January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar . There are 341 days remaining until the end of the year (342 in leap years ). This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Friday or Saturday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Monday or Wednesday (56).
Events
41 – Roman Emperor Caligula , known for his eccentricity and sadistic despotism , is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards . The Guard then proclaims Caligula's uncle Claudius as Emperor
1438 – The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV .
1458 – Matthias Corvinus becomes king of Hungary.
1624 – Afonso Mendes , appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia , arrives at Massawa from Goa .
1679 – King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament .
1739 – Peshva warrior Chimnaji Appa defeats Portuguese forces and captures Tarapur Fort , India .
1742 – Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor .
1758 – During the Seven Years' War the leading burghers of Königsberg submit to Elizabeth of Russia , thus forming Russian Prussia (until 1763)
1817 – Crossing of the Andes : Many soldiers of Juan Gregorio de las Heras are captured during the Action of Picheuta .
1835 – Slaves in Salvador da Bahia , Brazil, stage a revolt , which is instrumental in ending slavery there 50 years later.
1848 – California Gold Rush : James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento .
1857 – The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully fledged university in South Asia .
1862 – Bucharest is proclaimed the capital of Romania .
1878 – The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov , the Governor of Saint Petersburg .
1900 – Second Boer War : Boers stop a British attempt to break the Siege of Ladysmith in the Battle of Spion Kop .
1908 – The first Boy Scout troop is organized in England by Robert Baden-Powell .
1915 – World War One : British Grand Fleet battle cruisers under Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty engage Rear-Admiral Franz von Hipper 's battle cruisers in the Battle of Dogger Bank .
1916 – In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad Co. , the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
1918 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars effective February 14 (NS)
1933 – The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, changing the beginning and end of terms for all elected federal offices.
1939 – The deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán , killing approximately 28,000 people.
1942 – World War II : The Allies bombard Bangkok , leading Thailand , then under Japanese control, to declare war against the United States and United Kingdom.
1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca .
1946 – The United Nations General Assembly passes its first resolution to establish the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission .
1947 – Greek banker Dimitrios Maximos becomes Prime Minister of Greece .
1955 – The Family of Man , world's most widely seen, best attended photography exhibition opens at MoMA , curated by Edward Steichen .
1960 – Algerian War : Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the "barricades week", during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
1961 – Goldsboro B-52 crash : A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost.
1968 – Vietnam War : The 1st Australian Task Force launches Operation Coburg against the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong during wider fighting around Long Bình and Biên Hòa
1972 – Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II .
1977 – Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy .
1978 – Soviet satellite Kosmos 954 , with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories . Only 1% is recovered.
1984 – Apple Computer places the Macintosh personal computer on sale in the United States.
1986 – Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 kilometres (50,600 mi) of Uranus .
1990 – Japan launches Hiten , the country's first lunar probe , the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union 's Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than Soviet Union or the United States.
1993 – Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara .
2003 – The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
2009 – Cyclone Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux , France, causing 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
2011 – At least 35 die and 180 are injured in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport .
2014 – Three bombs explode in Cairo, Egypt , killing at least seven people and injuring over 100 others.
Births
76 – Hadrian , Roman emperor (d. 138)
1287 – Richard de Bury , English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1345)
1444 – Galeazzo Maria Sforza , Italian husband of Bona of Savoy (d. 1476)
1540 – Edmund Campion , English priest and martyr (d. 1581)
1638 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset , English poet and politician, Lord Chamberlain of Great Britain (d. 1706)
1670 – William Congreve , English playwright and poet (d. 1729)
1674 – Thomas Tanner , English bishop (d. 1735)
1679 – Christian Wolff , German philosopher and academic (d. 1754)
1709 – Dom Bédos de Celles , French monk and organist (d. 1779)
1712 – Frederick the Great , Prussian king (d. 1786)
1732 – Pierre Beaumarchais , French playwright and financier (d. 1799)
1742 – Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (d. 1808)
1746 – Gustav III of Sweden (d. 1792)
1749 – Charles James Fox , English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (d. 1806)
1752 – Muzio Clementi , Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1832)
1754 – Andrew Ellicott , American soldier and surveyor (d. 1820)
1763 – Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron , French-Ukrainian general and politician (d. 1831)
1776 – E. T. A. Hoffmann , German jurist, author, and composer (d. 1822)
1843 – Josip Stadler , Croatian archbishop (d. 1918)
1848 – Vasily Surikov , Russian painter (d. 1916)
1858 – Constance Naden , English poet and philosopher (d. 1889)
1862 – Edith Wharton , American author and poet (d. 1937)
1864 – Marguerite Durand , French actress, journalist, and activist (d. 1936)
1866 – Jaan Poska , Estonian lawyer and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1920)
1872 – Konstantin Bogaevsky , Russian painter (d. 1943)
1872 – Morris Travers , English chemist and academic (d. 1961)
1886 – Henry King , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
1888 – Vicki Baum , Austrian author and screenwriter (d. 1960)
1888 – Ernst Heinkel , German engineer and businessman, founded the Heinkel Aircraft Manufacturing Company (d. 1958)
1889 – Charles Hawes , American historian and author (d. 1923)
1891 – Walter Model , German field marshal (d. 1945)
1895 – Eugen Roth , German poet and songwriter (d. 1976)
1898 – Cliff Heathcote , American baseball player (d. 1939)
1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky , Ukrainian-American geneticist and biologist (d. 1975)
1901 – Harry Calder , South African cricketer (d. 1995)
1901 – Edward Turner , English engineer (d. 1973)
1902 – Ephraim Avigdor Speiser , Ukrainian-American archaeologist and scholar (d. 1965)
1905 – J. Howard Marshall , American lawyer and businessman (d. 1995)
1907 – Maurice Couve de Murville , French soldier and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1999)
1909 – Martin Lings , English author and scholar (d. 2005)
1909 – Ann Todd , English actress and producer (d. 1993)
1910 – Doris Haddock , American political activist (d. 2010)
1911 – Muir Mathieson , Scottish conductor and composer (d. 1975)
1912 – Frederick Ashworth , American admiral (d. 2005)
1913 – Norman Dello Joio , American organist and composer (d. 2008)
1913 – Ray Stehr , Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1983)
1915 – Vítězslava Kaprálová , Czech composer and conductor (d. 1940)
1915 – Robert Motherwell , American painter and academic (d. 1991)
1916 – Jack Brickhouse , American sportscaster (d. 1998)
1916 – Rafael Caldera , Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela (d. 2009)
1916 – Arnoldo Foà , Italian actor and director (d. 2014)
1916 – Gene Mako , Hungarian-American tennis player and actor (d. 2013)
1917 – Ernest Borgnine , American actor (d. 2012)
1918 – Gottfried von Einem , Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1996)
1918 – Oral Roberts , American evangelist, founded Oral Roberts University and Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (d. 2009)
1919 – Coleman Francis , American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1973)
1919 – Leon Kirchner , American composer and educator (d. 2009)
1920 – Jimmy Forrest , American saxophonist (d. 1980)
1922 – Daniel Boulanger , French actor and screenwriter (d. 2014)
1922 – Charles W. Socarides , American psychiatrist, physician, and author (d. 2005)
1924 – Brian Bevan , Australian-English rugby player (d. 1991)
1924 – C. B. Muthamma , Indian soldier and diplomat (d. 2009)
1925 – Gus Mortson , Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
1925 – Maria Tallchief , American ballerina and actress (d. 2013)
1926 – Ruth Asawa , American sculptor (d. 2013)
