Historical Events
- Jan 1 23rd Rose Bowl: #3 Pittsburgh beats #5 Washington, 21-0
- Jan 1 3rd Orange Bowl: #14 Duquesne beats Mississippi State, 13-12
- Jan 1 3rd Sugar Bowl: Santa Clara beats LSU, 21-14
- Jan 1 Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua
- Jan 1 German officer Claus von Stauffenberg promoted to captain
- Jan 1 Safety glass in vehicle windscreens becomes mandatory in Great Britain.
- Jan 1 US Army Air Corps physiological research laboratory completed, Ohio
Record 6th Wicket Stand
Jan 5 Australian cricket batsmen Jack Fingleton (136) and Don Bradman (out 270 the following day) make then record stand of 346 for 6th wicket in 3rd Test vs England in Melbourne
"High Tor"
Jan 9 Maxwell Anderson's stage drama "High Tor" premieres at Martin Beck Theatre, NYC; runs for 171 performances, wins Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play
Berg Wins Inaugural Event
Jan 17 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins inaugural event by 3 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby
Baseball Hall of Fame
Jan 19 Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
Transcontinental Air Record
Jan 19 Millionaire Howard Hughes sets transcontinental air record (7h 28m 25s)
- Jan 20 -45°F (-43°C), Boca, California (state record)
- Jan 20 1st US Presidential Inauguration day held on Jan 20th, (previously March 4th)
On Your Toes
Jan 23 George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes", choreographed by George Balanchine, and starring Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, closes at the Majestic Theatre, NYC; after 515 performances
The Great Purge
Jan 23 Karl Radek and sixteen others go on trial in Moscow as part of the Great Purge, many are sentenced to death
- Jan 25 1st broadcast of "Guiding Light" on NBC radio
- Jan 25 Miami-to-Tampa bus overturned in a canal, kills 13
McGrath Beats Bromwich
Jan 30 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Vivian McGrath wins his only Grand Slam singles event; beats fellow Australian John Bromwich 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1
- Jan 30 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Nancye Wynne Bolton wins her first of 6 Australian singles titles; beats Emily Hood Westacott 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg, Polish author (d. 1995)
- Jan 2 Marianne McDonald, classicist/philanthropist
- Jan 3 Glen Larson, American television producer and writer (Battlestar Galactica, Magnum PI, & Knight Rider), born in Long Beach, CA, (d. 2014)
- Jan 4 Dyan Cannon [Samile Diane Friesen], American actress, director and producer (Heaven Can Wait), born in Tacoma, Washington
Grace Bumbry (1937-2023)
Jan 4 American mezzo-soprano (Venus in Tannhäuser, 1st Black singer to sing at Bayreuth Festival), born in St. Louis, Missouri [1]
- Jan 4 Raman Surendranath, Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 26 wickets), born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India (d. 2012)
- Jan 6 Doris Troy [Higginsen], American R&B singer and songwriter ("Just One Look"), born in the Bronx, New York (d. 2004)
- Jan 6 Lou Holtz, American football coach (NJ Jets), born in Follansbee, West Virginia
- Jan 6 Luigi Arienti, Italian track cyclist (Olympic gold men's team pursuit 1960), born in San Carlo de Desio, Italy (d. 2024)
- Jan 6 Paolo Conte, Italian singer, born in Asti, Italy
- Jan 8 Robert Moran, American composer (Trinity Requiem), born in Denver, Colorado
Shirley Bassey (87 years old)
Jan 8 Welsh singer (Goldfinger; Diamonds Are Forever; Moonraker), born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales
- Jan 9 Klaus Schlesinger, German writer, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2001)
- Jan 9 Malcolm Cecil, British jazz bassist, record producer, audio engineer, and electronic musician (Ronnie Scott; Blues Incorporated; TONTO's Expanding Head Band), born in London, England (d. 2021)
- Jan 10 Thomas Penfield Jackson, American judge, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2013)
- Jan 11 Felix Silla, Italian-American circus performer, Hollywood stuntman, and actor (The Addams Family - "Cousin Itt"), born in Roccascasale, Italy (d. 2021)
- Jan 12 Liliana Cavani, Italian director (Berlin Affair), born in Carpi, Italy
- Jan 12 Marie Dubois, French actress (Wise Guys, Jules & Jim), born in Paris, France (d. 2014)
- Jan 12 Vicente Sardinero, Spanish baritone, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2002)
- Jan 14 Billie Jo Spears, American country singer, born in Beaumont, Texas (d. 2011)
- Jan 14 Erland Kops, Danish badminton player, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2017)
- Jan 14 Ken Higgs, English cricket fast bowler (15 Tests, 71 wickets, 1 x 50; Lancashire CCC, Leicestershire CCC), born in Kidsgrove, England (d. 2016)
- Jan 14 Shoban Babu, Indian actor, born in Nandigama, India (d. 2008)
- Jan 15 Margaret O'Brien, American actress (Jane Eyre; Meet Me In St Louis), born in San Diego, California
- Jan 16 Bob Bogle, American surf rock bassist and guitarist (Ventures - "Walk, Don't Run"), born in Wagoner, Oklahoma (d. 2009)
