Historical Events
- Jan 1 31st Orange Bowl: #5 Texas beats #1 Alabama, 21-17
- Jan 1 31st Sugar Bowl: #7 LSU beats Syracuse, 13-10
- Jan 1 49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews becomes only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing (Stoke City)
- Jan 1 51st Rose Bowl: #4 Michigan beats #8 Oregon State, 34-7
Murphy Joins US Senate
Jan 1 American actor George Murphy begins his term as Senator of California
- Jan 1 International Cooperation Year begins
- Jan 1 Palestinian al-Fatah organization forms
- Jan 1 The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan is founded in Kabul.
- Jan 2 Ayub Khan elected President of Pakistan
King's Voter Drive
Jan 2 Martin Luther King Jr. begins a drive to register black voters
Jets Sign Namath
Jan 2 New York Jets sign future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath to a $427,000 contract over three years (pro football record at the time)
- Jan 2 Obverse design of all Canadian coins is changed to depict present-day
- Jan 6 Geoff Boycott takes 3-47 against South Africa, his best Test bowling
- Jan 7 France announces it will convert $150 million of its currency to gold
- Jan 7 Twin brothers are in held in custody in London charged with abduction and murder
- Jan 8 Senator Everett Dirksen introduces a bill to make marigold the American natonal flower (it does not pass)
- Jan 8 Star of India returned to American Museum of Natural History
- Jan 9 Beatles '65 album goes #1 & stays #1 for 9 weeks
15th NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 10 15th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 34-14; MVPs: Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings, QB; Terry Barr, Detroit Lions, DB
15th NBA All-Star Game
Jan 13 15th NBA All-Star Game, St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Mo: East beats West, 124-123; MVP: Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals, F
- Jan 15 Brunswick Records releases the single "I Can't Explain" by British rockers "The Who" in the UK, their 1st after changing their band name
Warriors Trade Chamberlain
Jan 15 One of the biggest trades in NBA history; San Francisco Warriors send Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, Paul Neumann and cash
- Jan 15 Soviet underground nuclear test creates the atomic lake Chagan, Kazakhstan
- Jan 15 Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, forms
- Jan 16 "Oh What a Lovely War" closes at Broadhurst NYC after 125 performances
- Jan 16 "Outer Limits" last airs on ABC-TV
- Jan 16 4th AFL All Star Game, Jeppeson Stadium, Houston: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 38-14; MVPs: Keith Lincoln, LA Chargers, RB; Willie Brown, Denver Broncos, DB
- Jan 16 The Searchers' "Love Potion Number 9" peaks at #3
- Jan 16 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Jan 18 H L de Vries appointed Dutch governor of Suriname
Franco Meets Jewish Representatives
Jan 20 Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain
- Jan 20 The Byrds record "Mr Tambourine Man"
- Jan 20 The US Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars & return
- Jan 21 Iranian premier Hassan Ali Mansur assassinated by 17-year-old Mohammad Bokharaei, a member of the Fadayan-e Islam
- Jan 22 US launches TIROS 9 weather satellite
Celtics Lose to 76ers
Jan 23 Boston Celtics' center Bill Russell misses all 14 shots in 104-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers, led by newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain
- Jan 23 BPAA All-Star Tournament won by Dick Weber
- Jan 23 Musical variety program "King Family Show", featuring big band vocal group The King Sisters, premieres on ABC TV
- Jan 26 South Vietnam military coup under general Nguyen Khanh
- Jan 27 1st ground station-to-aircraft radio communication via satellite
- Jan 27 Groundbreaking for "Dragon Gateway" at Grant Avenue
- Jan 28 "The Who" make their 1st appearance on British television programme "Ready Steady Go!"
- Jan 30 "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis hits #3
Churchill's State Funeral
Jan 30 State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funeral
- Jan 31 19th century pitcher James 'Pud' Galvin elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Famous Birthdays
- Jan 1 Andrew Valmon, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988, 92; World C'ship gold 1993), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 2 Greg Swindell, American baseball pitcher (World Series 2001; MLB All Star 1989; Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks), born in Fort Worth, Texas
- Jan 4 Beth Gibbons, English singer (Portishead), born in Exeter, Devon, England
- Jan 4 Cait O'Riordan, British musician (The Pogues), born in Lagos, Nigeria
- Jan 4 Craig Revel Horwood, Australian-English dancer and judge (Strictly Come Dancing), born in Ballarat, Australia
- Jan 4 David Glasper, Welsh rock singer (Breathe - "Hands To Heaven"), born in Cardigan, Wales
- Jan 4 Guy Forget, French tennis player (ATP Tour Finals 1990; France Davis Cup 1991, 96; Fed Cup/Davis Cup captain; Director French Open), born in Casablanca, Morocco
- Jan 4 John Jackson, American NFL offensive tackle (Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Okinawa, Japan
- Jan 4 Julia Ormond, English actress (Sabrina, Legends of the Fall), born in London, England
- Jan 4 Kevin Wickander, American baseball pitcher (Cincinnati Reds), born in Fort Dodge, Iowa
- Jan 4 Rick Hearst, American actor (General Hospital), born in Howard Beach, New York
- Jan 4 Yvan Attal, French actor and director, born in Tel Aviv, Israel
- Jan 5 Patrik Sjöberg, Swedish high jumper (WR 2.42m 1987; World C'ship gold 1987; Olympic silver 1984, 92; bronze 1988), born in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Jan 5 Rick Tuten, American NFL punter (Seattle Seahawks), born in Perry, Florida
- Jan 5 Vinnie Jones, English-born Welsh footballer and actor, born in Watford, United Kingdom
- