Historical Events
- Jan 1 11th Rose Bowl: Notre Dame beats Stanford, 27-10
Ponsford 1st Double Test Century
Jan 1 Australian cricketer Bill Ponsford becomes the first batsman to score a century in each of his first 2 Tests when he hits 128 against England in the 2nd Test in Melbourne; Australia wins by 81 runs
- Jan 1 Norway's capital Christiania changes name to Oslo
- Jan 2 Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region established (now in Tadzhik SSR)
Il Duce the Dictator
Jan 3 Benito Mussolini dissolves the Italian parliament and proclaims himself dictator of Italy, taking the title "Il Duce" (the Leader)
- Jan 4 French psychologist Emil Coué brings his self-esteem therapy to US "Every day in every way I am getting better & better"
- Jan 5 England cricket openers Herbert Sutcliffe (176) and Jack Hobbs (154) display heroics in their 1st innings but the tourists sink to an 81 run defeat in the 2nd Test against Australia in Melbourne; Sutcliffe also adds 127 in the England 2nd innings
- Jan 5 French Baseball Federation awards silver medals to John McGraw, Charlie Comiskey, & Hugh Jennings
- Jan 5 James Gleason & Richard Tabers "Is zat so?" premieres in NYC
- Jan 5 Nellie Tayloe Ross sworn in as Governor of Wyoming, 1st woman governor in USA
- Jan 5 Under Polish control, Danzig establishes Port Gdańsk post office
Lenin, Trotsky Compete after Lenin's Death
Jan 6 Mikhail Frunze replaces Leon Trotsky as People's Commissioner of Military and Native Affairs (Minister of Defence) as Trotsky and Joseph Stalin battle for power in the aftermath of Vladimir Lenin's death
- Jan 6 Mussolini forms a cabinet composed entirely of Fascists in Italy
Nurmi's Indoor Record
Jan 6 Paavo Nurmi, sets indoor record, 4:13.6 mile & 14:44.6 5,000m
- Jan 8 1st all-female US state supreme court appointed, Texas
- Jan 8 England cricket opening batsman Herbert Sutcliffe follows his 1st innings 176 with 127 in the 2nd innings but his team cannot avoid an 81 run defeat to Australia in the 2nd Test in Melbourne
- Jan 9 German Postal Minister A Hofle resigns due to corruption
- Jan 10 Allies refuse to evacuate the Cologne area of Germany as agreed
- Jan 10 Miriam (Ma) Ferguson sworn in as Governor of Texasr, 2nd US woman governor, 1st ever elected
Secretary of State Kellogg
Jan 11 Frank Kellogg replaces Charles Hughes as US Secretary of State
Event of Interest
Jan 15 Hans Luther forms German government, with DNVP
- Jan 16 Hans Luther becomes Chancellor of Germany.
- Jan 19 -48°F (-44°C), Van Buren, Maine (state record)
- Jan 20 The Soviet and Japan sign a convention resuming relations: Russia agrees to limit revolutionary activity of the Third Communist International, while Japan agrees to leave the Sakhalin
- Jan 21 Albanian parliament announces itself a republic; Ahmed Zogoe president
- Jan 22 Albania Republic proclaimed under President Achmed Zogu
- Jan 24 Moving picture of a solar eclipse taken from dirigible over Long Island
- Jan 24 Sandler follows Branting as premier of Sweden
- Jan 28 -46°F (-43°C), Pittsburgh, New Hampshire (state record)
Lloyd George Liberal Leader
Jan 29 British Liberal Party chooses David Lloyd George as leader
- Jan 30 Turkish government throws out Constantine VI of Constantinople
Anderson 2nd Australasian Champion
Jan 31 Australasian Championships Men's Tennis, Sydney: James Anderson of Australia wins 2nd straight Australasian crown; beats countryman Gerald Patterson 11-9, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
- Jan 31 Australasian Championships Women's Tennis, Sydney: Daphne Akhurst wins 1st of 5 home titles; beats fellow Australian Esna Boyd 1-6, 8-6, 6-4
- Jan 31 Premier Ahmed Zogu becomes president of Angola
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Matthew "Stymie" Beard, American actor (d. 1981)
- Jan 1 Raymond Pellegrin, French actor (Woman of Rome), born in Nice, France (d. 2007)
- Jan 1 Valentina Cortesa, Italian actress (Day for Night, Kidnap Syndicate), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2019)
