Historical Events
- Jan 1 12th Orange Bowl: Miami (FL) beats #16 Holy Cross, 13-6
- Jan 1 12th Sugar Bowl: #5 Oklahoma State beats #7 Saint Mary's (CA), 33-13
- Jan 1 32nd Rose Bowl: #2 Alabama beats #11 Southern California, 34-14
- Jan 1 ENIAC, US 1st computer finished by Mauchly/Eckert
- Jan 1 National Assembly proclaims Hungary a republic
Luciano's Sentence Commuted
Jan 3 As a reward for his wartime cooperation, Governor Thomas E. Dewey commutes Charles "Lucky" Luciano's pandering sentence on condition that he does not resist deportation to Italy
- Jan 5 "Show Boat" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 417 performances
- Jan 6 Vietnam holds its first ever general election
- Jan 7 Cambodia becomes autonomous state inside French Union
- Jan 9 "Would-Be Gentleman" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 77 performances
- Jan 10 UN General Assembly meets for the first time in London
- Jan 10 US Army bounces 1st radar signal off the Moon from Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey
- Jan 11 Bert Bell becomes second NFL commissioner, moves Chicago headquarters to Philadelphia
People's Republic of Albania
Jan 11 Enver Hoxha declares People's Republic of Albania with himself dictator
- Jan 12 Edouardo de Filippo's stage drama "Questi Fantasmi!" premieres in Rome
Musical Finale
Jan 12 Frédéric Chopin (as adapted by Bronislaw Kaper) and John LaTouche's musical "Polonaise", based on the life of Polish-American patriot Tadeusz Kościuszko, closes at the Adelphi Theater, NYC, after 113 performances
- Jan 12 NFL champs Cleveland Rams owner Daniel Reeves announces plans to move team to Los Angeles, to avoid having to compete with the incoming AAFC Browns team
- Jan 14 1946 NFL Draft: Frank Dancewicz from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks
- Jan 14 2 jetties collapse in Ganges, crushing 160 Hindu pilgrims
- Jan 17 United Nations Security Council holds its 1st meeting, at Westminster Central Hall in Westminster, England
- Jan 20 F Gouin follows De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government
- Jan 21 "Nellie Bly" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 16 performances
- Jan 23 Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers, USNR, becomes 1st director of CIA
Metamorphosis
Jan 25 Richard Strauss' composition "Metamorphosen" premieres with the Collegium Musicum in Zürich
- Jan 25 United Mine Workers union rejoins American Federation of Labor
Bromwich Defeats Pails
Jan 29 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: John Bromwich wins his 2nd Australian title; beats fellow Australian Dinny Pails 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Famous Birthdays
John Paul Jones (78 years old)
Jan 3 English rock bassist and songwriter (Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"), born in London, England
- Jan 3 Michalis Kritikopoulos, Greek soccer striker (28 caps; Olympiacos), born in Kaisariani, Greece (d. 2002)
- Jan 4 Arthur Conley, American soul singer ("Sweet Soul Music"), born in McIntosh County, Georgia (d. 2003)
- Jan 4 Susannah McCorkle, American jazz singer, born in Berkeley, California (d. 2001)
Diane Keaton (78 years old)
Jan 5 American actress (Annie Hall, Little Drummer Girl), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 6 Harold Jackson, NFL wide receiver (LA, New Engl), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Syd Barrett (1946-2006)
Jan 6 British guitarist and singer-songwriter (Pink Floyd, 1964-68 - "See Emily Play"; solo -"The Madcap Laughs"), born in Cambridge, England
- Jan 7 Andy Brown, British rock drummer (The Fortunes, 1963-77 - "You've Got Your Troubles"; "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again"), born in Birmingham, England
- Jan 7 Jann Wenner, American magazine publisher (Rolling Stone), born in New York City
- Jan 7 John Tropea, American session and smooth jazz guitarist, born in New York City
- Jan 8 Fritz Künzli, Swiss soccer striker (44 caps; FC Zürich, FC Winterthur, FC Lausanne-Sport), born in Glarus, Switzerland (d. 2019)
- Jan 8 Kathleen Noone [O'Meara], American actress (All My Children, Party of 5, Knots Landing), born in Hillsdale, New Jersey
