Historical Events
Battle of Princeton
Jan 3 General George Washington's revolutionary army defeats British forces at Battle of Princeton, New Jersey
- Jan 12 Franciscan Order establishes La Misió La Misión Santa Clara de Thamien in California
- Jan 15 People of New Connecticut (Vermont) declare independence from England
- Jan 16 Vermont declares independence from New York
- Jan 25 Americans drag a cannon up a hill of Kingsbridge Road in the Bronx, New York to fight the British, giving added significance to the area's historic name of Greate Gunn Hill; the name of the road was changed to Gun Hill Road in 1875
Cook in Van Diemen's Land
Jan 26 Captain James Cook stops in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) with Resolution, for supplies, on his 3rd trip to Pacific Ocean
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Micah Hawkins, American poet, playwright and composer, born in Head of the Harbour, New York (d. 1825)
- Jan 2 Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (Frederick II of Prussia equestrian statue), born in Arolsen, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1857)
- Jan 3 Elisa Bonaparte, Corsican sister of Napoleon who appointed her Princess of Lucca and Piombino and Grand Duchess of Tuscany, born in Ajaccio, Corsica (d. 1820)
- Jan 3 Louis Poinsot, French mathematician and physicist (invented geometrical mechanics), born in Paris, France (d. 1859)
- Jan 8 Filippo Traetta, Italian-born American composer and music teacher, born in Venice, Republic of Venice (d. 1854)
- Jan 25 Elias Canneman, Dutch politician, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1861)