- Jan 16 Conny Vandenbos [Jacoba Hollestelle], Dutch singer ("My Rose, My Little Rose"), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2002)
- Jan 16 Lorraine Bayly, Australian actress, born in Narrandera, Australia
- Jan 16 Luiz Bueno, Brazilian racing driver, born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2011)
- Jan 18 John Hume, Northern Irish politician (jointly awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Good Friday Agreement), born in Derry, Northern Ireland (d. 2020) [1]
- Jan 18 Richie Moran, American Lacrosse HOF midfielder (Uni of Maryland) and coach (NCAA National C'ship 1971, 76, 77; Coach of the Year 1971, 77, 87; Cornell), born in Floral Park, New York (d. 2022)
- Jan 18 Yukio Endo, Japanese gymnast (4 Olympic gold 1960, 64), born in Akita, Japan (d. 2009)
- Jan 19 Ian Samwell, British songwriter and record producer (Cliff Richard; Small Faces; America), born in Lambeth, South London, England (d. 2003)
- Jan 19 Phil Wilson, American jazz trombonist, arranger (Woody Herman; Buddy Rich), and teacher (Berklee College of Music; New England Conservatory), born in Belmont, Massachusetts
- Jan 20 Dorothy Provine, American actress (The Roaring 20's; That Darn Cat: Who's Minding The Mint?), and singer, born in Deadwood, South Dakota (d. 2010)
- Jan 21 (Fird) "Snooks" Eaglin, American blues and R&B guitarist and singer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2009)
- Jan 21 George Flynn, American pianist, composer (Trinity), and teacher (Columbia; DePaul), born in Miles City, Montana
- Jan 21 Max Emanuel Herzog in Bayern, German royal (Duke in Bavaria), born in Munich, Germany
- Jan 22 Edén Pastora, Nicaraguan "Sandinistas" rebel leader, born in Nicaragua (d. 2020) [some sources cite birthdate as November 15, 1936]
- Jan 22 Joseph Wambaugh, American police writer ("The Onion Fields"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Jan 24 Bobby Beathard, American Pro Football Hall of Fame executive (GM Washington Redskins Super Bowl 1982, 87; San Diego Chargers), born in Zanesville, Ohio (d. 2023)
- Jan 25 Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Central African Republic, born in Paoua, Central African Republic (d. 2011)
- Jan 25 Kathleen Tynan Halton, Canadian-British journalist and author, born in Canada (d. 1995)
- Jan 26 Gerrit Gerritse, Dutch politician (CDA)
- Jan 26 Joseph Saidu Momoh, gen/president (Sierra Leone)
- Jan 27 John Ogdon, British pianist and composer, born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, England (d. 1989)
- Jan 28 Bette Howland [Lee Sotonoff], American writer and literary critic (Blue in Chicago, The iron year), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2017)
- Jan 28 Charlie Krueger, American College Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle (Texas A&M; Pro Bowl 1960, 64; San Francisco 49ers), born in Caldwell, Texas (d. 2021)
- Jan 28 Ken Hill, English playwright and director, born in Birmingham, England (d. 1995)
- Jan 29 Bobby Scott, American composer, arranger and jazz singer ("He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"), born in Mt Pleasant, New York (d. 1990)
- Jan 30 Boris Spassky, Russian chess player (world champion 1969-72, born in Leningrad, Russia
- Jan 30 Ed Hansen, American film director and editor, born in Minnesota, United States (d. 2005)
- Jan 30 Vanessa Redgrave, British actress (Blow-Up, Julia, Orient Express), born in London, England
- Jan 31 Andrée Boucher, Canadian politician (mayor of Quebec City), born in Sainte-Foy, Quebec (d. 2007)
- Jan 31 Philip Glass, American minimalist composer (Einstein On The Beach; Koyaanisqatsi), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Jan 31 Regimantas Adomaitis, Lithuanian actor
- Jan 31 Steve Karmen, American jingle writer (I Love NY, This Bud's for You), born in The Bronx, New York
- Jan 31 Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (The Birds; The Bob Newhart Show - "Emily"), born in New York City (d. 2008)
Famous Weddings
Paul Dirac
Jan 2 Theoretical Physicist Paul Dirac (34) weds Margit Wigner
Nat King Cole
Jan 27 Musician Nat King Cole (17) weds dancer Nadine Robinson in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Famous Deaths
- Jan 2 Ross Alexander, American stage and film actor (Captain Blood, Boulder Dam), commits suicide by gunshot at 29
- Jan 5 Marie Booth, child of William and Catherine Booth (b. 1864)
- Jan 6 Brother André [Alfred Bessette], Canadian Roman Catholic lay brother and saint (St Joseph’s Oratory, Montreal), dies at 91
- Jan 8 Felix Körling, Swedish sacred and children's music composer, dies at 72
- Jan 13 Martin Elmer Johnson, American adventurer and filmmaker, dies at 52
- Jan 13 Walter Brearley, cricketer (17 wkts in 4 Tests for Eng 1905-12), dies
- Jan 14 Jaishankar Prasad, Hindi poet, dramatist and novelist, dies at 47
- Jan 21 Marie Prevost, Canadian actress (b. 1898)
- Jan 23 Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist and politician (Minister of Education), dies at 60
- Jan 28 Anastasios Metaxas, Greek architect (restored Panathinaiko Stadium 1896 Olympics Athens) and shooter (Olympic bronze trap, single shot 1908), dies at 74
