Canada from Buffalo, New York
- 1954 -70°F (-57°C), Rogers Pass, Montana (US 48 state record)
- 1954 -70°F measured at Rogers Pass, Montana (record low temperature in the contiguous US)
"Concertino Opus 94"
1954 Dmitri Shostakovich's "Concertino opus 94" premieres
"The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"
1954 Herman Wouk's stage drama "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial", adpated from his novel "The Caine Mutiny", starring Henry Fonda, and directed by Charles Laughton, premieres at the Plymouth Theatre, NYC; runs for 415 performances
- 1954 The National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations.
"Blue Days Black Night"
1956 Buddy Holly records "Blue Days Black Night" in Nashville, Tennessee for country music producer Owen Bradley
"Declaration"
1957 Morton Gould's orchestral work "Declaration" premieres in Washington, D.C.
- 1957 Władysław Gomułka wins Poland's parliamentary election
- 1958 A group attempting the 1st surface crossing of Antarctic join up at the South Pole
- 1958 KUED TV channel 7 in Salt Lake City, UT (PBS) begins broadcasting
Lumumba Sentenced
1960 Patrice Lumumba sentenced to 6 months in Belgian Congo jail for inciting an anti-colonial riot
JFK Inaugurated
1961 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
1961 Yugoslav ex-vice-president Milovan Djilas flees
- 1964 Capitol Records releases "Meet The Beatles" album by the Beatles, in US
Franco Meets Jewish Representatives
1965 Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain
- 1965 The Byrds record "Mr Tambourine Man"
- 1965 The US Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars & return
Chamberlain's Shot Record
1967 Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain makes all 15 of his field goal attempts in a 119-108 win over LA Lakers; NBA record for consecutive shots made; beats mark twice before 1966-67 season ends
"Bonnie and Clyde"
1968 Arthur Penn's film "Bonnie and Clyde" premieres in Paris, France with stars Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway in attendance
- 1968 Houston Cougars defeat the UCLA Bruins 71-69 to win basketball's Game of the Century and end UCLA's 47 game winning streak
- 1969 Richard M Nixon inaugurated as US president
- 1969 U of Az reports 1st optical id of pulsar (in Crab Nebula)
- 1970 Super Fight, computer mock championship between Ali & Marciano; Marciano won.
World Record 1000m
1971 Ard Schenk skates world record 1000m (1:18.8)
Lennon Meets Ono Parents
1971 John Lennon meets Yoko Ono's parents in Japan
"What's Going On"
1971 Tamla Records releases Marvin Gaye's single "What's Going On" about police brutality, from the album of the same name
- 1972 Number of people out of work and claiming unemployment benefit in UK rises to over 1 million
- 1972 Six oil exporting countries conclude meetings with Western oil companies; an agreement is reached to raise the price of crude
- 1973 A car bomb explodes in Sackville Place, Dublin, Ireland, killing 1 person and injuring 17 (no group claimed responsibility)
Richard Nixon Inaugurated
1973 Richard Nixon's second inauguration as President of the United States takes place in Washington, D.C.
1 Million March for Khomeini
1979 1 million Iranians march in Tehran in a show of support for the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, fundamentalist Muslim leader
Carter Announces US Boycott
1980 President Jimmy Carter announces US boycott of Olympics in Moscow
- 1980 Super Bowl XIV, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: Pittsburgh Steelers beat LA Rams, 31-19; MVP: Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh, QB
- 1981 Adm Stansfield Turner, USN (Ret), ends term as 12th director of CIA
- 1981 Frank C. Carlucci, ends his term as deputy director of the CIA
- 1981 Islander Glenn Resch's 25th & last shut-out opponent-Flames 5-0
Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
1981 Ronald Reagan inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America
Iran Hostage Crisis
1981 The US diplomats and citizens held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran are released and begin their journey home after 444 days
- 1982 7 miners killed in an explosion in Craynor Ky
Sittler Traded for Costello
1982 Future Hockey Hall of Fame center Darryl Sittler is traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Rich Costello, a 2nd round draft pick and future considerations
Osbourne Bites Head Off Bat
1982 Heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne allegedly bites the head off a bat on stage in Des Moines, Iowa
- 1982 Honduras constitution goes into effect
- 1982 Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament
- 1985 Cold front strikes US, at least 40 die (-27°F (-33°C) in Chicago)
Super Bowl XIX
1985 Super Bowl XIX, Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16; MVP: Joe Montana, SF, QB
1st Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1986 1st US federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. or MLK Day
- 1986 Chunnel announced (railroad tunnel under Channel)
- 1986 Military coup in Lesotho under major general Lekhanya & premier Leabua Jonathan
- 1987 Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite taken hostage in Beirut, Lebanon by Islamic militia group
Litchfield Arrested
1987 Bank robber Robert A. Litchfield is arrested at Lake Tahoe
- 1987 Rhino Records 1st #1, Billy Vera & Beaters' "At This Moment"
- 1987 UK Police crackdown on soccer hooligans in biggest operation against violence around football stadiums
3rd Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1988 3rd Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Beach Boys; The Beatles; The Drifters; Bob Dylan; The Supremes; Woody Guthrie; Leadbelly; Les Paul; and Berry Gordy, Jr.