- Jan 8 Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexican drug lord (Guadalajara Cartel), born in Culiacán, Mexico
- Jan 8 Robby Krieger, American guitarist (The Doors - "Light My Fire"; "Hello, I Love You"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 9 Bill Albaugh, American pop-psychedelic rock drummer (The Lemon Pipers - "My Green Tambourine"), born in Hamilton, Ohio (d. 1999)
- Jan 9 Jean-Pierre Lux, French rugby union centre (42 caps; US Tyrosse, US Dax) and administrator (President European Rugby Cup 1999-2014), born in Saint-Vincent-de-Tyr, France (d. 2020)
- Jan 9 Leo Gullotta, Italian actor (Sinbad of the 7 Seas), born in Catania, Italy
- Jan 10 Aynsley Dunbar, English drummer (Journey, Jefferson Starship), born in Liverpool, England
- Jan 10 Bob Lang, English bassist (Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders), born in Manchester, England
- Jan 11 (Diana) "Naomi" Judd, American Grammy Award-winning country singer (The Judds - "Why Not Me"), born in Ashland, Kentucky (d. 2022)
- Jan 11 John Piper, American theologian, writer (Don't Watse Your Life; Love Your Enemies), and Baptist pastor, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Jan 11 Ludmila Poradnik, Ukrainian handball player (Olympic gold USSR 1976, 80), born in Kiev, Ukraine
- Jan 11 Tony Kaye [Anthony John Selvidge], British progressive rock piano and organ player (Yes, 1968-71; 1983-94; 2018–19), born in Leicester, England
- Jan 11 Vladimír Bokes, Slovak cellist, composer (Good Day, Mr. Fibonacci), and pedagogue, born in Bratislava, Czechoslovak Republic (now Slovakia)
- Jan 12 Cynthia Robinson, American musician (Sly & Family Stone - "Everyday People"), born in Sacramento, California (d. 2015)
- Jan 12 George Duke, American Grammy Award-winning jazz and funk keyboard player, and composer, born in San Rafael, California (d. 2013)
- Jan 12 Hazel Cosgrove, Scottish lawyer and judge (1st Woman to College of Justice), born in Glasgow, Scotland
- Jan 13 Eero Koivistoinen, Finnish jazz saxophonist, arranger, and composer, born in Helsinki, Finland
- Jan 14 Harold Shipman, British serial killer, born in Bestwood Estate, Nottingham (d. 2004)
- Jan 15 Bobby Bloom, American singer-songwriter ("Montego Bay"), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1974)
- Jan 16 Katia Ricclarelli, Italian soprano and actress (Falstaff, Otello, Turandot), born in Rovigo, Italy
- Jan 16 Michael L. Coats, Capt USN/astr (STS 41-D, 29, 39), born in Sacramento, California
- Jan 17 Frank Bey [Bass], American blues singer-songwriter (All My Dues Are Paid), born in Millen, Georgia (d. 2020)
- Jan 17 Michèle Deslauriers, French-Canadian actress, and the voice of the Montreal Metro system, born in Quebec
- Jan 18 Joseph Deiss, Swiss economist and politician, born in Fribourg, Switzerland
- Jan 19 Alexandr Vladimirovich Shchukin, Russian cosmonaut
Dolly Parton (78 years old)
Jan 19 American country singer-songwriter ("Jolene"; "I Will Always Love You", "9 to 5"), actress, and literacy advocate, born in Sevierville, Tennessee
- Jan 19 John David [Williams], Welsh bassist, songwriter, and producer (Dave Edmunds; Shakin' Stevens), born in Cardiff, South Wales
- Jan 19 Julian Barnes, English writer (Before She Met Me, The Sense of an Ending), born in Leicester, England
David Lynch (78 years old)
Jan 20 American actor and director (Dune; Eraserhead), born in Missoula, Montana
- Jan 20 Franz Di Cioccio, Italian progressive rock drummer and singer (Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)), born in Pratola Peligna, Abruzzo, Italy
- Jan 20 Johnny Oates, American MLB baseball catcher, 1970-81 (Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and 3 other teams), and manager, 1991-2001 (Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers), born in Sylva, North Carolina (d. 2004)
- Jan 20 Susan Vreeland, American author (The Passion of Artemisia), born in Racine, Wisconsin (d. 2017)
- Jan 21 Vincent Placoly, Martinique, writer (L'eau-de-mort guildive)
- Jan 22 Andrew Rubin, actor (Hometown, Joe Bash) [or Jun 22], born in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010)
