What Happened in January 1992

Historical Events

  • Jan 1 21st Fiesta Bowl: #6 Penn State beats #10 Tennessee, 42-17
  • Jan 1 58th Orange Bowl: #1 Miami (FL) beats #11 Nebraska, 22-0
  • Jan 1 58th Sugar Bowl: #18 Notre Dame beats #3 Florida, 39-28
  • Jan 1 78th Rose Bowl: #2 Washington beats #4 Michigan, 34-14

Boutros-Ghali Secretary General

Jan 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt begins his term as the 6th Secretary-General of the United Nations

  • Jan 1 Bush is 1st US President to address Australian Parliament
  • Jan 1 Curacao becomes 1st in Dutch Antilles to have compulsory education
  • Jan 1 Europe breaks down trade barriers
  • Jan 1 International Space Year begins
  • Jan 1 NYC transit fare increases from $1.15 to $1.25
  • Jan 1 The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is renamed the Russian Federation, becoming the successor state to the Soviet Union.

Shane Warne Debut

Jan 2 Australian cricket spin bowling great Shane Warne (145 Tests, 708 wickets; 194 ODIs) makes Test debut v India in 3rd Test at Sydney Cricket Ground

  • Jan 3 32 Cubans defect to the US via helicopter
  • Jan 3 Australian cricket batsman David Boon scores an unbeaten 129 in drawn 3rd Test against India in Sydney; his 11th Test century
  • Jan 3 English club Wigan pays Widnes a world record rugby league transfer fee of £440,000 for Great Britain international winger Martin Offiah
  • Jan 3 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Jakob Hlasek beats Karel Nováček of Czechoslovakia 6-4, 6-4 for a 2-0 lead (ends 2-1) and Switzerland's first title
  • Jan 4 8th largest wrestling crowd NJPW Starcade (60,000-Tokyo Dome)

Parish's Block Record

Jan 4 Boston's Robert Parish becomes 5th player in NBA history to register 2,000 career blocks during Celtics' 100-96 loss at Minnesota - others Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, Wayne Rollins and George Johnson

  • Jan 5 "6 Degrees of Separation" closes at Vivian Beaumont NYC after 496 performances
  • Jan 5 "On Borrowed Time" closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 99 performances
  • Jan 5 Indian cricket all-rounder Ravi Shastri scores 206 in 3rd Test in Sydney before being Shane Warne's first Test wicket, the first of 708 for Australia

"The Crucible"

Jan 5 Revival of Arthur Miller's dramatic play "The Crucible" closes at Belasco Theater, NYC, after 32 performances

  • Jan 5 Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Cathy Rigby, closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 48 performances
  • Jan 6 NY Yankees sign free agent Danny Tartabul
  • Jan 6 Robert Schenkkan's "Kentucky Cycle" premieres in LA
  • Jan 6 Sachin Tendulkar completes 148* v Australia at the SCG
  • Jan 6 The US Government urges doctors to stop using silicone breast implants, outlining the health effects
  • Jan 6 Zviad Gamskahurdia, the President of Georgia, flees the country because of the military coup
  • Jan 7 AT&T releases video-telephone ($1,499)

Imran Khan's Last Test Day

Jan 7 Last day of Test cricket for Pakistan's Imran Khan

Baseball Hall of Fame

Jan 7 Tom Seaver & Rollie Fingers elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame

Bush Vomits on PM

Jan 8 George H. W. Bush falls ill and vomits on Japanese prime minister's lap

  • Jan 9 Alison Halford, Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police (Britain's most senior policewoman) is suspended after allegations of misconduct
  • Jan 10 8th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Days of Our Lives wins
  • Jan 11 Algeria's President Chadli announces his resignation

Born at the Right Time

Jan 11 American singer-songwriter Paul Simon brings his “Born at the Right Time” tour to South Africa, at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg

Yamaguchi US Champion

Jan 11 US female Figure Skating championship won by Kristi Yamaguchi

  • Jan 12 13th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the Persian Gulf War
  • Jan 12 A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali.

Bills Defeat Broncos

Jan 12 AFC Championship, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills beat Denver Broncos, 10-7

  • Jan 12 Algeria's general elections canceled after strong gains by Islamic Salvation Front in the 1st round
  • Jan 12 Highest scoring NCAA basketball game; Troy State Trojans defeat DeVry Hoyas 258-149 in Troy, Alabama
  • Jan 12 Last building in Gateway area in Cleveland is demolished
  • Jan 12 NFC Championship, RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.: Washington Redskins beat Detroit Lions, 41-10
  • Jan 12 US male Figure Skating championship won by Christopher Bowman

Dahmer's Insanity Plea

Jan 13 American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pleads guilty but insane

  • Jan 13 Excavation of new ballpark at Gateway (Jacobs Field) begins
  • Jan 13 Japan apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II

Johnny Cash, Isley Brothers Inducted

Jan 15 7th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Bobby "Blue" Bland; Booker T. and the MG's; Johnny Cash; Jimi Hendrix Experience; Isley Brothers; Sam and Dave; The Yardbirds; Elmore James; Professor Longhair; Leo Fender; Bill Graham; and Doc Pomus

  • Jan 15 Bulgaria recognizes Macedonia
  • Jan 15 Cleaning woman finds intimate photos of Sarah Ferguson with US man
  • Jan 15 Supreme Court rules 5-3 that Joseph Doherty isn't entitled to asylum
  • Jan 16 "Two Shakespearean Actors" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 29 performances
  • Jan 16 Chapultepec Peace Accords are signed in Mexico City which ends the 12-year Salvadoran Civil War

Eric Clapton "Unplugged"

Jan 16 Eric Clapton performs for an episode of MTV "Unplugged" at Bray Film Studios in Windsor, England. Recording won six Grammy Awards, and became Clapton's bestselling album, and the bestselling live album of all time

  • Jan 17 Sarah Ferguson attends dinner of Everglades club (club excludes Jews)

Campbell Defeat Wales Conference

Jan 18 43rd NHL All-Star Game, Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA: Campbell beats Wales, 10-6; MVP: Brett Hull, St. Louis, RW

49th Golden Globes

Jan 18 49th Golden Globes: Bugsy, Nick Nolte and Jodie Foster win

  • Jan 18 Comedian Pat McCormick injured in a car accident
  • Jan 19 Cerebral Palsy telethon raises $23.5 million
  • Jan 19 Cy Coleman and David Zippel's musical "City of Angels" closes at the Virginia Theater, NYC, after 879 performances, winning 6 Tony and 8 Drama Desk Awards
  • Jan 19 IBM announces a nearly $5B loss for 1992

Ric Flair WWF Champ

Jan 19 Nature Boy Ric Flair becomes WWF champ at Royal Rumble

Piper WWF Intercontinental Champ

Jan 19 Roddy Piper beats Mountie to become WWF Intercontinental Champ

Australia Defeats India

Jan 20 Australia beat India 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup; Australian opener David Boon scores the most runs in the series (432)

  • Jan 20 Score begins selling international soccer cards

Cowher Steeler's Coach

Jan 21 Bill Cowher becomes the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming only the second head coach of the team since 1970 (Chuck Noll)

  • Jan 21 UN serves Libya a resolution to hand over intelligence agents accused of two airliner bombings
  • Jan 22 Rebel forces occupy Zaire's national radio station in Kinshasa and broadcast a demand for the government's resignation.
  • Jan 22 Sarah, Duchess of York (aka Fergie) wears paper bag over her head on airline ride
  • Jan 22 Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) launches into space
  • Jan 23 "Visit" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 45 performances
  • Jan 24 Chalino Sánchez is attacked and shot while performing at the Plaza Los Arcos restaurant in Coachella, California

Jansen's 500m Record

Jan 25 Dan Jansen skates world record 500m in 36.41"

  • Jan 25 Hubble space telescope optics finds NGC3862/3C264
  • Jan 26 "Little Hotel on the Side" opens at Belasco Theater NYC for 41 performances
  • Jan 26 8th Sundance Film Festival: "In the Soup" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic

Courier Defeats Edberg

Jan 26 Australian Open Men's Tennis: American Jim Courier wins 2nd career Grand Slam title and 1st Australian title; beats Stefan Edberg of Sweden 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

  • Jan 26 Super Bowl XXVI, Metrodome, Minneapolis, MI: Washington Redskins beat Buffalo Bills, 37-24; MVP: Mark Rypien, Washington, QB
  • Jan 27 "Crazy He Calls Me" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC for 7 performances
  • Jan 27 19th American Music Awards: C & C Music Factory, Michael Bolton win

Jane Fonda Surgery

Jan 27 Jane Fonda undergoes arthroscopic surgery on her right knee

Mike Tyson Trial

Jan 27 Mike Tyson goes on trial for rape (he is found guilty)

Clinton, Flowers Accusations

Jan 27 Presidential candidate Bill Clinton (D) & Genifer Flowers accuse each other of lying over her assertion they had a 12-year affair

  • Jan 28 David Boon completes twelfth Test century, 135 v India at Adelaide
  • Jan 28 St. Louis right wing Brett Hull becomes 2nd player (after Wayne Gretzky) in NHL history to record back-to-back seasons of 50 goals in 50 games; #50 comes in 3-3 Blues' tie in Los Angeles

"The Age of Intelligent Machines"

Jan 30 Inventor Ray Kurzweil publishes his first book "The Age of Intelligent Machines" on artificial intelligence, predicting the popularity of the internet

  • Jan 30 Space Shuttle STS-42 (Discovery 15) lands
  • Jan 31 MTA raised tolls on most NYC bridges from $2.50 to $3.00

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 1 Jack Wilshere, English soccer midfielder (34 caps; Arsenal, West Ham Utd), born in Stevenage, England
  • Jan 5 Suki Waterhouse, English model and actress (Daisy Jones & the Six), born in London, England
  • Jan 8 Shahdon Winchester, Trinidadian soccer winger (27 caps; Murciélagos), born in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2019)
  • Jan 12 Mao Kobayashi, Japanese gravure idol, born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan (d. 2017)
  • Jan 19 Logan Lerman, American actor (Percy Jackson films), born in Beverly Hills, California
  • Jan 19 Mac Miller [Malcolm McCormick], American rapper and music producer ("Best Day Ever"), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
  • Jan 19 Shawn Johnson, American artistic gymnast, born in Des Moines, Iowa
  • Jan 23 Jack Reynor, Irish-American actor (Transformers: Age of Extinction), born in Longmont, Colorado

Famous Weddings

Sammy Sosa

Jan 13 MLB baseball right fielder Sammy Sosa (23) weds Sonia Rodriguez

  • Jan 18 Chinese-American "The Last Emperor" actress Joan Chen (30) weds second husband, American cardiologist Dr Peter Hui

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 1 Called Abma [Hetter Gerrit Abma], Dutch politician (SGP), dies at 74
  • Jan 1 Constantin Poustochkine, Dutch jazz musician and critic, dies at 81
  • Jan 1 Ginette Leclerc, French actress (Baker's Wife), dies at 79

Grace Hopper (1906-1992)

Jan 1 American computer scientist and US Navy admiral who invented the first compiler for a universal computer programming language and is credited with coining the phrase 'debugging’, dies at 85

