January 24
January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 341 days remaining until the end of the year (342 in leap years).
Events
- 41 – Roman Emperor Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. The Guard then proclaims Caligula's uncle Claudius as Emperor
- 1438 – The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa.
- 1679 – King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament.
- 1742 – Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1817 – Crossing of the Andes: Many soldiers of Juan Gregorio de las Heras were captured during the Action of Picheuta.
- 1848 – California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento.
- 1857 – The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully-fledged university in south Asia.
- 1859 – Political union of Moldavia and Wallachia; Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler.
- 1862 – Bucharest is proclaimed capital of Romania.
- 1878 – The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of Saint Petersburg.
- 1916 – In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
- 1918 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars effective February 14(NS)
- 1939 – The deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán.
- 1942 – World War II: The Allies bombard Bangkok, leading Thailand to declare war against the United States and United Kingdom.
- 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
- 1947 – Greek banker Dimitrios Maximos becomes Prime Minister of Greece.
- 1960 – Algerian War: Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the "barricades week", during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
- 1961 – 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost.
- 1966 – An Air India Boeing 707 jet crashes on Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, killing 117.
- 1972 – Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
- 1977 – Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy.
- 1978 – Soviet satellite Cosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor onboard, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.
- 1984 – The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
- 1986 – Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 kilometres (50,600 mi) of Uranus.
- 1990 – Japan launches Hiten, the country's first lunar probe, the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than Soviet Union or the United States.
- 1993 – Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara.
- 1996 – Polish Premier Józef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
- 2003 – The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
- 2009 – The storm Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux, France. It subsequently would cause 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
- 2011 – At least 35 died and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.
Births
- 3 BC – Galba, Roman Emperor (d. 69)
- 76 – Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138)
- 1287 – Richard Aungerville, English bishop (d. 1345)
- 1444 – Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1476)
- 1540 – Edmund Campion, English Jesuit (d. 1581)
- 1638 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet (d. 1706)
- 1670 – William Congreve, English playwright (d. 1729)
- 1674 – Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d. 1735)
- 1679 – Christian Wolff, German philosopher (d. 1754)
- 1705 – Farinelli, Italian castrato (d. 1782)
- 1712 – King Frederick II of Prussia (d. 1786)
- 1724 – Frances Brooke, English writer (d. 1789)
- 1732 – Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d. 1799)
- 1742 – Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (d. 1808)
- 1746 – King Gustav III of Sweden (d. 1792)
- 1752 – Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (d. 1832)
- 1754 – Andrew Ellicott, American surveyor (d. 1820)
- 1763 – Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, Russian general (d. 1831)
- 1776 – E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer (d. 1822)
- 1779 – Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeievna (d. 1826)
- 1848 – Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d. 1916)
- 1862 – Edith Wharton, American writer (d. 1937)
- 1864 – Marguerite Durand, French suffragette (d. 1936)
- 1872 – Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d. 1943)
- 1872 – Ethel Turner, Australian author (d. 1958)
- 1886 – Henry King, American film director (d. 1982)
- 1888 – Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d. 1960)
- 1888 – Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1958)
- 1891 – Walter Model, German field marshal (d. 1945)
- 1895 – Eugen Roth, German writer (d. 1976)
- 1898 – Cliff Heathcote, American baseball player (d. 1939)
- 1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian-born American geneticist and biologist (d. 1975)
- 1901 – Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
- 1901 – Edward Turner, English motorcycle designer (d. 1973)
- 1902 – E. A. Speiser, American biblical scholar (d. 1965)
- 1905 – J. Howard Marshall, American billionaire (d. 1995)
- 1907 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician (d. 1999)
- 1909 – Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (d. 2005)
- 1909 – Ann Todd, English actress (d. 1993)
- 1910 – Doris Haddock, American political activist (d. 2010)
- 1911 – Muir Mathieson, Scottish conductor and composer (d. 1975)
