What Happened in January 1896

Historical Events

Discovery of X-rays

Jan 1 German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of x-rays

  • Jan 2 Battle at Doornkop, South Africa (Boers beat Dr Jamesons troops)
  • Jan 3 Emperor Wilhelm congratulates President Kruger on the Jameson Raid
  • Jan 4 American Federation of Labor (AFL) charters Actors' National Protective Union, NYC
  • Jan 4 Following Mormon abandonment of sanctioned polygamy, Utah is admitted as 45th US state
  • Jan 5 "Die Presse" newspaper (Germany) publicly announces Wilhelm Röntgen's discovery of X-rays and their potential for new methods of medical diagnoses in a front-page article
  • Jan 5 Isaac Albéniz' opera "Pepita Jiminez" premieres in Barcelona
  • Jan 6 1st US women's 6-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden

Cecil Rhodes Resigns

Jan 6 Cecil Rhodes resigns as premier of Cape colony

  • Jan 7 Fannie Farmer publishes her first cookbook "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book"
  • Jan 12 1st X-ray photo in US (Dr Henry Smith, Davidson NC)
  • Jan 15 Henry Arthur Jones' "Michael & his Lost Angel" premieres in London
  • Jan 16 Defeat of Cymru Fydd at South Wales Liberal Federation AGM, Newport, Monmouthshire.
  • Jan 18 1st demonstration of an X-ray machine in US (NYC)
  • Jan 18 British troops occupy Kumasi, West Africa
  • Jan 18 First college basketball game with 5 players on each side is conducted by the University of Iowa; invites student athletes from University of Chicago for an experimental game; Chicago beats Iowa 15-12
  • Jan 23 Edward Macdowell's 2nd Suite in E premieres
  • Jan 27 Tasmania bowl out Victoria for 65 for their 1st ever innings victory
  • Jan 29 American Emile Grubbe is the first doctor to use radiation treatment for breast cancer
1896 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 1 Maurice Jacobson, British concert pianist, composer, and music publisher, born in London, England (d. 1976)
  • Jan 1 Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japanese actor and director (Gate of Hell, A Page of Madness, Jujiro, Jigoku-mon), born in Mie Ken, Japan (d. 1982)
  • Jan 1 Yitzhak Edel, Israeli composer, born in Warsaw, Russian Poland (d. 1973)
  • Jan 2 Dziga Vertov [Denis Kaufman], Russian director and film theorist (Man with a Movie Camera, Sjagai, Soviet!), born in Białystok, Russian Empire (d. 1954)
  • Jan 2 Ernst-Lothar von Knorr, German composer, and music educator, born in Eitorf, Germany (d. 1973)
  • Jan 2 Sir Lawrence Wackett, Australian aircraft engineer (d. 1982)
  • Jan 3 Joe Falcaro, American bowler (National Match Game champion 1929-33), born in Lawrence, New York (d. 1951)
  • Jan 4 Everett Dirksen, American politician (Sen-R-Ill) (d. 1969)
  • Jan 5 Hendrik Algra, Dutch teacher, journalist, historian, and politician (ARP), born in Hurdegaryp, Netherlands (d. 1982)
  • Jan 6 Abram Nicholas Pritzker, American businessman (Hyatt Hotels, McCall's magazine), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1986)
  • Jan 6 Freerk Siemon Wolters, Dutch resistance fighter, born in Zuidwolde, Netherlands (d. 1945)
  • Jan 7 Arnold Ridley, British actor and dramatist (The Ghost Train, Dad's Army), born in Bath, England (d. 1984)
  • Jan 8 Arthur Ford, American psychic (d. 1971)
  • Jan 8 Jaromir Weinberger, Czech-American composer (Bird's Opera), born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1967)
  • Jan 8 Manuel Rojas, Chilean writer (Men of the South), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1973)
  • Jan 9 Warwick Braithwaite, New Zealand-British conductor, primarily of opera, born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 1971)
  • Jan 11 Paddy Driscoll, American NFL quarterback and coach (Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears), born in Evanston, Illinois (d. 1968)
  • Jan 12 David Wechsler, American psychologist (d. 1981)