  • Jan 1 M. J. Frankovich, American football player and film producer (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner), dies at 82
  • Jan 2 Virginia Field, British-born actress (Dream Girl), dies of cancer at 74
  • Jan 3 Anthony Del Casino, bandleader (Charlie Barnet Band), dies at 79
  • Jan 3 Judith Anderson, actress (Star Trek 3), dies of pneumonia at 93
  • Jan 3 Ken Grieves, Australian cricketer (NSW & Lancashire leg-spin all-rounder), dies at 66
  • Jan 3 Lewis Michael Friedman, American pianist, dies at 47 of AIDS
  • Jan 3 Radomiro Tomic, Chilean president (1970), dies
  • Jan 4 Earl Colbert, American character actor, dies at 74
  • Jan 4 Teddy Grace [Stella Crowson], American jazz and blues singer, dies at 86 [1]
  • Jan 4 William Walker, American film stuntman and actor (Our Man Flint), dies at 74
  • Jan 6 Avon Jaeger Hill, entertainer, dies of cancer at 44
  • Jan 6 Elaine McKenna, Australian actress (Peg Martin-Cell Block H), dies
  • Jan 7 Jhean Burton, American entertainer, dies at 63
  • Jan 7 Richard Hunt, American puppeteer and actor (Muppet Movie), dies of AIDS at 40
  • Jan 8 Abderrahim Bouabid, Moroccan politician (Socialist Union of Popular Forces) and an opponent of French Imperialism and King Hassan II, dies at 69
  • Jan 8 Johnny Meijer, Dutch accordionist known as the King of Accordions (Body & Soul), dies at 79
  • Jan 9 Bill Naughton [William John Francis Naughton], English playwright (Alfie), dies at 81
  • Jan 9 Steve Brodie [John Stevenson], American actor (The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp), dies from illness at 72
  • Jan 10 Barbara Couper, British actress (Last Days of Dolwyn), dies at 89
  • Jan 10 Roberto Bonomi, Argentine racing driver (b. 1919)
  • Jan 12 Harry van Doorn, Dutch politician (KVP/KRO-chairman/PPR/CRM), dies at 76
  • Jan 12 Walt Morey, US children's book writer (Gentle Ben), dies at 84
  • Jan 13 Josef Neckermann, German equestrian rider (Olympic gold dressage 1964, 68), dies at 79
  • Jan 13 Yvonne Bryceland, South African stage actress (Road to Mecca), dies of cancer at 66
  • Jan 15 (David) Dee Murray [Oates], British bassist (Elton John backing band), dies after a stroke at 45
  • Jan 15 Hari Rhodes, American actor (Earth II, Detroit 9000), dies at 59
  • Jan 16 Ajahn Chah, Thai Buddhist meditation master, dies at 73
  • Jan 16 Roselle Novelle, silent film actress, dies at 95
  • Jan 17 Bill Walker, actor (Big Mo, Mask, Harlem Globetrotters), dies at 95
  • Jan 17 Charlie Ventura [Venturo], American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader (Bop for the People), dies of lung cancer at 75
  • Jan 17 Dorothy Alison, actress (Maggie, 3rd Key, Long Arm), dies
  • Jan 17 Frank Pullen, English businessman and racehorse owner, dies at 76
  • Jan 18 John Remme, American stage and screen actor and singer, dies of AIDS at 56
  • Jan 19 Manabendra Mukhopadhyay, Bengali singer and composer (Ei Ganga ei Padda), dies at 60
  • Jan 20 Fitzhugh Lee, American vice-admiral (WW II - Navy Cross x2), dies at 86
  • Jan 20 Muhammad Abd al-Khaliq Hassuna, Secretary-General of Arab League (1952-72), dies
  • Jan 21 (William Thomas) "Champion Jack" Dupree, American boxer, blues and boogie-woogie pianist, singer-songwriter (Walkin' The Blues), and WWII P.O.W., dies of cancer at 81
  • Jan 22 A J Antoon, director (That Championship Season), dies at 47
  • Jan 22 Ali Amini, Iranian politician and government official (Prime Minister, 1961-62; Ambassador to US, 1956-58; Member of Parliament, 1947-49), dies at 87
  • Jan 23 Frederick "Freddie" Bartholomew, British child actor (Anna Karenina, David Copperfield, Captains Courageous), dies of emphysema at 67
  • Jan 23 Ian Wolfe, American actor (Diary of a Madman, Wizards & Warriors, Houdini, THX-1138, Homebodies), dies at 95
  • Jan 23 Simon Brand, South African banker and adviser to President F. W. de Klerk, dies
  • Jan 24 Charles Moulin, French actor (French Tarzan), dies
  • Jan 24 John Bleifer, American actor (Highway to Heaven), dies at 90
  • Jan 24 Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer, executed in prison at 42
  • Jan 24 Tina Chow, American model and jewellery designer, dies of AIDS at 41
  • Jan 25 John Touchstone, American actor (Across Five Aprils), dies of cirrhosis at 59
  • Jan 25 Mahmoud Riad, Egyptian diplomat, Secretary-General of Arab League (1972-79), dies at 74
  • Jan 25 Nico Schuyt, Dutch composer, dies at 70
  • Jan 26 Gilroy Roberts, American sculptor (Chief Engraver of the US Mint, 1948-64), dies at 96

José Ferrer (1912-1992)

Jan 26 Puerto Rican actor and director (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies at 80

  • Jan 26 Okke Jager, Dutch theologist, writer and poet, dies at 63
  • Jan 27 Francesca Primus, American columnist and theater critic (Back Stage), dies at 45
  • Jan 27 Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, British actress (Eliza Dolittle), dies at 101
  • Jan 28 Clark Tippet, American dancer and choreographer (American Ballet Theatre), dies at 37
  • Jan 28 Nahman Avigad, Israeli archaeologist (Discovering Jerusalem), dies at 86
  • Jan 29 Willie Dixon, American blues musician ("Backdoor Man"), dies at 76
  • Jan 30 Sid Vincent, British trade union leader, dies at 70

Mel Hein (1909-1992)

Jan 31 American NFL center (NY Giants), dies of stomach cancer at 82