- Jan 2 Andrzej Nikodemovich, Ukrainian-Polish organist, pianist, composer, and teacher, born in Lviv, Ukraine (d. 2017)
- Jan 2 Larry Harmon, American entertainer and TV producer (d. 2008)
- Jan 2 William J. Crowe, Kentucky, American admiral and ambassador, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (1985-89), born in La Grange, Kentucky (d. 2007)
- Jan 4 Johnny Lujack, American College Football HOF quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1947; National C'ship 1943, 46-47; Notre Dame; Pro Bowl 1950-51; Chicago Bears), born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania (d. 2023)
- Jan 4 Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish cross country skier (Olympic gold 1952, 56, 60), born in Kurkijoki, Finland (d. 2003)
- Jan 5 Wolf Morris, English actor (Decoy), born in Portsmouth, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
- Jan 6 John Z. DeLorean, American automaker (DeLorean), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2005)
- Jan 7 Gerald Durrell, British naturalist, zoologist and writer (My Family and other Animals), born in Jamshedpur, British India (d. 1995)
- Jan 8 Helmuth Hübener, German anti-Nazi activist and pamphleteer, born in Hamburg, Weimar Republic Germany (d. 1942)
- Jan 8 James Saunders, English playwright (Ark), born in Islington, London (d. 2004)
- Jan 9 Abdelhamid ben Hadouga, Algerian writer, born in Mansoura, Algeria (d. 1996)
- Jan 9 Lee Van Cleef, American actor (For a Few Dollars More, Escape from NY), born in Somerville, New Jersey (d. 1989)
- Jan 9 Ofelya Hambardzumyan, Armenian folk singer, born in Yerevan, Armenia SSR (d. 2016)
- Jan 12 Bill Burrud, American television host (Safari to Adventure, Animal World), born in Hollywood, California (d. 1990)
- Jan 12 Katherine "Scottie" MacGregor, American actress (Little House On The Prairie - "Harriet Oleson"), born in Glendale, California (d. 2018)
- Jan 12 Laurentiu Profeta, Romanian composer, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2006)
- Jan 12 Ralph Legall, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (4 Tests), born in St Michael, Barbados (d. 2003)
- Jan 13 Gwyneth “Gwen” Verdon, American actress, singer and dancer (Cotton Club, Sweet Charity), born in Culver City, California (d. 2000)
- Jan 13 Rosemary Murphy, American actress (Margaret-Lucas Tanner), born in Munich, Germany (d. 2014)
- Jan 14 Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-born French businessman, entrepreneur and soft-drink manufacturer (Orangina), born in Boufarik, French Algeria (d. 2013)
- Jan 14 Louis Quilico, Canadian opera singer, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2000)
- Jan 14 Yukio Mishima, Japanese novelist (Temple of Golden Pavilion), born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 1970)
- Jan 15 Keith Bentley, English international racing cyclist, born in Leicester, England (d. 1997)
- Jan 15 Ruth Slenczynska, American concert pianist, and educator (Southern Illinois University, 1964-87), born in Sacramento, California
- Jan 17 Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistani cricketer and politician (captained Pakistan's 1st Test, prev played for India), born in Lahore, British India (d. 1996)
- Jan 17 Annie Delorie, Dutch opera singer (Nederlandse Opera, 1950-70), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2009)
- Jan 17 Duane Hanson, American artist, made life-sized realistic sculptures of people, born in Alexandria, Minnesota (d. 1996)
- Jan 17 Edgar Ray Killen, American convict, former preacher, K.K.K. member and murderer, born in Philadelphia, Mississippi (d. 2018)
- Jan 17 Robert Cormier, American author (d. 2000)
- Jan 18 Anthony Joly de Lotbiniere, English TV documentary film producer (BBC), born in Sale, England (d. 1995)
- Jan 18 Christian Kellens, Belgian jazz trombonist, born in Andenne, Belgium (d. 2019)
- Jan 18 Edouard Dermithe, Italian actor (Orpheus; Thomas the Impostor), born in Gallignana, Istria, Italian Empire (d. 1995)
- Jan 18 Gilles Deleuze, French philosopher (Difference and Repetition), born in Paris, France (d. 1995)