1926 – Georges Lautner , French director and screenwriter (d. 2013)
1927 – Marvin Kaplan , American actor (d. 2016)
1927 – Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet , Scottish lieutenant (d. 2007)
1928 – Desmond Morris , English zoologist, ethologist, and painter
1928 – Michel Serrault , French actor (d. 2007)
1930 – Mahmoud Farshchian , Iranian-Persian painter and academic
1930 – Bernard Matthews , English farmer and businessman, founded Bernard Matthews Farms (d. 2010)
1930 – John Romita Sr. , American soldier and illustrator
1931 – Leonard Baker , American historian and author (d. 1984)
1931 – Lars Hörmander , Swedish mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
1931 – Ib Nørholm , Danish composer and organist
1933 – Claude Préfontaine , Canadian actor (d. 2013)
1934 – Stanisław Grochowiak , Polish poet and playwright (d. 1976)
1935 – Shivabalayogi , Indian religious leader (d. 1994)
1935 – Eric Ashton , English rugby player and coach (d. 2008)
1935 – Bamber Gascoigne , English television host and author
1936 – William Bogert , American actor
1936 – Doug Kershaw , American singer-songwriter and fiddler
1936 – Yōko Nogiwa , Japanese actress
1938 – Julius Hemphill , American saxophonist and composer (d. 1995)
1939 – Ray Stevens , American singer-songwriter and actor
1940 – Vito Acconci , American artist
1940 – Joachim Gauck , German pastor and politician, 11th President of Germany
1941 – Neil Diamond , American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1941 – Aaron Neville , American singer
1941 – Dan Shechtman , Israeli chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1942 – Melvin Fitting , American logician
1942 – Gary Hart , American wrestler and manager (d. 2008)
1943 – Subhash Ghai , Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
1943 – Peter Struck , German lawyer and politician, 13th German Federal Minister of Defence (d. 2012)
1943 – Sharon Tate , American model and actress (d. 1969)
1943 – Tony Trimmer , English race car driver
1944 – David Gerrold , American author and screenwriter
1944 – Klaus Nomi , German singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1983)
1945 – John Garamendi , American football player and politician, 1st United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
1946 – Michael Ontkean , Canadian actor
1947 – Michio Kaku , American physicist and academic
1947 – Masashi Ozaki , Japanese baseball player and golfer
1947 – Warren Zevon , American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
1948 – Michael Des Barres , English singer-songwriter and actor
1949 – John Belushi , American actor and screenwriter (d. 1982)
1950 – Daniel Auteuil , French actor, director, and screenwriter
1951 – Yakov Smirnoff , Ukrainian-American comedian and actor
1953 – Yuri Bashmet , Russian violinist, viola player, and conductor
1953 – Matthew Wilder , American singer-songwriter and producer
1954 – Jo Gartner , Austrian race car driver (d. 1986)
1957 – Mark Eaton , American basketball player and sportscaster
1957 – Ade Edmondson , English singer-songwriter and actor
1958 – Neil Allen , American baseball player and coach
1958 – Jools Holland , English singer-songwriter and pianist
1959 – Akira Maeda , Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and actor
1959 – Vic Reeves , English comedian, actor, and author
1960 – Mária Bajzek Lukács , Hungarian author and educator
1960 – Im Ye-jin , South Korean actress
1960 – Mark Reeds , Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
1961 – Guido Buchwald , German footballer and manager
1961 – Nastassja Kinski , German-American actress and producer
1961 – Vince Russo , American wrestling manager and journalist
1961 – William Van Dijck , Belgian runner
1962 – Argiris Kambouris , Greek basketball player
1965 – Mike Awesome , American wrestler (d. 2007)
1965 – Carlos Saldanha , Brazilian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1965 – Pagonis Vakalopoulos , Greek footballer and manager
1966 – Jimeoin , English-Irish comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
1967 – Mark Kozelek , American singer-songwriter and producer
1967 – Phil LaMarr , American actor, singer, and screenwriter
1967 – John Myung , American bass player and songwriter
1968 – Robert Chote , English economist and journalist
1968 – Michael Kiske , German singer-songwriter
1968 – Mary Lou Retton , American gymnast
1969 – Yoo Ho-jeong , South Korean actress
1970 – Neil Johnson , Zimbabwean-South African cricketer
1970 – Matthew Lillard , American actor
1971 – Cory Bailey , American baseball player
1972 – Daniel Kawczynski , Polish-English accountant and politician