- 1988 Andre Hoffman skates world record 1,500m (1:52.06)
- 1988 Arizona committee opens hearing on impeachment of Gov Evan Mecham
George H. W. Bush Inaugurated
1989 George H. W. Bush inaugurated as 41st US President, Dan Quayle becomes 44th Vice President
Lemieux's 50 Goals
1989 Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux becomes just the 2nd player in NHL history to score 50 goals in less than 50 games; #50 in 44th game as the Penguins lose 7-3 to the Jets in Winnipeg
- 1989 Reagan becomes 1st US President elected in a "0" year, since 1840, to leave office alive
- 1990 Black January - crackdown of Azerbaijani pro-independence demonstrations by Soviet army in Baku
- 1990 US 64th manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) returns from space
- 1991 13th UCP Telethon
- 1991 Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.
- 1991 US Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles
- 1992 Score begins selling international soccer cards
- 1993 Adm Studeman, serves as acting director of CIA
Bill Clinton Inaugurated
1993 Bill Clinton (D) inaugurated as 42nd US President
Inauguration Firsts
1993 Maya Angelou is 1st African American and woman to recite a poem at inauguration of a US President - "On the Pulse of Morning" for Bill Clinton
- 1995 1994-95 NHL Season begin after a lengthy strike
- 1995 Russian ruble drops to 3,947 per dollar (record)
- 1996 WPAT FM NYC radio station switches to English-Spanish format
- 1997 Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars' orbit
- 1997 French electronic dance duo Daft Punk release their album "Homework"
- 1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in New Orleans LA on KKND 106.7 FM
- 1997 Pakistan defeat West Indies 2-0 to win Aust one-day Series
"Dawson's Creek"
1998 "Dawson's Creek" created by Kevin Williamson, starring James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson premieres on WB in the US
- 1998 Warner Brothers TV Network begins Tueday night programming
- 1999 The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafés.
George W. Bush Inaugurated
2001 George W. Bush inaugurated as 43rd US President, Dick Cheney becomes 46th Vice President
EDSA II Revolution
2001 President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is ousted in the EDSA II Revolution and succeeded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
- 2001 US President Bill Clinton issues 140 executive pardons on his last day in office; recipients include Marc Rich, Susan McDougall, Patty Hearst, and his brother Roger
- 2002 Photographs showing al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects shackled and masked are published by the United States military
- 2005 Philip Glass' Symphony No. 7 (Toltec) premieres with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
"High School Musical" Debuts
2006 "High School Musical" debuts, starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hugdens; becomes Disney Channel's most successful TV movie
Sports History
2007 Utah coach Jerry Sloan passes Larry Brown for 4th on the NBA's all-time win list (1,010) after the Jazz beat the Chicago Bulls, 95-85 at the United Center
"Breaking Bad" Premieres
2008 "Breaking Bad", created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul premieres on AMC
- 2008 Frenchman Francis Joyon becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 57 days, 13 hours and 34 minutes
Barack Obama Inaugurated
2009 Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, becoming the United States' first African-American president
"Hamilton" Premieres
2015 Musical "Hamilton" starring Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Ramos premieres at The Public Theater in Lower Manhattan, New York (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2016)
- 2017 Car ploughs into pedestrians in central Melbourne, killing 6 and injuring 27
Donald Trump Inaugurated
2017 Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America and Mike Pence as the 48th Vice President
- 2021 Dan Campbell is appointed head coach of the Detroit Lions
Joe Biden Inaugurated
2021 Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States of America and Kamala Harris as the 49th Vice President, the first female, black or south Asian Vice President. Amanda Gorman recites "The Hill We Climb"; previous office holder Donald Trump is first outgoing president to refuse to attend the inauguration of his successor since 1869 P
- 2021 US President Joe Biden signs 15 executive orders on his first day in office, including: US re-joining the WHO, affirming the Paris Climate Agreement, revoking the Keystone XL Pipeline, mandating masks on federal properties, and halting construction of the southern border wall [1]
- 2022 19-year-old aviator Zara Rutherford becomes the youngest woman to fly solo around the world landing at Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport, Belgium [1]
- 2024 Japan is the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon with its SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) using "pinpoint landing" technology [1]
- 2024 Large weekend protests begin across Germany against far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), after group's 'master plan' for mass deportation of migrants revealed [1]
