What happened today in history
January
What happened on January 6
On January 6 history recorded 47 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 88 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 47events
- 160births
- 88deaths
- 7observances
Highlights
Highlights
1066Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon monarch before the Norman Conquest, was crowned King of England.
Harold Godwinson, also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman Conquest. He was succeeded by William
1322Stefan Dečanski was crowned King of Serbia, succeeding his half-brother Stefan Konstantin, whom he later defeated in battle.
Stefan Uroš III, was King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of King Stefan Milutin. He defeated two other contenders to the Serbian throne. Stefan is known as Dečanski after the great monastery of Visoki Dečani he built.
1449Four years before the fall of Constantinople, Constantine XI Palaiologos (pictured) assumed the throne as the last Byzantine emperor.
Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, was captured by the Ottoman Empire on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun on 6 April.
January 6
On this day
XI century
- 1066
1066Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England.
XIII century
XIV century
XV century
XVI century
- 1536
1536The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City. - 1540
1540King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves. - 1579
1579The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain.
XVII century
XVIII century
- 1721
1721The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians. - 1724
1724Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, a Bach cantata, for Epiphany, is performed the first time. - 1725
1725J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123, a chorale cantata for Epiphany. - 1781
1781In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands.
XIX century
- 1809
1809Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars. - 1838
1838Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code). - 1839
1839The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin. - 1900
1900Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.
XX century
- 1912
1912New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state. - 1912
1912German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift. - 1929
1929King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution, starting the January 6th Dictatorship. - 1929
1929Mother Teresa arrives by sea in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India's poorest and sick people. - 1941
1941United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address. - 1946
1946The first general election ever in Vietnam is held. - 1947
1947Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket. - 1951
1951Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered. - 1960
1960National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami. - 1960
1960The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties. - 1967
1967Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta. - 1968
1968Aeroflot Flight 1668 crashes near Olyokminsk, killing 45. - 1969
1969Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashes in Lafayette Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States, killing 11. - 1974
1974In response to the 1973 oil crisis, the United States implements the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, switching to permanent daylight saving time for a trial period. - 1974
1974Aeroflot Flight H-75 crashes near Mukachevo, killing 24. - 1989
1989Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day. - 1992
1992President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup. - 1993
1993Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol. - 1993
1993Four people are killed when Lufthansa CityLine Flight 5634 crashes on approach to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, France. - 1994
1994U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and injured by an assailant hired by her rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. - 1995
1995A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.
XXI century
- 2005
2005Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner during the American Civil Rights Movement. - 2005
2005A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas. - 2012
2012Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus. - 2017
2017Five people are killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida. - 2019
2019Muhammad V of Kelantan resigns as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, becoming the first monarch to do so. - 2021
2021Supporters of U.S. president Donald Trump storm the United States Capitol Building to disrupt certification of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in four deaths and evacuation of the U.S. Congress. - 2025
2025Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister of Canada after nine years in office.
Best known
Born on January 6
Best known
Died on January 6
786Abo of Tiflis
Christian martyr
1088Berengar of Tours
French theologian involved in transubstantiation controversy
1275Raymond of Peñafort
Dominican Master General and archbishop and saint (c. 1367–1439)
1448Christopher of Bavaria
Scandinavian king under the Kalmar Union
1478Uzun Hasan
Sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1452 to 1478
1537Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence
Duke of Florence from 1532 to 1537
Holidays and observances
- Christian Feast day: André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church)
- Christian Feast day: January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Christmas: Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church)
- Christmas: Christmas Eve (Russia)
- Christmas: Christmas Eve (Ukraine)
- Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances: Little Christmas (Ireland)
- Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances: Þrettándinn (Iceland)
Frequently asked questions
What happened on January 6?
47 documented historical events happened on January 6, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon monarch before the Norman Conquest, was crowned King of England. On the same day, in another year: Stefan Dečanski was crowned King of Serbia, succeeding his half-brother Stefan Konstantin, whom he later defeated in battle. 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 6?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on January 6, including Kid Chocolate, Wright Morris, Jacques Ellul. 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 6?
88 people with a Wikipedia article died on January 6, including Abo of Tiflis, Berengar of Tours, Raymond of Peñafort. 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 6?
7 observances are celebrated on January 6 around the world: Christian Feast day: André Bessette (Roman Catholic Church), Christian Feast day: January 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), Christmas: Christmas (Armenian Apostolic Church), Christmas: Christmas Eve (Russia), Christmas: Christmas Eve (Ukraine), Epiphany or Three Kings' Day (Western Christianity) or Theophany (Eastern Christianity), and its related observances: Little Christmas (Ireland). 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