Historical Events
- Jan 1 25th Orange Bowl: #5 Oklahoma beats #9 Syracuse, 21-6
- Jan 1 25th Sugar Bowl: #1 LSU beats #12 Clemson, 7-0
- Jan 1 45th Rose Bowl: #2 Iowa beats #16 California, 38-12
- Jan 1 Chad becomes autonomous republic in French Community
Batista Flees
Jan 1 Cuban Dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba for the Dominican Republic
- Jan 1 Cuban revolutionary forces capture Havana
- Jan 1 Rohan Kanhai completes 256 v India at Calcutta
Lunar 1 (Mechta)
Jan 2 USSR launches the Luna 1 spacecraft (Mechta), the 1st to leave Earth's gravity, reach the vicinity of the Moon and to be placed in heliocentric orbit
"It Doesn't Matter"
Jan 5 Buddy Holly releases his last record "It Doesn't Matter"; he is killed in a plane crash 29 days later
Gangster Lansky Flees
Jan 7 American gangster Meyer Lansky flees Cuba for the Bahamas due to the Cuban Revolution and rise of Fidel Castro
US Recognizes Castro Government
Jan 7 US recognizes Fidel Castro's Cuban government
Charles De Galle President
Jan 8 Charles de Gaulle inaugurated as president of France's 5th Republic
- Jan 9 Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro arrives in recently captured capital city of Havana
- Jan 9 Dam across Tera River in Northwestern Spain collapses after heavy winter rains, killing 135
- Jan 9 Pat O'Connor beats Dick Hutton in St Louis, to become NWA champ
"Rawhide"
Jan 9 TV western "Rawhide" with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS
- Jan 11 9th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 28-21; MVPs: Frank Gifford, NY Giants, HB; Doug Atkins, Chicago Bears, DE
- Jan 11 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Theodore Roethke
Mohammad Smashes 499
Jan 11 Pakistani cricket batsman Hanif Mohammad smashes 499 for Karachi v Bahawalpur, then 1st class world record
Motown Founded
Jan 12 Berry Gordy Jr.'s Tamla Records (later Motown) begins operating in Detroit, Michigan
- Jan 12 KOED TV channel 11 in Tulsa, Oklahoma (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Jan 12 Rediscovery of the Caves of Nerja in Malaga, Spain
- Jan 13 French President Charles De Gaulle grants amnesty to 130 Algerians sentenced to death
- Jan 13 King Boudouin promises Belgian Congo independence
- Jan 17 "Say, Darling" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 332 performances
- Jan 22 Buddy Holly makes his last recordings in his NYC apartment, alone with an acoustic guitar; he tapes five songs including "Peggy Sue" and "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", which were embellished, overdubbed, and released posthumously by Coral Records
- Jan 22 USAF concludes that less than 1% of UFOs are unknown objects
9th NBA All-Star Game
Jan 23 9th NBA All-Star Game, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Mi: West beats East, 124-108; MVPs: Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis Lakers, F; Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks, C; first co-winners of MVP award
Moscow-Tsjerjomoesjki
Jan 24 Dmitri Shostakovich's operetta "Moscow, Cheryomushki" premieres in Moscow
A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Jan 24 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" closes at John Golden Theatre, NYC after 38 performances
- Jan 24 WHCT TV channel 18 in Hartford, CT (IND) begins broadcasting
- Jan 25 1st transcontinental commercial jet flight (American) (LA to NY for $301)
2nd Vatican Council
Jan 25 Pope John XXIII proclaims 2nd Vatican council
- Jan 26 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: American based Peruvian Alex Olmedo wins his first Grand Slam event; beats Neale Fraser of Australia 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
- Jan 26 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Mary Carter Reitano wins her 2nd home singles title; beats Renee Schuurman of South Africa 6-2, 6-3
- Jan 26 Italy government of Fanfani resigns
- Jan 26 KOKH TV channel 25 in Oklahoma City, OK (IND/PBS) begins broadcasting
- Jan 28 Soviet Union wins 62-37 for 1st international basketball loss by US
- Jan 29 Smog pollution with readings higher than the 1952 'Great Smog of London' hits London, with many suffering chest and lung-related illnesses
- Jan 29 Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" released
- Jan 30 Australia 1-200 1st day 4th Test v England, Adelaide Oval
- Jan 30 Danish ocean liner MS Hans Hedtoft sinks on maiden voyage after striking an iceberg off the coast of Greenland;, 95 die
"Pittsburgh" Symphony
Jan 30 Paul Hindemith's symphony "Pittsburgh" premieres
Cronin AL President
Jan 31 Former star MLB shortstop and manager Joe Cronin signs 7 year pact to become American League President
1959 History
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghan-German cosmonaut (first Afghan in space - Soyuz TM-6), born in Sardeh Band, Afghanistan
- Jan 1 Andy Andrews, American tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1982 runner-up), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Jan 1 Azali Assoumani, Comorian president (2016 - present), born in Mitsoudjé, Comoros
- Jan 1 Panagiotis Giannakis, Greek basketball guard and coach (EuroLeague champion 1996, Panathinaikos; FIBA European Selection 1980, 87, 90; Greek League Best Coach 2004, 06), born in Athens, Greece
- Jan 2 Kirti Azad, Indian cricket all-rounder (7 Tests; 25 ODIs) and politician, born in Darbhanga, India
- Jan 3 Mohamed Bazoum, Nigerien politician (President of Niger 2021-), born in Bilabrin, French Niger
- Jan 3 Rusty Golden, American pop, country, and gospel singer-songwriter and musician (The Boys Band; The Goldens), born in Brewton, Alabama
- Jan 4 Vanity [Denise Matthews] Canadian-American pop and R&B singer, Prince protégé, and actress (52 Pick Up), born in Niagara Falls, Ontario (d. 2016)
- Jan 4 Yoshitomo Nara, Japanese pop artist
- Jan 5 Clancy Brown, American film, television, and voice actor (Carnivàle, Billions), born in Urbana, Ohio
Kapil Dev (65 years old)
Jan 6 Indian cricketer (India's finest all-rounder 1978-94, Cup-1982), born in Chandigarh, Punjab
- Jan 6 Kathy Sledge, American vocalist (Sister Sledge - "We are Family"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jan 7 Kathy Valentine, American bassist (Go-Go's - "We Got the Beat"), born in Austin, Texas
- Jan 8 Mike Harwood, Australian golfer (British Open 1991 runner-up), born in Sydney, New South Wales
- Jan 8 Paul Hester, Australian drummer (Split Enz; Crowded House, 1985-94 -"Don't Dream It's Over"; "It's Only Natural"), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2005)
- Jan 9 Cristi Minculescu, Romanian musician, born in Pitești, Romania
- Jan 9 Mark Martin, American stock car racing driver, born in Batesville, Arkansas
Rigoberta Menchú (65 years old)
Jan 9 K'iche' Guatemalan indigenous rights activist, feminist, founder of political party Winaq and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1992), born in Laj Chimel, Guatemala
- Jan 10 Chandra Cheesborough, American 4x100 runner (Olympic gold 1984), born in Jacksonville, Florida
- Jan 10 Chris Van Hollen, American politician (Senator-D-Maryland 2017-, Rep-D-Maryland 2003-17), born in Karachi, Pakistan
- Jan 10 Curt Kirkwood, American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter (Meat Puppets), born in Amarillo, Texas
- Jan 10 Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter, born in Wellington, New Zealand
- Jan 11 Brett Bodine, American stock car racing driver, born in Chemung, New York
- Jan 12 Blixa Bargeld, German singer and musician (Einstürzende Neubauten; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), born in West Berlin; West Germany
- Jan 12 Lasana M. Sekou, Caribbean poet and author (The Salt Reaper), born in Aruba
- Jan 12 Per Helmstad Gessle, Swedish pop singer (Roxette - "Must Have Been Love"), born in Halmstad, Sweden
- Jan 13 Alan Taylor, American television and film director (The Sopranos; Game of Thrones; Thor; The Many Saints of Newark), born in San Francisco, California
- Jan 13 James Lomenzo, American heavy metal bassist (White Lion; David Lee Roth; Megadeth, 2006-10), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 14 Chas Smash, English rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Madness - "Our House"), born in Fitzrovia, London
- Jan 14 Geoff Tate, German-born American singer and musician (Queensryche - "Breaking the Silence"), born in Stuttgart, Germany
- Jan 14 Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian soccer centre-back (77 caps; CSKA Sofia, Saint-Étienne), born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria (d. 2021)
- Jan 14 Lars Høgh, Danish soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; OB 603 games) and GK coach (Denmark, Brøndby IF), born in Odense, Denmark (d. 2021)
- Jan 14 Paul Terry, English cricketer (in Germany Two Tests England v WI 1984), born in Osnabrück, Germany
- Jan 15 Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian climber, born in Setnica, Slovenia (d. 2008)
- Jan 15 Pete Trewavas, British bassist, (Marillion - Clutching at Straws), born in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
- Jan 16 Juanita Bynum, American televangelist, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Jan 16 Sade [Helen Folasade Adu], Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter, arranger, and record producer ("Soldier of Love"; "Smooth Operator"), born in Ibadan, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
- Jan 17 Momoe Yamaguchi, Japanese singer and actress, born in Ebisu, Tokyo, Japan
- Jan 17 Susanna Hoffs, American pop musician (The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"), and actress, born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 18 Bob Rosenberg, American musician (Will To Power - "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jan 19 Jeff Pilson, American rock bassist (Dokken, 1983-88 & 1995-2000; Dio 1993-2004 ; Foreigner (2006-present), born in Lake Forest, Illinois
- Jan 20 Bernard Tyson, American healthcare advocate & 1st African American CEO of Kaiser Permanente, born in San Francisco Bay Area, California
- Jan 20 Joel Rifkin, American serial killer believed to have killed up to 17 victims between 1989 and 1993 in NYC and Long Island, born in New York
- Jan 20 Lea Antonoplis, American tennis player, born in West Covina, California
- Jan 21 Alex McLeish, Scottish footballer and manager
- Jan 22 Linda Blair, American actress (Exorcist, Chained Heat, Savage St), born in St Louis, Missouri
- Jan 23 Earl Falconer, British reggae bassist (UB40 - "Red, Red Wine"), born in Meriden, England
- Jan 23 Sandra Pisani, Australian field hockey captain (Olympic gold 1988), born in Adelaide, Australia (d. 2022)
- Jan 23 Tyrone Power Jr., American actor (Shag), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 24 Vic Reeves [James Roderick Moir], English comedian, born in Leeds, United Kingdom
- Jan 26 Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkish film director (Winter Sleep), born in Istanbul, Turkey
- Jan 27 Chris Collinsworth, NFL wide receiver/TV sportscaster
- Jan 27 Göran Hägglund, Swedish politician
- Jan 27 Keith Olbermann, American news presenter
- Jan 27 Patti Cohoon, American actress (Here Come the Brides - "Molly"), born in Whittier, California
- Jan 28 Bill Ware III, American jazz vibraphonist (The Jazz Passengers), born in East Orange, New Jersey
- Jan 28 Burkhard Dallwitz, German-Australian film and television score composer (The Truman Show), born in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany
- Jan 28 Dave Sharp, British rock guitarist (The Alarm - "Rain In the Summertime"; "68 Guns"), born in Salford, Lancashire, England
- Jan 28 Frank Darabont, American filmmaker
- Jan 28 Randi Rhodes, Nova M Radio personality
- Jan 30 Jody Watley, American R&B singer (Shalamar; "Looking For a New Love"), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Jan 30 Mark Eitzel, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (American Music Club - "Wish the World Away"), born in Walnut Creek, California
- Jan 31 Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor (Criminal Justice, Without a Trace), born in Adelaide, Australia
- Jan 31 Kelly Lynch, American actress (Drugstore Cowboy), born in Golden Walley, Minnesota
- Jan 31 Kelly Moore, American stock car driver, born in Scarborough, Maine
- Jan 31 Michael Allen, American golfer (Senior PGA Championship 2009), born in San Mateo, California
Famous Weddings
Raúl Castro
Jan 26 President of Cuba Raúl Castro (27) weds revolutionary Vilma Espín (28) in Santiago de Cuba
Famous Deaths
- Jan 6 Jose Enrique Pedreira, Puerto Rican composer ("Tus Caricias"; "Siempre"), and pedagogue, dies at 54
- Jan 9 Edwin A. Fleisher, American music patron (founder of the Symphony Club), musicologist (The Fleisher Collection), and philanthropist, dies at 71 [1]
- Jan 10 Colin Gregory, English tennis player (Australian C'ship 1929, chairman All-England Club, Wimbledon), dies at 55
- Jan 11 Mohammed Zakaria Ghonein, discoverer of 6,000 yr old pyramid, dies
- Jan 12 Edvard Eriksen, Danish-Icelandic sculptor, dies at 82
- Jan 14 G. D. H. Cole, English political theorist and socialist, dies at 69
- Jan 17 Abdul Aziz, cricket, dies at 17 struck by ball in fc match for Karachi
- Jan 21 Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, American actor (Our Gang; Beginner's Luck; General Spanky), shot by an acquaintance during a financial dispute at 31
Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959)
Jan 21 American filmmaker (The Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah), dies of heart failure at 77
- Jan 21 Lamar Stringfield, American composer, dies at 61
- Jan 22 A J Else Mauhs, German/Dutch actress (Hamlet, Nora), dies at 73
- Jan 22 Elizabeth Moore, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1896, 1901, 03, 05), dies from congestive heart failure at 82
- Jan 22 Mike Hawthorn, English auto racer (F1 world champion 1958), dies in road accident at 29
- Jan 28 Viktor Josef Keldorfer, Austrian composer, dies at 85
- Jan 28 Yosef Sprinzak, Israeli politician, first Speaker of the Knesset (1949-59) and leading Zionist, dies at 73
