Historical Events
- Jan 1 66th Orange Bowl: #8 Michigan beats #5 Alabama, 35-34
- Jan 1 86th Rose Bowl: #4 Wisconsin beats #22 Stanford, 17-9
- Jan 1 Gisbourne, New Zealand population 32,754 is first city in the world to welcome in the new millennium
Santa Maria Maggiore
Jan 1 Opening of Santa Maria Maggiore holy doors by Pope John Paul II in Rome to mark the Millennium
Belichick Rejects NY Jets
Jan 4 A day after accepting the head coaching position at the New York Jets, Bill Belichick resigns and moves to the New England Patriots
- Jan 4 After 2 months, Catherine Hartley and Fiona Thornewill, reach the South Poll, the same day as Edmund Hillary 48 years before
- Jan 4 American businessman and investor Mark Cuban purchases a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise for $285m from H. Ross Perot, Jr.
- Jan 4 College Football, 2nd BCS National Championship, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans: #1 Florida State beats #2 Virginia Tech, 46-29, at 66th Sugar Bowl
- Jan 6 The flu outbreak in Britain puts pressure on NHS
- Jan 6 The last Pyrenean ibex is found dead after being crushed by a tree
- Jan 7 Former UK Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken released from prison after 9 months of a 18-month sentence
- Jan 8 "Music City Miracle", in AFC Wild Card Playoff, Tennessee Titans defeat Buffalo Bills 22-16 in last 16 seconds with Kevin Dyson, running length of the field for a game-winning touchdown
- Jan 8 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Amanda Coetzer & Wayne Ferreira wrap up South Africa's first title (3-0) with an abbreviated 8-1 mixed doubles win over Tamarine Tanasugarn & Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand
26th People's Choice Awards
Jan 9 26th People's Choice Awards: Harrison Ford & Julia Roberts win (Motion Picture) and Drew Carey & Calista Flockhart win (TV)
Marino's Last Game
Jan 9 Miami Dolphin QB Dan Marino wins his last career NFL game (20-17 vs Seattle)
Gates Steps Aside
Jan 13 Microsoft chairman Bill Gates steps aside as chief executive and promotes company president Steve Ballmer to the position
- Jan 14 A United Nations tribunal sentences five Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years for the 1993 killing of over 100 Muslims in a Bosnian village.
Sports History
Jan 15 Utah's Jerry Sloan becomes 12th coach in NBA history to reach the 700-victory plateau when the Jazz defeat the LA Clippers, 112-75 at the Delta Center, Salt Lake City
27th American Music Awards
Jan 17 27th American Music Awards: Shania Twain & Will Smith win
- Jan 18 The Tagish Lake meteorite impacts the Earth.
Jordan Wizard's Part Owner
Jan 19 Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships as a player, returns to the NBA, joining the Washington Wizards as part owner and President of Basketball Operations
57th Golden Globes
Jan 23 57th Golden Globes: American Beauty, Denzel Washington, & Hilary Swank win
- Jan 23 AFC Championship, Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville: Tennessee Titans beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 33-14
- Jan 23 Dallas' Don Nelson becomes the 6th coach in NBA history to win 900 career games when the Mavericks defeat the Detroit Pistons, 99-91 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
- Jan 23 NFC Championship, Trans World Dome, St. Louis: St. Louis Rams beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11-6
Davenport Defeats Hingis
Jan 29 Australian Open Women's Tennis: American Lindsay Davenport claims her 3rd and final career Grand Slam title; beats Martina Hingis 6-1, 7-5
Malone 3rd to Score 30,000
Jan 29 Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz becomes the 3rd player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points; finishes with 35 in a 96-94 loss to Minnesota; behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)
- Jan 30 16th Sundance Film Festival: "Girlfight" and "You Can Count on Me" (tie) win Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Agassi's 4th Consecutive Final
Jan 30 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Andre Agassi beats defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Agassi makes 4 consecutive Grand Slam finals, 1st since Rod Laver (1969)
- Jan 30 Off the coast of Ivory Coast, Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 169.
- Jan 30 Super Bowl XXXIV, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA: St. Louis Rams beat Tennessee Titans, 23-16; MVP: Kurt Warner, St. Louis, QB
- Jan 31 Alaska Airlines flight 261 MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 persons aboard.
- Jan 31 Family GP Dr Harold Shipman is jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients, making him Britain's most prolific convicted serial killer
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Ice Spice [Isis Naija Gaston], American rapper ("Munch (Feelin' U"), born in The Bronx, New York
- Jan 4 Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, American actress, born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 9 Flo Milli [Tamia Carter], American rapper and songwriter ("Ho, Why Is You Here?"), born in Mobile, Alabama
- Jan 9 Toosii [Nau'Jour Grainger], American rapper (Favourite Song), born in Syracuse, New York
- Jan 10 Reneé Rapp, American actress (The Sex Lives of College Girls), born in Huntersville, North Carolina
- Jan 20 Selemon Barega, Ethiopian athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 2020), born in Gurage zone, Ethiopia
- Jan 27 Bailey Zimmerman, American country music singer-songwriter ("Rock and a Hard Place"; "Fall in Love"), born in Louisville, Illinois
Famous Weddings
Albert Pujols
Jan 1 Dominican-American baseball player Albert Pujols (19) weds Deidre "Dee Dee" Corona (22); separate in 2022
Famous Deaths
- Jan 1 Colin Vaughan, Australian political journalist, dies at 68
- Jan 2 Elmo Zumwalt, American admiral, dies at 79
- Jan 2 Nat Adderley, American jazz musician (Work Song), dies from diabetes complications at 68
- Jan 2 Patrick O'Brian, British novelist, dies at 85
- Jan 3 Bernhard Wicki, Austrian director and actor (Morituri, Crime & Passion), dies at 80
- Jan 3 Harmonica Fats [Harvey Blackston], American blues session and touring harmonica player ("Tore Up"), dies at 72
- Jan 4 Tom Fears, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and coach (NFL champion 1951; First-team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader 1950; LA Rams), dies at 77
- Jan 6 Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)
- Jan 7 Gary Albright, American professional wrestler (b. 1963)
- Jan 8 Fritz Thiedemann, German equestrianist (b. 1918)
- Jan 9 Arnold Hall, British aeronautical engineer, dies at 84
- Jan 9 Marguerite Churchill, American stage and screen actress (Dracula's Daughter; The Big Trail), dies at 89
- Jan 9 Nigel Tranter, Scottish historian and author, dies at 90
- Jan 10 Sam Jaffe, American music and film producer (Born Free, The Fighting Sullivans), dies at 98
- Jan 11 Betty Archdale OBE, Anglo-Australian educationalist and English cricket batsman and captain (5 Tests), dies at 92
- Jan 11 Bob Lemon, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (MLB All-Star 1948–54; World Series 1948; no-hitter 1948, White Sox; Cleveland Indians) and manager (KC Royals, Chicago White Sox; World Series NY Yankees 1978), dies at 79
- Jan 11 Helena Carter [Helen Rickerts], American model and actress (Invaders from Mars), dies at 76
- Jan 11 Ivan Combe, American inventor of personal care products (Clearasil), dies at 88
- Jan 11 Phil Carrick, English cricketer (Yorkshire County Cricket Club), dies at 47
- Jan 12 Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
- Jan 12 Marc Davis, American animator (b. 1913)
- Jan 13 Alfred Nzo, South African General Secretary of the ANC (1969-91), dies at 75
- Jan 14 Charles Pick, British publisher (William Heinemann), dies at 82
- Jan 15 Arkan [Željko Ražnatović], Serbian paramilitary leader, dies at 47
- Jan 15 Frances "Fran" Ryan, American actress (Stripes, The Long Riders), dies of natural causes at 83
- Jan 15 Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
- Jan 16 Gene Harris [Haire], American soul-jazz pianist (The Three Sounds), dies of kidney failure at 66
- Jan 16 Will "Dub" Jones, American bass singer (The Coasters - "Charlie Brown"), dies at 71
- Jan 17 Philip Jones, British classical trumpeter (Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, 1951-86), and educator, dies at 71
- Jan 18 Frances Drake [Dean], American actress (Mad Love, The Invisible Ray), dies from natural causes at 87
- Jan 18 Jester Hairston, American actor (That's My Mama, Amen), dies at 98
- Jan 18 Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Austrian architect (b. 1897)
- Jan 18 Nancy Coleman, American actress (Edge of Darkness), dies at 87
- Jan 19 Bettino Craxi, Italian socialist politician (Prime Minister, 1983-87), dies from complications of diabetes at 65
Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000)
Jan 19 Austrian-American actress (Ecstasy, Samson & Delilah) and inventor (radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes), dies of heart failure at 86
- Jan 20 (John) Don Abney, American session and touring jazz pianist, and musical director, dies of kidney disease at 76
- Jan 20 Ray Jones, British rock bassist (Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas), dies at 60
- Jan 22 Anne Hébert, French Canadian author and poet (Kamouraska), dies at 83
- Jan 22 Craig Claiborne, American food columnist (NY Times Cookbook), dies at 79
- Jan 22 E. W. Swanton, English author and sports commentator (cricket - BBC Radio), dies at 92
- Jan 24 Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
- Jan 26 A. E. van Vogt, Canadian sci-fi author (Wizard of Linn), dies at 87
- Jan 26 Don Budge, American tennis player (6 Grand Slam singles titles, Grand Slam 1938), dies of cardiac arrest at 84
- Jan 26 Kathleen Hale, British children book writer and illustrator (Orlando), dies at 101
- Jan 27 Friedrich Gulda, Austrian classical and jazz pianist and composer (Ineffable; Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra), dies at 69
- Jan 27 Mae Faggs, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1952), dies from cancer at 67
- Jan 31 (Simon) "Si" Zentner, American jazz, session, and pop trombonist and big-band lbandeader, dies of leukemia at 82
- Jan 31 Anne Cox Chambers, American media owner (Cox Enterprises) and US ambassador to Belgium (1977-81), dies at 100
- Jan 31 Gil Kane, Latvian-born comic book writer (b. 1926)
- Jan 31 Ralph Manza, American actor (Banacek, Mama Malone, Newhart), dies of a heart attack at 78
