Historical Events
- Jan 1 3rd Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Oregon beats Pennsylvania, 14-0; MVP: John Beckett, Oregon
T. E. Lawrence Joins Arabs
Jan 1 T. E. Lawrence joins the forces of the Arabian sheik Feisal al Husayn, beginning his adventures that will lead him to Damascus by October, 1918
Suffragettes Begin White House Protest
Jan 10 Suffragettes the "Silent Sentinels" first protest outside The White House, in Washington led by Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party
Allies Response to Wilson
Jan 10 The Allied Governments respond to US President Woodrow Wilson's December 1916 note, giving their terms for ending the war
- Jan 11 Guy Bolton & PG Wodehouse's musical "Have a Heart" premieres in New York
- Jan 13 Ammunitions ship explosion at Ekonomiia port near Archangel, Russia kills many and injures hundreds
- Jan 13 Train at Ciurea station in Romania catches fire and explodes, between 800-1,000 die, making it the third worst rail accident in history
- Jan 16 "Zimmermann Telegram" is sent from Germany to Mexico, offering promise of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico being given to Mexico in return for joining World War I if the US enters on the Allied side; British intelligence intercepts the communication and partially deciphers it by the next day. It's release in March shifts US public opinion in favor of war against Germany.
- Jan 16 The Greek Government accepts reparations for Allied losses sustained in recent actions in Greece
- Jan 17 US pays Denmark $25 million for Virgin Islands (or 3/21)
- Jan 19 The Silvertown explosion: 73 die when a munitions factory in Essex explodes.
- Jan 27 Coen de Koning wins 2nd official 11 cities race (9:53) (record)
- Jan 28 Municipally owned streetcars take to the streets of San Francisco, California
- Jan 29 British submarine K13 sank in Gaire Loch, Scotland; killing 32 of her crew
- Jan 31 Germany notifies US that U-boats will attack neutral merchant ship
- Jan 31 Mexican President Carranza announces a new constitution with many liberal elements, most of which his regime is unable to implement
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Albert Mol, Dutch actor (Kant aan m'n broek!), born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (d. 2004)
- Jan 1 Jule Gregory Charney, American meteorologist (d. 1981)
- Jan 2 Vera Zorina [Eva Hartwig], German-Norwegian ballet dancer, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2003)
- Jan 3 Jesse White [Weidenfeld], American character actor (Bedtime for Bonzo; Harvey; Maytag repairman, 1967-88), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1997)
- Jan 3 Roger W. Straus, Jr., American publisher (d. 2004)
- Jan 3 Vernon A. Walters, American diplomat and US permanent rep to the UN (1989-91), born in New York City (d. 2002)
- Jan 5 Francis L. Kellogg, U.S. diplomat and prominent socialite, born in New York City (d. 2006)
Jane Wyman (1917-2007)
Jan 5 American Academy Award-winning actress (Johnny Belinda; Magnificent Obsession) and 1st wife of Ronald Reagan, born in Saint Joseph, Missouri
- Jan 5 Reginald Smith Brindle, British composer, born in Cuerden, Lancashire, England (d. 2003)
- Jan 5 Wieland Wagner, German opera director, born in Bayreuth, Germany (d. 1966)
- Jan 6 Koo Chen-fu, Taiwanese businessman and diplomat, born in Taichung, Taiwan (d. 2005)
- Jan 7 Ulysses Kay, American neoclassical composer (Of New Horizons: Overture), born in Tucson, Arizona (d. 1995)
- Jan 8 Peter Taylor, American novelist, born in Trenton, Tennessee (d. 1994)
- Jan 8 Stanley Prager, American comedian (College Bowl), born in New York City (d. 1972)
- Jan 10 Jerry Wexler, American music producer who coined the term "rhythm and blues" (Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2008)
- Jan 10 Tyrell Johnson, West Indian cricketer (WI left-arm quickie, one Test 1939), born in Tunapuna, Trinidad (d. 1985)
- Jan 12 Jimmy Skinner, Canadian hockey coach, born in Selkirk, Canada (d. 2007)
- Jan 12 Walter Hendl, American conductor and composer, born in West New York, New Jersey (d. 2007)
- Jan 13 Felix Guerro Diaz, Cuban composer, born in La Habana, Cuba (d. 2001)
- Jan 15 Wang Renzhong, Chinese politician (First Secretary Hubei Province), born in Jing County, Hebei (d. 1992)
- Jan 16 Carl Karcher, founded the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain (d. 2008)
- Jan 16 William "Buddy" Lester, American comedian and actor (Barney Miller, Phil Silvers Show), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2002)
- Jan 17 M. G. Ramachandran, Indian actor and politician, born in Kandy, Sri Lanka (d. 1987)
- Jan 17 Oskar Morawetz, Czech-Canadian composer (From the Diary of Anne Frank), born in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia (now Czech Republic); (d. 2007)
- Jan 17 Ramón Cardemil, Chilean huaso, born in Colchagua, Chile (d. 2007)
- Jan 18 Oscar Lewenstein, British impresario, born in Hackney, London (d. 1997)
- Jan 18 Wang Yung-ching, Taiwanese businessman, born in Xindian District, Taipei, Taiwan (d. 2008)
- Jan 19 Rudolf Maros, Hungarian composer (Sirato/Lament; Euphonies), and pedagogue, born in Stachy, Bohemia (d. 1982)
- Jan 21 Erling Persson, Swedish entrepreneur (H&M stores), born in Borlänge, Sweden (d. 2002)
- Jan 21 Rohan Butler, English historian (d. 1996)
- Jan 22 Albert "Pud" Brown, American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1996)
- Jan 22 Herwig Hensen [Flor Mielants], Flemish poet and playwright, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1989)
- Jan 23 Dusan Kostic, Serbian writer, born in Peja, Serbia (d. 1997)
Ernest Borgnine (1917-2012)
Jan 24 American Academy Award-winning actor (Marty; From Here To Eternity; ; McHale's Navy; The Poseidon Adventure), born in Hamden, Connecticut
- Jan 25 Floyd "Guitar" Smith, American jazz and blues guitarist and record producer, born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1982)
- Jan 25 Ilya Prigogine, Russian scientist and Nobel laureate, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 2003)
- Jan 25 Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician, born in Campo Grande, Brazil (d. 1992)
- Jan 26 Louis Zamperini, American World War II veteran whose story of capture by the Japanese inspired the movie "Unbroken", born in Olean, New York (d. 2014)
- Jan 29 John Raitt, American stage and screen singer and actor (Carousel; Pajama Game), born in Santa Ana, California (d. 2005)
- Jan 30 Paul Frère, Belgian racing driver & motorsport journalist, born in Le Havre, France (d. 2008)
- Jan 31 Erich Geiringer, New Zealand general practitioner campaigner (founder of the New Zealand Medical Association), born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (d. 1995)
- Jan 31 José Maceda, Filipino composer and ethnomusicologist, born in Manila, Philippines (d. 2004)
Famous Weddings
Auguste Rodin
Jan 29 Sculptor Auguste Rodin (76) weds Rose Beuret
Famous Deaths
- Jan 2 Edward Burnett Tylor, English anthropologist (Primitive Culture), dies at 84
- Jan 6 Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack, Dutch lawyer, economist (Bank of the Netherlands) and historian, dies at 82
- Jan 10 William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, American Wild West hunter and showman (Buffalo Bill's Wild West), dies at 70
George Dewey (1837-1917)
Jan 16 U.S. Admiral of the Navy, won Battle of Manila Bay, dies at 79