- 1913 – Norman Dello Joio, American composer (d. 2008)
- 1915 – Robert Motherwell, American painter (d. 1991)
- 1916 – Jack Brickhouse, American sports broadcaster (d. 1998)
- 1916 – Rafael Caldera, President of Venezuela (d. 2009)
- 1916 – Arnoldo Foà, Italian actor
- 1917 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor
- 1918 – Oral Roberts, American evangelist (d. 2009)
- 1919 – Coleman Francis, American film director (d. 1973)
- 1920 – Jerry Maren, American actor
- 1922 – Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (d. 2005)
- 1923 – Vlado Kristl, Croatian painter and filmmaker (d. 2004)
- 1925 – Maria Tallchief, American ballerina
- 1926 – Georges Lautner, French director and screenwriter
- 1927 – Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet, British aristocrat (d. 2007)
- 1928 – Desmond Morris, British anthropologist
- 1928 – Michel Serrault, French actor (d. 2007)
- 1930 – Bernard Matthews, British poultry industry figure (d. 2010)
- 1934 – Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet (d. 1976)
- 1935 – Eric Ashton, English rugby league footballer (d. 2008)
- 1936 – William Bogert, American actor
- 1936 – Doug Kershaw, American musician
- 1936 – Bobby Wellins, Scottish jazz saxophonist
- 1939 – Ray Stevens, American musician
- 1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer
- 1941 – Aaron Neville, American singer
- 1942 – Gary Hart, American professional wrestling figure (d. 2008)
- 1943 – Subhash Ghai, Indian film director
- 1943 – Peter Struck, German politician
- 1943 – Sharon Tate, American actress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
- 1944 – Klaus Nomi, German singer (d. 1983)
- 1945 – D. Todd Christofferson, American religious figure
- 1945 – John Garamendi, American politician
- 1946 – Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
- 1946 – Haji, Canadian actress
- 1947 – Michio Kaku, Japanese-born American theoretical physicist
- 1947 – Masashi Ozaki, Japanese golfer
- 1947 – Warren Zevon, American musician (d. 2003)
- 1948 – Michael Des Barres, British actor and rock singer
- 1949 – John Belushi, American actor (d. 1982)
- 1950 – Daniel Auteuil, French actor
- 1950 – Gennifer Flowers, American actress, political figure
- 1950 – Benjamin Urrutia, Ecuadorian-born American writer
- 1951 – Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-born American comedian
- 1953 – Tim Stoddard, American baseball player
- 1954 – Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (d. 1986)
- 1955 – Jim Montgomery, American swimmer
- 1956 – Hanne Krogh, Norwegian singer (Bobbysocks)
- 1956 – Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berber Kabyle singer (d. 1998)
- 1957 – Mark Eaton, American basketball player
- 1957 – Adrian Edmondson, English comedian
- 1958 – Neil Allen, American baseball player
- 1958 – Jools Holland, English musician
- 1959 – David Mills, American author
- 1959 – Vic Reeves, English comedian
- 1960 – Rick Leventhal, American journalist
- 1960 – Jack Neo, Singaporean filmmaker & actor
- 1961 – Guido Buchwald, German football player
- 1961 – Nastassja Kinski, German-born actress
- 1961 – Vince Russo, American writer
- 1961 – William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete
- 1962 – Argiris Kambouris, Greek basketball player
- 1963 – Martyn Grimley, English field hockey player
- 1963 – Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
- 1965 – Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
- 1965 – Carlos Saldanha, Brazilian film director
- 1966 – Jimeoin, Northern Irish comedian
- 1967 – Mark Kozelek, American singer/songwriter (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon)
- 1967 – Phil LaMarr, American actor,comedian,and voice actor
- 1967 – John Myung, American musician (Dream Theater)
- 1968 – Michael Kiske, German musician
- 1968 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
- 1969 – Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Icelandic actor
- 1970 – Matthew Lillard, American actor
- 1971 – Cory Bailey, American baseball player
- 1971 – Andrea Mackris, American television producer
- 1972 – Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
- 1972 – Daan Schuurmans, Dutch actor
- 1972 – Ulla Werbrouck, Belgian judoka and politician
- 1974 – Adam Dean, American philosopher
- 1974 – Ed Helms, American actor
- 1975 – Isobel Cooper, English singer
- 1975 – Rónald Gómez, Costa Rican footballer
- 1976 – Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer
- 1976 – Cindy Pieters, Belgian cyclist
- 1977 – Kensuke Kita, Japanese guitarist (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)
- 1979 – Tatyana Ali, American actress and singer
- 1979 – Leandro Desábato, Argentine footballer
- 1979 – Tom Kostopoulos, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 – Rocky Boiman, American football player
- 1980 – Nicole Marie Lenz, American actress
- 1981 – Travis Hanson, American baseball player
- 1981 – Michael Wolf, German ice hockey player
- 1982 – Fiona Xie, Singaporean actress
- 1983 – Diane Birch, American singer/songwriter/pianist
- 1983 – Wyatt Crockett, New Zealand rugby player
- 1983 – Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
- 1983 – Scott Speed, American race car driver
- 1984 – Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
- 1984 – Witold Kiełtyka, Polish drummer (Decapitated) (d. 2007)
- 1984 – Paulo Sérgio, Portuguese footballer
- 1986 – Vieirinha, Portuguese footballer, currently plays at PAOK F.C.