Jan 22 British band manager (New York Dolls; Sex Pistols; Bow Wow Wow) and musician, born in London
Arnoldo Aleman (78 years old)
Jan 23 81st President of Nicaragua (1997-2002), born in Managua, Nicaragua
- Jan 23 Asif Masood, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani quick with long & erratic run-up), born in Lahore, Pakistan
- Jan 23 Don Whittington, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1979), born in Lubbock, Texas
- Jan 24 John Harrison, South Africa correspondent (BBC), born in Aldershot, England (d. 1994)
- Jan 24 Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor (The Rookies, Slap Shot, Twin Peaks), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Jan 25 Ronnie Brandon, American rocker (McCoys), born in Union City, Indiana
- Jan 25 Silvio Blatter, Swiss writer, born in Bremgarten, Switzerland
- Jan 26 Charly Loubet, French soccer striker (35 caps; AS Cannes, OGC Nice, Marseille), born in Grasse, France (d. 2023)
- Jan 26 Christopher Hampton, Portuguese playwright (Oviri, Hotel du Lac), born in Horta, Portugal
- Jan 26 Gene Siskel, American movie critic (Siskel & Ebert), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1999)
- Jan 26 Timothy Clifford, British art historian (National Galleries of Scotland)
- Jan 28 Gailene Stock, Australian ballerina, teacher, and dance school director, born in Ballarat, Victoria (d. 2014)
- Jan 28 Renne Jarrett, American actress (Nancy), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 28 Rick Allen, American rock bass player and keyboardist (The Box Tops - "Cry Like A Baby"), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Jan 29 Bettye LaVette [Betty Jo Haskins], American soul singer (I've Got My Own Hell to Raise), born in Muskegon, Michigan
- Jan 30 Lord Mackay of Drumadoon, British QC, born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Paul Alexander (1946-2024)
Jan 30 American polio survivor known as "Polio Paul" who lived for decades in an iron lung after contracting the disease at age 6, born in Dallas, Texas
- Jan 31 Glynn Turman, American actor (Lew-Peyton Place, Manimal, Centennial), born in New York City
- Jan 31 Jonathan Banks, actor (Armed & Dangerous, Cold Steel), born in Washington, D.C.
- Jan 31 Subroto Guha, Indian cricketer (right arm swing bowler for India 1967-69), born in India
- Jan 31 Terry Kath, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist (Chicago - "Make Me Smile"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1978)
Famous Weddings
John Wayne
Jan 17 American actor John Wayne (38) weds actress Esperanza Baur (25) in Long Beach, California; divorce in 1954
Famous Deaths
- Jan 2 Joe Darling, Australian cricket batsman and captain (34 Tests, 21 as captain; 3 x 100s, TS 178; South Australia CA), dies following a gall bladder operation at 75
William Joyce (1906-1946)
Jan 3 American-born Irish Fascist politician and NAZI propagandist, hanged in Britain for treason at 39
- Jan 5 (Catherine) "Kitty" Cheatham, American folk singer and children's music singer-songwriter, dies at 81
- Jan 5 George "Slim" Summerville, American actor (All Quiet on the Western Front, Keystone Cops), dies of a stroke at 53
- Jan 7 Adamo Didur, Polish operatic bass singer (New York Metropolitan Opera, 1908-32), dies at 71
Dion Fortune (1890-1946)
Jan 8 British occultist and author (Psychic Self-Defence, The Mystical Qabalah), dies of leukemia at 55
- Jan 9 Countee Cullen, African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance (The Black Christ; Copper Sun), dies from high blood pressure and uremic poisoning at 42 [1]
- Jan 9 Dimitrios Golemis, Greek athlete (b. 1874)
- Jan 17 Gottfried Rudinger, German composer, dies at 59
- Jan 18 Feliks Nowowiejski, Polish organist and composer, dies at 68
- Jan 23 Matteo Giulio Bartoli, Italian linguist, dies at 72
- Jan 26 Adriaan van Maanen, Dutch-American astronomer (b. 1884)
- Jan 29 Harry Hopkins, American statesman and presidential advisor (US Secretary of Commerce, Loan & Lease law), dies at 55
- Jan 29 Sidney Jones, British conductor and composer (The Geisha, A Gaiety Girl), dies at 84