John dos Passos (1896-1970)

Jan 14 American novelist (Manhattan Transfer; The 42nd Parallel; Nineteen Nineteen; The Big Money), poet, and painter, born in Chicago, Illinois

  • Jan 15 Jacobo Ficher, Argentine composer, born in Odesa, Ukraine (d. 1978)
  • Jan 16 Ruth Rose, American screenwriter (d. 1978)
  • Jan 17 Harry Reser, American banjo player and bandleader (Sammy Kaye Show), born in Piqua, Ohio (d. 1965)
  • Jan 18 Bill McGowan, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL 1925-54; 8 x World Series; 4 x MLB All-Star Games), born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1954)
  • Jan 18 C. M. Eddy, Jr., American writer, born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1967)
  • Jan 18 Hans H. Holm, Norwegian poet (Jonsoknatt), born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1980)
  • Jan 20 Elmer Diktonius, Finnish poet, composer, and musicologist (Janne Kubrik; Stenkol), born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1961)
  • Jan 20 George Burns [Nathan Birnbaum], American actor, comedian and singer (Oh God; Burns and Allen), born in New York City (d. 1996)
  • Jan 20 Isabel Withers, American actress (Possessed, Lady of Burlesque), born in Frankton, Indiana (d. 1968)
  • Jan 20 Rolfe Sedan, American actor (Young Frankenstein, Ninotchka, George Burns Show), born in New York City (d. 1982)
  • Jan 21 J. Carrol Naish, American actor (Sahara; A Medal for Benny), born in New York City (d. 1973)
  • Jan 23 Alf Hall, South African cricket fast bowler (7 Tests, 40 wickets), born in Bolton, Lancashire, England (d. 1964)
  • Jan 23 Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1919-64), born in Berg Castle, Luxembourg (d. 1985)
  • Jan 25 Florence Mills [Winfrey], American cabaret singer, dancer and comedian, known as 'the Queen of Happiness', born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1927)
  • Jan 25 John Moores, British businessman, born in Lancashire, England (d. 1993)
  • Jan 29 Teddy Hoad, West Indies cricket batsman, captain (4 Tests; Barbados), born in Richmond, Saint Michael, Barbados (d. 1986)
  • Jan 31 Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician (d. 1966)
Born in 1896

Famous Weddings

Emilio Aguinaldo

Jan 1 1st Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo (26) weds first wife Hilaria del Rosario

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 1 Alfred Ely Beach, American inventor, dies at 69
  • Jan 4 Joseph Hubert Reinkens, German Old Catholic bishop (b. 1821)
  • Jan 8 Paul Verlaine, French lyric poet (Sagesse; Clair de lune; Hombres), dies at 51
  • Jan 8 William Rainey Marshall, Governor of Minnesota (b. 1825)
  • Jan 11 Francis Channing Barlow, American lawyer, Union general (US Civil War, meet with General John Brown Gordon at Gettysburg), dies from influenza complications at 62
  • Jan 15 Matthew B Brady, US photographer (Civil War), dies at about 72
  • Jan 18 Charles Floquet, French statesman and 44th Prime Minister of France, dies at 67
  • Jan 20 Graciano López Jaena, Filipino journalist (La Solidaridad), orator, social reformist, and national hero, dies of tuberculosis at 39
  • Jan 20 Henry von Battenberg, German son-in-law of Queen Victoria, dies at 37
  • Jan 25 Frans Baeckelmans, Flemish architect (Court of Justice), dies at 68
  • Jan 25 Frederic Leighton, British painter and sculptor, President of the Royal Academy (1878-96), dies a day after being made a baron (shortest-lived peerage) at 65
  • Jan 28 Joseph Barnby, English conductor and composer, dies at 57