What happened today in history
January
What happened on January 28
On January 28 history recorded 57 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 107 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 57events
- 160births
- 107deaths
- 6observances
Highlights
Highlights
1069
Robert de Comines, Earl of Northumbria, was killed in Durham, causing William the Conqueror to embark on a campaign to subjugate northern England.
Robert de Comines was briefly Earl of Northumbria. His violent death was one of the key events that led to the Harrying of the North.
1393King Charles VI of France (pictured) was nearly killed when several other dancers' costumes caught fire during a masquerade ball in Paris.
Charles VI, nicknamed the Beloved and in the 19th century, the Mad, was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic episodes that plagued him throughout his life, including glass delusion.
1521Charles V and the estates of the Holy Roman Empire met at the Diet of Worms to discuss Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation.
Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain from 1516 to 1556, King of Sicily and Naples from 1516 to 1554, and also Lord of the Netherlands and titular Duke of Burgundy from 1506 to 1555. He was heir to and then h
January 28
On this day
I century
- 98
98On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany.
IX century
XI century
- 1069
1069Robert de Comines, appointed Earl of Northumbria by William the Conqueror, rides into Durham, England, where he is defeated and killed by rebels. This incident leads to the Harrying of the North. - 1077
1077Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, is lifted after he humbles himself before Pope Gregory VII at Canossa in Italy.
XIV century
XVI century
- 1521
1521The Diet of Worms begins, lasting until May 25. - 1547
1547Edward VI, the nine-year-old son of Henry VIII, becomes King of England on his father's death. - 1568
1568The Edict of Torda prohibits the persecution of individuals on religious grounds in John Sigismund Zápolya's Eastern Hungarian Kingdom. - 1573
1573Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland. - 1591
1591Execution of Agnes Sampson, accused of witchcraft in Edinburgh.
XVII century
- 1624
1624Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the island of Saint Kitts. - 1671
1671Original city of Panama (founded in 1519) is destroyed by a fire when privateer Henry Morgan sacks and sets fire to it. The site of the previously devastated city is still in ruins (see Panama Viejo).
XVIII century
XIX century
- 1813
1813Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom. - 1846
1846The Battle of Aliwal, India, is won by British troops commanded by Sir Harry Smith. - 1851
1851Northwestern University becomes the first chartered university in Illinois. - 1855
1855A locomotive on the Panama Canal Railway runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean for the first time. - 1871
1871Franco-Prussian War: The Siege of Paris ends in French defeat and an armistice. - 1878
1878Yale Daily News becomes the first independent daily college newspaper in the United States. - 1896
1896Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, becomes the first person to be convicted of speeding. He was fined one shilling, plus costs, for speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h), thereby exceeding the contemporary speed limit of 2 mph (3.2 km/h).
XX century
- 1902
1902The Carnegie Institution of Washington is founded in Washington, D.C., with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. - 1908
1908Members of the Portuguese Republican Party fail in their attempted coup d'état against the administrative dictatorship of Prime Minister João Franco. - 1909
1909United States troops leave Cuba, with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, after being there since the Spanish–American War. - 1915
1915An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard as a branch of the United States Armed Forces. - 1916
1916The Canadian province of Manitoba grants women the right to vote and run for office in provincial elections (although still excluding women of Indigenous or Asian heritage), marking the first time women in Canada are granted voting rights. - 1918
1918Finnish Civil War: The Red Guard rebels seize control of the capital, Helsinki; members of the Senate of Finland go underground. - 1919
1919The Order of the White Rose of Finland is established by Baron Gustaf Mannerheim, the regent of Finland. - 1920
1920Foundation of the Spanish Legion. - 1922
1922Knickerbocker Storm: Washington, D.C.'s biggest snowfall, causes a disaster when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre collapses, killing over 100 people. - 1932
1932Japanese forces attack Shanghai. - 1933
1933The name Pakistan is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali Khan and is accepted by Indian Muslims who then thereby adopted it further for the Pakistan Movement seeking independence. - 1935
1935Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion. - 1938
1938The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen at a speed of 432.7 kilometres per hour (268.9 mph). - 1941
1941Franco-Thai War: Final air battle of the conflict. A Japanese-mediated armistice goes into effect later in the day. - 1945
1945World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road. - 1956
1956Elvis Presley makes his first national television appearance. - 1958
1958The Lego company patents the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today. - 1960
1960The National Football League announces expansion teams for Dallas to start in the 1960 NFL season and Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 1961 NFL season. - 1964
1964An unarmed United States Air Force T-39 Sabreliner on a training mission is shot down over Erfurt, East Germany, by a Soviet MiG-19. - 1965
1965The current design of the Flag of Canada is chosen by an act of Parliament. - 1977
1977The first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977, which dumps 3 metres (10 ft) of snow in one day in Upstate New York. Buffalo, Syracuse, Watertown, and surrounding areas are most affected. - 1977
1977The Shining, the horror novel and the first hardcover bestseller by Stephen King, is published. - 1980
1980USCGC Blackthorn collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa, Florida and capsizes, killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers. - 1981
1981Ronald Reagan lifts remaining domestic petroleum price and allocation controls in the United States, helping to end the 1979 energy crisis and begin the 1980s oil glut. - 1982
1982US Army General James L. Dozier is rescued by Italian anti-terrorism forces from captivity by the Red Brigades. - 1984
1984Tropical Storm Domoina makes landfall in southern Mozambique, eventually causing 214 deaths and some of the most severe flooding so far recorded in the region. - 1985
1985Supergroup USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa) records the hit single We Are the World, to help raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief. - 1986
1986Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission: Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. - 1988
1988In R v Morgentaler the Supreme Court of Canada strikes down all anti-abortion laws.
XXI century
- 2002
2002TAME Flight 120, a Boeing 727-100, crashes in the Andes mountains in southern Colombia, killing 94. - 2006
2006The roof of one of the buildings at the Katowice International Fair in Poland collapses due to the weight of snow, killing 65 and injuring more than 170 others. - 2021
2021A nitrogen leak at a poultry food processing facility in Gainesville, Georgia kills six and injures at least ten. - 2023
2023Protests begin in the United States after police beat and kill Tyre Nichols. - 2026
2026A Learjet 45 crashes on approach to Baramati Airport in Maharashtra, killing all six occupants including the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar. - 2026
2026The Rubaya mine collapse at Rubaya mines in DR Congo causes at least 400 deaths and injured several others. - 2026
2026Storm Kristin causes a catastrophic impact in Portugal and Spain with €6 billion in damage in the central region of Portugal, 15 deaths and 2,000 injuries.
Best known
Born on January 28
Best known
Died on January 28
Holidays and observances
Frequently asked questions
What happened on January 28?
57 documented historical events happened on January 28, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Robert de Comines, Earl of Northumbria, was killed in Durham, causing William the Conqueror to embark on a campaign to subjugate northern England. On the same day, in another year: King Charles VI of France (pictured) was nearly killed when several other dancers' costumes caught fire during a masquerade ball in Paris. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on January 28?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on January 28, including Gabby Gabreski, Lewis Wilson, Vytautas Norkus. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on January 28?
107 people with a Wikipedia article died on January 28, including Yazid II, Charlemagne, Zhou Dewei. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on January 28?
6 observances are celebrated on January 28 around the world: Christian feast day: Joseph Freinademetz, Christian feast day: Julian of Cuenca, Christian feast day: Thomas Aquinas, Christian feast day: January 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), Army Day (Armenia), Data Privacy Day. The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar