What happened today in history
January
What happened on January 4
On January 4 history recorded 46 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 99 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 46events
- 160births
- 99deaths
- 14observances
Highlights
Highlights
1698Most of London's Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of English monarchs since 1530, was destroyed by fire.
The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. H
1798
After his appointment as Prince of Wallachia, Constantine Hangerli arrived in Bucharest to assume the throne.
This is a list of princes of Wallachia, also known as the Voivodes of Wallachia from the first mentions of Vlach rulers situated in the Wallachian Plain in the mid-13th century until the union with Moldavia in 1859, which led to the establishment of Romania.
1853Solomon Northup (pictured) regained his freedom after having been sold into slavery in the American South; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later became a bestseller.
Solomon Northup was an American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave. A free-born American of mixed race from New York, he was the son of a freed slave and a free woman of color. Northup was a professional violinist, farmer, a
January 4
On this day
I century BC
- 46 BC
46 BCJulius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
IX century
XVII century
XVIII century
XIX century
- 1844
1844The first issue of the Swedish-languaged Saima newspaper founded by J. V. Snellman is published in Kuopio, Finland. - 1853
1853After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller. - 1854
1854The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang. - 1863
1863The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany. - 1878
1878Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule. - 1884
1884The Fabian Society is founded in London, United Kingdom. - 1885
1885Sino-French War: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing force at Núi Bop in northern Vietnam. - 1896
1896Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
XX century
- 1903
1903Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death. - 1909
1909Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. - 1912
1912The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter. - 1918
1918The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France. - 1944
1944World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins. - 1946
1946The first day of a three-day "disastrous" tornado outbreak across the south-central United States leaves 41 people dead and at least 412 others injured. - 1948
1948Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming an independent republic. - 1951
1951Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time. - 1956
1956The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis. - 1958
1958Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to Earth from orbit. - 1959
1959Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. - 1965
1965Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 crashes on approach to Alma-Ata Airport, killing 64 people. - 1967
1967The Doors released their eponymous debut album. - 1972
1972Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, UK. - 1975
1975This date overflowed the 12-bit field that had been used in TOPS-10. There were numerous problems and crashes related to this bug while an alternative format was developed. - 1976
1976The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation. - 1987
1987The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, United States, killing 16 people. - 1989
1989Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation. - 1990
1990In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries. - 1998
1998A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction. - 1999
1999Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota, United States. - 2000
2000A Norwegian passenger train departing from Trondheim, collides with a local train coming from Hamar in Åsta in Åmot Municipality; 19 people are killed and 68 injured in the accident.
XXI century
- 2004
2004Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC. - 2004
2004Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution. - 2006
2006Ehud Olmert becomes acting Prime Minister of Israel after the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. - 2007
2007The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history. - 2008
2008A Let L-410 Turbolet crashes in the Los Roques Archipelago in Venezuela, killing 14 people. - 2010
2010The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai. - 2013
2013A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines. - 2018
2018Hennenman–Kroonstad train crash: A passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collides with a truck on a level crossing at Geneva Station between Hennenman and Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. Twenty people are killed and 260 injured. - 2019
2019A fire in an escape room in Koszalin, Poland, kills five teenagers through carbon monoxide poisoning.
Best known
Born on January 4
1900James Bond (ornithologist)
American ornithologist and inspiration for the name of the fictional spy
1901C. L. R. James
Trinidadian historian, journalist and Marxist
1902John A. McCone
American businessman and politician
1903Georg Elser
Attempted assassin of Adolf Hitler
1913Malietoa Tanumafili II
O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa from 1962 to 2007
1916Robert Parrish
American film editor
Best known
Died on January 4
874Hasan al-Askari
Eleventh of the Twelve Shia Imams
1248Sancho II of Portugal
King of Portugal from 1223 to 1247
1344Robert Lisle, 1st Baron Lisle of Rougemont
English peer
1399Nicholas Eymerich
Roman Catholic theologian (c. 1316–1399)
1424Muzio Attendolo Sforza
Italian condottiero
1428Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Margrave of Meissen & Elector of Saxony
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: Angela of Foligno
- Christian feast day: Elizabeth Ann Seton
- Christian feast day: Ferréol of Uzès
- Christian feast day: Mavilus
- Christian feast day: Pharaildis of Ghent
- Christian feast day: Rigobert
- Christian feast day: January 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- The eleventh of the Twelve Days of Christmas. (Western Christianity)
- Independence Day (Myanmar), celebrates the independence of Myanmar from the United Kingdom in 1948.
- Colonial Martyrs Repression Day (Angola)
- Day of the Martyrs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Ogoni Day (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People)
- Tokyo Dome Show: The annual Wrestle Kingdom event run by New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- World Braille Day
Frequently asked questions
What happened on January 4?
46 documented historical events happened on January 4, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Most of London's Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of English monarchs since 1530, was destroyed by fire. On the same day, in another year: After his appointment as Prince of Wallachia, Constantine Hangerli arrived in Bucharest to assume the throne. 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 4?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on January 4, including James Bond (ornithologist), C. L. R. James, John A. McCone. 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 4?
99 people with a Wikipedia article died on January 4, including Hasan al-Askari, Sancho II of Portugal, Robert Lisle, 1st Baron Lisle of Rougemont. 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 4?
14 observances are celebrated on January 4 around the world: Christian feast day: Angela of Foligno, Christian feast day: Elizabeth Ann Seton, Christian feast day: Ferréol of Uzès, Christian feast day: Mavilus, Christian feast day: Pharaildis of Ghent, Christian feast day: Rigobert. 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