- Jan 18 Roepie Kruize, Dutch field hockey player (Olympic bronze, 1948/silver 1952), born in Heemstede, Netherlands (d. 1992)
- Jan 19 Nina [Mary] Bawden, English author (Afternoon of a Good Woman), (d. 2012)
- Jan 20 Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan Catholic priest, politician, poet, and writer, born in Granada, Nicaragua (d. 2020)
- Jan 20 Eugen Gomringer, Bolivian-born German poet, born in Cachuela Esperanza, Bolivia
- Jan 21 George Conner, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle / linebacker (Pro Bowl 1950–53; First-team All-Pro 1950–53, 55; Chicago Bears), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2003)
- Jan 22 Leslie Silver, English paint manufacturer, Chairman of Leeds United, born in London, England (d. 2014)
- Jan 23 Marty Paich, American jazz pianist, conductor, producer and arranger (Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson), born in Oakland, California (d. 1995)
Maria Tallchief (1925-2013)
Jan 24 American prima ballerina (The Nutcracker), born in Fairfax, Oklahoma
- Jan 24 William Hudson, American actor (I Led 3 Lives), born in Gilroy, California (d. 1974)
- Jan 25 Eric Dempster, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (5 Tests, TS 47, 2 wickets; Wellington CA), born in Wellington, New Zealand (d. 2011)
- Jan 25 Giorgos Zampetas, Greek musician and songwriter, born in Athens, Greece (d. 1992)
- Jan 26 Claude Ryan, Quebec newspaper editor (d. 2004)
- Jan 26 David Jenkins, English controversial cleric (Bishop of Durham), born in Bromley, England (d. 2016)
- Jan 26 Joan Leslie, American actress (High Sierra, Yankee Doodle Dandy), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2015)
Paul Newman (1925-2008)
Jan 26 American actor (Hud, Hombre, Hustler), auto racer and team owner (Newman/Haas Racing) and charity food company founder (Newman's Own), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Jan 27 Geoffrey Tucker, British political consultant who helped Macmillan, Heath and Thatcher into office, born in Bristol, England (d. 2003)
- Jan 27 John Bury, British stage designer who worked with Peter Hall (d. 2000)
- Jan 28 Henry Harris, British cell biologist (identified genes capable of suppressing cancers), born in Russia (d. 2014) [1]
- Jan 29 Pier Tania (Meinte Piet), Dutch radio/TV host (ANP, De Bezetting) (d. 1995)
- Jan 30 Chalmers "Bump" Elliott, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback and coach (U of Michigan) and college athletics administrator (Iowa), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2019)
- Jan 30 Dorothy Malone, American actress (At Gunpoint, Night & Day, Peyton Place), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2018)
Douglas Engelbart (1925-2013)
Jan 30 American computer scientist (computer mouse, Engelbart's Law), born in Portland, Oregon
- Jan 31 Benjamin Hooks, American lawyer, Baptist minister, and civil rights leader (NAACP executive director, 1977-92), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2010)
- Jan 31 Charles Aidman, American actor and TV narrator (New Twilight Zone), born in Frankfort, Indiana (d. 1993)
- Jan 31 Fred Catherwood, British politician (Vice President of the European Parliament 1989-1992), born in Castledawson, County Londonderry (d. 2014)
- Jan 31 Micheline Lannoy, Belgian figure skating pairs (Olympic gold 1948), born in Brussels, Belgium
Famous Weddings
Seán MacBride
Jan 26 Politician Seán MacBride (21) weds Catalina Bulfin in Dublin, Ireland
Gloria Swanson
Jan 28 Actress Gloria Swanson (25) weds aristocrat Henri de la Falaise (26) in Paris, France
Famous Deaths
- Jan 12 Oskar Brefeld, German botanist and founder of modern mycology, dies at 85
- Jan 19 Maria Sophie of Bavaria, Queen consort of the Two Sicilies, dies at 83
- Jan 25 Ivan Vucetic, Croatian anthropologist (b. 1858)
- Jan 30 Jakab Gyula Major, Hungarian pianist and composer, dies at 66
- Jan 30 John Mellaerts, Flemish social worker (Boerenbond), dies at 79
- Jan 31 George W. Cable, American writer (Northampton Years), dies at 80