1972 – Naoshi Mizuta , Japanese bass player and composer
1972 – Ulla Werbrouck , Belgian martial artist and politician
1974 – Ed Helms , American actor, producer, and screenwriter
1974 – Melissa Tkautz , Australian actress and singer
1975 – Rónald Gómez , Costa Rican footballer and manager
1975 – Lucy Montgomery , English actress and screenwriter
1976 – Shae-Lynn Bourne , Canadian ice dancer, coach, and choreographer
1976 – Cindy Pieters , Belgian cyclist
1978 – Kristen Schaal , American actress and voice artist
1979 – Tatyana Ali , American actress and singer
1979 – Leandro Desábato , Argentinian footballer
1979 – Tom Kostopoulos , Canadian ice hockey player
1979 – Nik Wallenda , American acrobat and tightrope walker
1980 – Rocky Boiman , American football player and sportscaster
1980 – Yamandu Costa , Brazilian guitarist and composer
1980 – Rebecca Romero , English cyclist and rower
1981 – Michael Wolf , German ice hockey player
1983 – Davide Biondini , Italian footballer
1983 – Diane Birch , American singer-songwriter and pianist
1983 – Wyatt Crockett , New Zealand rugby player
1983 – Shaun Maloney , Scottish footballer
1983 – Scott Speed , American race car driver
1984 – Scott Kazmir , American baseball player
1984 – Witold Kiełtyka , Polish drummer (d. 2007)
1984 – Paulo Sérgio Moreira Gonçalves , Portuguese footballer
1986 – Cristiano Araújo , Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
1986 – Mischa Barton , English-American actress
1986 – Vladislav Ivanov , Russian footballer
1986 – Michael Kightly , English footballer
1986 – Ricky Ullman , Israeli-American actor and singer
1987 – Luis Suárez , Uruguayan footballer
1988 – Jade Ewen , English singer-songwriter
1989 – Samba Diakité , Malian footballer
1989 – Gong Lijiao , Chinese shot putter
1989 – Ki Sung-yueng , South Korean footballer
1990 – Mao Abe , Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
1990 – Kim Min-seok , South Korean actor
1992 – Becky Downie , English gymnast
Deaths
817 – Pope Stephen IV (b. 770)
847 – Pope Sergius II
1125 – David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
1336 – Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
1376 – Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel , English commander (b. 1306)
1473 – Conrad Paumann , German organist and composer (b. 1410)
1595 – Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria (b. 1529)
1626 – Samuel Argall , English captain and politician, Colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1572)
1639 – Jörg Jenatsch , Swiss pastor and politician (b. 1596)
1666 – Johann Andreas Herbst , German composer and theorist (b. 1588)
1709 – George Rooke , English admiral and politician (b. 1650)
1769 – François de Chevert , French general (b. 1695)
1839 – Michele Cachia , Maltese architect and engineer (b. 1760)
1877 – Johann Christian Poggendorff , German physicist and journalist (b. 1796)
1882 – Levi Boone , American physician and politician, 17th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1808)
1883 – Friedrich von Flotow , German composer (b. 1812)
1895 – Lord Randolph Churchill , English lawyer and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (b. 1849)
1911 – David Graham Phillips , American journalist and author (b. 1867)
1918 – George Arthur Crump , American architect, designed the Pine Valley Golf Club (b. 1871)
1920 – Amedeo Modigliani , Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
1924 – Anna Bayerová , Czech physician (b. 1853)
1924 – Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1894)
1932 – Alfred Yarrow , English businessman and philanthropist, founded Yarrow Shipbuilders (b. 1842)
1939 – Maximilian Bircher-Benner , Swiss physician, created Muesli (b. 1867)
1943 – John Burns , English trade union leader and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1858)
1948 – Maria Mandl , Austrian SS officer (b. 1912)
1955 – Ira Hayes , American marine, member of the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (b. 1923)
1960 – Edwin Fischer , Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
1961 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert , American pole vaulter and businessman, founded the A. C. Gilbert Company (b. 1884)
1962 – André Lhote , French sculptor and painter (b. 1885)
1962 – Stanley Lord , English captain (b. 1877)
1962 – Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar , Turkish author, poet, and scholar (b. 1901)
1965 – Winston Churchill , English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
1966 – Homi J. Bhabha , Indian physicist and academic (b. 1909)
1970 – Caresse Crosby , American fashion designer and publisher, co-founded the Black Sun Press (b. 1891)