- 1986 – Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
- 1986 – Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born American actor
- 1987 – Luis Suárez, Uruguayan footballer
- 1988 – Jade Ewen, English singer
- 1989 – Calvin Goldspink, English singer/actor (S Club 8, S Club Juniors, I Dream)
- 1990 – Mao Abe, Japanese singer-songwriter
- 1995 – Callan McAuliffe, Australian actor
- 1997 – Dylan Riley Snyder, American film, television and theatre actor
Deaths
- 41 – Caligula, Emperor of Rome (b. 12)
- 772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
- 1002 – Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 980)
- 1125 – David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
- 1366 – Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
- 1376 – Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English military leader
- 1473 – Conrad Paumann, German composer
- 1595 – Ferdinand II of Austria (b. 1529)
- 1626 – Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (b. 1580)
- 1639 – Georg Jenatsch, Swiss politician (b. 1596)
- 1666 – Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer (b. 1588)
- 1709 – George Rooke, English admiral (b. 1650)
- 1769 – François de Chevert, French general (b. 1695)
- 1856 – Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir, Polish Hasidic leader (b. 1775)
- 1877 – Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (b. 1796)
- 1882 – Levi Boone, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1808)
- 1883 – Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
- 1895 – Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician (b. 1849)
- 1911 – David Graham Phillips, American journalist and novelist (b. 1867)
- 1918 – George Arthur Crump, Founder of the Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon NJ (b. 1871)
- 1920 – Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
- 1924 – Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1894)
- 1932 – Alfred Yarrow, English shipbuilder (b. 1842)
- 1936 – Harry T. Morey, American actor (b. 1873)
- 1939 – Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (b. 1867)
- 1943 – John Burns, English politician (b. 1858)
- 1948 – Maria Mandel, Camp Leader at Auschwitz (b. 1912)
- 1955 – Ira Hayes, American World War II hero (b. 1923)
- 1960 – Arthur Murray Chisholm, author of Western fiction (b. 1872)
- 1960 – Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
- 1961 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American pole vaulter and inventor (b. 1884)
- 1962 – André Lhote, French painter (b. 1885)
- 1962 – Stanley Lord, captain of the SS Californian the night of the Titanic disaster (b. 1877)
- 1965 – Winston Churchill, soldier, politician, historian, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Nobel laureate (b. 1874)
- 1966 – Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist (b. 1909)
- 1970 – Caresse Crosby, American poet (b. 1891)
- 1971 – William Griffith "Bill" Wilson, American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
- 1973 – J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b. 1897)
- 1973 – Masao Ohba, world champion Japanese boxer (b. 1949)
- 1975 – Larry Fine, American actor and comedian (b. 1902)
- 1978 – Herta Oberheuser, German doctor (b. 1911)
- 1980 – Lil Dagover, Dutch-born German actress (b. 1887)
- 1982 – Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president and dictator (b. 1918)
- 1983 – George Cukor, American film director (b. 1899)
- 1986 – L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b. 1911)
- 1986 – Flo Hyman, American volleyball player (b. 1954)
- 1986 – Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
- 1988 – Werner Fenchel, German mathematician (b. 1905)
- 1989 – Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
- 1989 – George Knudson, Canadian golfer (b. 1937)
- 1990 – Madge Bellamy, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1991 – John M. Kelly, Irish politician and academic (b. 1931)
- 1992 – Ken Darby, American composer, arranger and conductor (b. 1909)
- 1992 – Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (b. 1950)
- 1993 – Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1908)
- 1993 – Uğur Mumcu, Turkish journalist and writer (b. 1942)
- 1994 – Yves Navarre, French writer (b. 1940)
- 1998 – Walter D. Edmonds, American author (b. 1903)
- 2000 – Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
- 2002 – Peter Gzowski, Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter (b. 1934)
- 2002 – Elie Hobeika, Lebanese Forces militia commander (b. 1956)
- 2003 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (b. 1921)
- 2004 – Leônidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1913)
- 2005 – June Bronhill, Australian singer (b. 1929)
- 2005 – Vladimir Savchenko, Ukrainian writer (b. 1933)
- 2005 – Chalkie White, English rugby union coach (b. 1929)
- 2006 – Schafik Handal, Salvadoran politician (b. 1930)
- 2006 – Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of The Nicholas Brothers (b. 1914)
- 2006 – Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
- 2007 – Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b. 1916)
- 2007 – Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1956)
- 2007 – Emiliano Mercado del Toro, World's oldest military veteran (b. 1891)
- 2008 – Randy Salerno, co-anchor of Chicago's CBS 2 News (b. 1963)
- 2009 – Gérard Blanc, French singer (b. 1947)
- 2009 – Reg Gutteridge, British boxing journalist (b. 1924)
- 2009 – Kay Yow, North Carolina State Univ. women's basketball head coach (b. 1942)
- 2010 – Pernell Roberts, American actor & singer, last surviving star of Bonanza (b. 1928)
- 2011 – Bernd Eichinger, German film producer and director (b. 1949)
- 2011 – Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Indian Musician, Bharat Ratna Laureate (b. 1922)
Holidays and observances
External links