What Happened in January 2006

Historical Events

  • Jan 1 Sydney, Australia swelters through its hottest New Year's Day then on record with the temperature peaking at 45 degrees celsius, sparking bush fires and power outages
  • Jan 2 35th Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State beats #5 Notre Dame, 34-20
  • Jan 2 72nd Sugar Bowl: #11 West Virginia beats #7 Georgia, 38-35
  • Jan 3 72nd Orange Bowl: #3 Penn State beats #22 Florida State, 26-23 in 3OT
  • Jan 4 College Football, 8th BCS National Championship: #2 Texas beats #1 Southern California, 41-38, at 92nd Rose Bowl

Sharon Suffers Second Stroke

Jan 4 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

  • Jan 6 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Lisa Raymond & Taylor Dent beat Dutch pair Michaëlla Krajicek & Peter Wessels 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 for a 2-1 win and 4th American title
  • Jan 8 A magnitude 6.9 earthquake with its epicenter just off the Greek island of Kythira hits much of the country and is felt throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean Sea.
  • Jan 9 "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" single released by Rodney Atkins (Billboard Song of the Year 2006)
  • Jan 9 11th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Brokeback Mountain wins Best Film
  • Jan 12 A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims

Messier's Jersey Retired

Jan 12 During an emotional ceremony, Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the New York Rangers

  • Jan 12 French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal. Greenpeace activists board the ship.
  • Jan 12 The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declare that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have reached a dead end and recommend that Iran be referred to the United Nations Security Council.

Pope's Shooter Released

Jan 12 Turkey releases Mehmet Ali Ağca from jail after he served 25 years for shooting Pope John Paul II

Liberia's Johnson-Sirleaf Sworn In

Jan 16 Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sworn in as Liberia's new president. She becomes Africa's first female elected head of state.

  • Jan 19 A Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crashes in Hungary.
  • Jan 19 Terrorist blows himself up in Tel Aviv, killing only himself but injuring 20 people, one of them seriously
  • Jan 19 The New Horizons probe is launched by NASA on the first mission to Pluto

"High School Musical" Debuts

Jan 20 "High School Musical" debuts, starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hugdens; becomes Disney Channel's most successful TV movie

  • Jan 22 AFC Championship, Mile High Stadium, Denver: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Denver Broncos, 34-17

Evo Morales Bolivia President

Jan 22 Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president

Bryant Second-Highest Point Game

Jan 22 Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in a 122-104 Lakers victory over the Toronto Raptors; second-highest game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (1962)

  • Jan 22 NFC Championship, Qwest Stadium, Seattle: Seattle Seahawks beat Carolina Panthers, 34-14

Black Cadillac

Jan 23 Capitol Records releases "Black Cadillac", the eleventh studio album by singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash; the album is dedicated to the memory of her recently deceased parents and step-mother, and co-produced by her husband John Leventhal and Bill Bottrell

Martins Resigns as Liberal Leader

Jan 24 After losing the federal election to Stephen Harper, Paul Martin resigns as leader of the Liberal party

Disney Buys Pixar

Jan 24 Walt Disney International and Bob Iger announce it is buying computer animation film studio Pixar for $7.4 billion

  • Jan 25 Three independent observing campaigns announce the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb through gravitational microlensing, the first cool rocky/icy extrasolar planet around a main-sequence star.
  • Jan 26 Western Union discontinues its telegram service.

Mauresmo's 1st Grand Slam

Jan 28 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Amélie Mauresmo of France wins her first Grand Slam title; beats Justine Henin 6-1, 2-0; Henin retires from stomach cramps

  • Jan 29 22nd Sundance Film Festival: "Quinceanera", directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic

Federer Defeats Baghdatis

Jan 29 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Roger Federer beats Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 for his 2nd Australian title

  • Jan 29 Irfan Pathan becomes first bowler to take a Test cricket hat-trick in the opening over of a match

Hattie McDaniel Stamp

Jan 29 US Postal Service releases 39-cent stamp featuring Hattie McDaniel in the dress she wore in 1940 when she became the 1st African-American actress to accept an Academy Award

Greenspan Retires

Jan 31 Alan Greenspan retires as Chairman of the US Federal Reserve

Day O'Connor Retires

Jan 31 US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retires and is replaced by Samuel Alito


2006 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Jan 4 Marc Guiu, Spanish footballer (Barcelona), born in Granollers, Spain
Born in 2006

Famous Weddings

  • Jan 2 NBC correspondent Chip Reid weds Nina Block in Hawaii
  • Jan 5 Adult film actress Linsey Dawn McKenzie (27) weds former Wimbledon F.C. and Northern Ireland footballer Mark Williams (35) at the central London register office

P!nk

Jan 7 Punky pop singer P!nk (26) weds motocross daredevil and "The Surreal Life" actor Carey Hart (30) at the Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Tony Hawk

Jan 12 Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk (37) weds Lhotse Merriam at Tavarua Island Resort in Fiji

Shelley Winters

Jan 13 "The Diary of Anne Frank" actress Shelley Winters (85) weds Gerry DeFord a few hours before her death

Eminem

Jan 14 Rapper Eminem marries Kimberly Anne Scott for the 2nd time

Lisa Marie Presley

Jan 22 Princess of Rock and Roll Lisa Marie Presley (37) weds American guitarist and producer Michael Lockwood (44) at Kyoto, Japan; divorce in 2021

  • Jan 27 Mexican Latin Grammy Award singer Ana Barbara (35) weds Jose Maria Fernandez in Mexico
  • Jan 28 "The Biggest Loser" TV personality Rasha Spindel weds Edwin Chapman at the Wai'oli Tea Room in Manoa Valley, Honolulu
  • Jan 28 Jessica McClure (18), who at 18 months fell into an abandoned well weds Daniel Morales (32) in the Greenwood Church of Christ near Midland
  • Jan 28 London Broncos rugby football player Craig Gower (27) weds TV personality and model Amanda Flynn (24) in Sydney, Australia

Famous Deaths

  • Jan 1 Bryan Harvey, American musician (House of Freaks), dies at 49
  • Jan 1 Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne, dies at 78
  • Jan 1 Harry Magdoff, American magazine editor, dies at 92
  • Jan 1 Hugh McLaughlin, Irish publisher and inventor, dies at 77
  • Jan 1 Paul Lindblad, American baseball pitcher (World Series champion 1973-74, 78; Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 64
  • Jan 2 Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, first female Philippine Supreme Court Justice, dies at 92
  • Jan 2 Osa Massen [Aase Madsen Iversen], Dutch actress (Jack London, Rocketship X-M), dies at 91
  • Jan 3 Bill Skate, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
  • Jan 3 Steve Rogers, Australian rugby league centre (24 Tests; NSW; Cronulla-Sutherland), dies after swallowing combination of prescription drugs and alcohol at 51
  • Jan 4 Irving Layton, Romanian-Canadian poet (A Red Carpet for the Sun), dies at 93
  • Jan 4 Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (1971-79) and Ruler of Dubai (1990-2006), dies of a heart attack at 62
  • Jan 4 Robert Howard White, Mayor of Papatoetoe, New Zealand (b. 1914)
  • Jan 5 Lord Merlyn-Rees, British politician (b. 1920)
  • Jan 6 Hugh Thompson Jr., American Vietnam War veteran who played a major role in ending the 1968 My Lai massacre, dies of cancer at 62
  • Jan 6 Lou Rawls, American soul singer-songwriter and producer ("You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"), dies of cancer at 72
  • Jan 7 Heinrich Harrer, Austrian mountaineer and author (Seven Years in Tibet), dies at 93
  • Jan 8 Otis Clay, American gospel, soul, and R&B-singer ("That's How It Is (When You're In Love)"), dies at 73
  • Jan 8 Tony Banks, British politician (Labour), dies after a stroke at 63
  • Jan 9 Andy Caldecott, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1964)
  • Jan 9 Mikk Mikiver, Estonian actor (Friends, Comrades) and director, dies at 68
  • Jan 11 Markus Löffel (Mark Spoon), German DJ (b. 1966)
  • Jan 11 Nixzmary Brown, American child abuse victim, dies from extreme abuse
  • Jan 13 Frank Fixaris, American sportscaster (b. 1934)
  • Jan 13 Marc Potvin, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1967)
  • Jan 14 Henri Colpi, French New Wave film editor and director, dies at 84
  • Jan 14 Jim Gary, American sculptor known for whimsical monumental art and sculptors of large, colorful dinosaurs made from discarded automobile parts, dies of complications from a cerebral hemorrhage at 66
  • Jan 14 Mark Philo, English footballer, dies in a car crash at 21

Shelley Winters (1920-2006)

Jan 14 American Oscar and Emmy Award-winning actress (Lolita; A Place in the Sun; A Patch of Blue; The Poseidon Adventure), dies of heart failure at 85

  • Jan 15 Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, dies at 79
  • Jan 16 Anatoli Petrovich Kuklin, Russian-Soviet cosmonaut, dies at 74
  • Jan 16 Stanley Biber, American physician, pioneer of transgender surgery, (b. 1923)
  • Jan 17 Clarence Ray Allen, American murderer (b. 1930)
  • Jan 17 Pierre Grondin, French Canadian cardiac surgeon (b. 1925)
  • Jan 18 Jan Twardowski, Polish poet (b. 1915)
  • Jan 18 Vera Van [Webster], American radio and dance band singer, dies at 97
  • Jan 19 Anthony "Tony" Franciosa [Papaleo], American actor (Career, Ben-Hur, Jeff-Name of the Game), dies at 77
  • Jan 19 Aoun Al-Sharif Qasim, Sudanese writer and Islamic scholar (b. 1933)
  • Jan 19 Geoff Rabone, New Zealand cricket all-rounder, captain (NZ 12 Tests @ 31.22, 16 wickets), dies at 84
  • Jan 19 Thomas Christian David, Austrian flutist, conductor, choral director, and composer, dies at 80

Wilson Pickett (1941-2006)

Jan 19 American R&B singer ("In The Midnight Hour"; "Funky Broadway"), dies of a heart attack at 64

  • Jan 21 Bedanand Jha, Nepalese politician
  • Jan 21 Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovar nationalist writer and President of Kosovo (1992-2006), dies at 61
  • Jan 22 Rick van der Linden, Dutch keyboardist (Ekseption), and composer, dies from complications of a stroke at 59
  • Jan 23 Chris McKinstry, Canadian scientist (b. 1967)
  • Jan 23 Virginia D. Smith, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska), dies at 94
  • Jan 24 Chris Penn, American actor (The Wild Life), dies at 40
  • Jan 24 Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of The Nicholas Brothers and actor (The Five Heartbeats), dies of pneumonia and complications from a stroke at 91
  • Jan 24 Schafik Handal, Salvadoran politician
  • Jan 26 Carol Lambrino, son of Carol II of Romania and Zizi Lambrino (b. 1920)
  • Jan 26 Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Pakistani opposition leader and Pashtun nationalist (b. 1917)
  • Jan 26 Len Carlson, Canadian actor (b. 1937)
  • Jan 27 Gene McFadden, American R&B singer-songwriter and producer (McFadden & Whitehead - "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"), dies of lung cancer at 56 [1]
  • Jan 27 Jan Frank Fischer, Czech composer, dies at 84
  • Jan 27 Jean-Christophe Lafaille, French mountaineer best known for his solo self-rescue on Annapurna with a broken arm, presumed dead at 40
  • Jan 27 Johannes Rau, German politician (President of Germany, 1999-2004; Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, 1978-98), dies at 75
  • Jan 27 Roger Durham Hannay, American composer and teacher, dies at 75
  • Jan 28 Henry McGee, British actor and comedian (No, That's Me Over Here!, The Benny Hill Show), dies at 77
  • Jan 28 Yitzchak Kaduri, Jewish rabbi, whose funeral was then the largest in Israeli history, dies (b. around 1900)
  • Jan 29 Nam June Paik, Korean avant-garde composer, and video artist (Medium is the Medium; hommage à john cage), dies at 73
  • Jan 30 Coretta Scott King, American activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr., dies of ovarian cancer at 78

Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006)

Jan 30 American playwright (The Heidi Chronicles), dies of cancer at 55

  • Jan 31 Moira Shearer, Scottish actress (The Red Shoes) and ballerina, dies at 80