1971 – Bill W. , American activist, co-founded of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
1973 – J. Carrol Naish , American actor (b. 1897)
1975 – Larry Fine , American comedian (b. 1902)
1978 – Herta Oberheuser , German physician (b. 1911)
1982 – Alfredo Ovando Candía , Bolivian general and politician, 56th President of Bolivia (b. 1918)
1983 – George Cukor , American director and producer (b. 1899)
1986 – L. Ron Hubbard , American religious leader and author, founded the Church of Scientology (b. 1911)
1986 – Gordon MacRae , American actor and singer (b. 1921)
1988 – Werner Fenchel , German-Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1905)
1989 – George Knudson , Canadian golfer and sportscaster (b. 1937)
1990 – Madge Bellamy , American actress (b. 1899)
1991 – John M. Kelly , Irish academic and politician, 17th Attorney General of Ireland (b. 1931)
1991 – Jack Schaefer , American journalist and author (b. 1907)
1992 – Ken Darby , American composer and conductor (b. 1909)
1993 – Gustav Ernesaks , Estonian composer and conductor (b. 1908)
1993 – Thurgood Marshall , American lawyer and jurist, 32nd United States Solicitor General (b. 1908)
1993 – Uğur Mumcu , Turkish lawyer and journalist (b. 1942)
1994 – Yves Navarre , French author and playwright (b. 1940)
1995 – David Cole , American DJ, songwriter, and producer (b. 1962)
1997 – Dr. Jerry Graham , American wrestler and trainer (b. 1921)
1998 – Walter D. Edmonds , American journalist and author (b. 1903)
2001 – Gaffar Okkan , Turkish police officer and civil servant (b. 1952)
2002 – Peter Gzowski , Canadian journalist and broadcaster (b. 1934)
2002 – Elie Hobeika , Lebanese commander and politician (b. 1956)
2003 – Gianni Agnelli , Italian businessman (b. 1921)
2004 – Leônidas , Brazilian footballer and manager (b. 1913)
2005 – June Bronhill , Australian soprano (b. 1929)
2005 – Chalkie White , English rugby player and coach (b. 1929)
2006 – Schafik Handal , Salvadoran politician (b. 1930)
2006 – Fayard Nicholas , American actor, dancer, and choreographer (b. 1914)
2006 – Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan , Sri Lankan journalist and activist (b. 1970)
2006 – Mümtaz Sevinç , Turkish actor (b. 1952)
2007 – Krystyna Feldman , Polish actress (b. 1916)
2007 – İsmail Cem İpekçi , Turkish journalist and politician, 45th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1940)
2007 – Guadalupe Larriva , Ecuadorian academic and politician (b. 1956)
2007 – Emiliano Mercado del Toro , Puerto Rican soldier (b. 1891)
2008 – Lee Embree , American sergeant and photographer (b. 1915)
2008 – Randy Salerno , American journalist (b. 1963)
2009 – Reg Gutteridge , English journalist and sportscaster (b. 1924)
2009 – Kay Yow , American basketball player and coach (b. 1942)
2010 – Şakir Eczacıbaşı , Turkish pharmacist, photographer, and businessman (b. 1929)
2010 – Pernell Roberts , American actor (b. 1928)
2011 – Bernd Eichinger , German director and producer (b. 1949)
2011 – Gerry Ortega , Filipino environmentalist, journalist, and politician (b. 1963)
2012 – Theo Angelopoulos , Greek director and producer (b. 1935)
2012 – Sukumar Azhikode , Indian author and critic (b. 1926)
2012 – J. Joseph Garrahy , American soldier and politician, 69th Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1930)
2012 – Patricia Neway , American soprano and actress (b. 1919)
2013 – Khuseyn Gakayev , Russian commander (b. 1970)
2013 – Miroslav Janů , Czech footballer and manager (b. 1959)
2013 – Richard G. Stern , American novelist, short story writer (b. 1928)
2013 – Jim Wallwork , English sergeant and pilot (b. 1919)
2014 – Shulamit Aloni , Israeli lawyer and politician, 11th Israeli Minister of Education (b. 1928)
2014 – Lisa Daniely , English actress (b. 1929)
2014 – Rafael Pineda Ponce , Honduran academic and politician (b. 1930)
2015 – Link Byfield , Canadian journalist and author (b. 1951)
2015 – Otto Carius , German lieutenant and pharmacist (b. 1922)
2015 – Joe Franklin , American radio and television host (b. 1926)
2015 – Frances Lennon , English painter and illustrator (b. 1912)
2016 – Jimmy Bain , Scottish bass player and songwriter (b. 1947)
2016 – Fredrik Barth , German-Norwegian anthropologist and academic (b. 1928)
2016 – Yvonne Chouteau , Native American ballerina (One of the Five Moons) (b. 1929)
2016 – Marvin Minsky , American computer scientist and academic (b. 1927)
2016 – Henry Worsley , English colonel and explorer (b. 1960)
Holidays and observances
External links
Months and days of the year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December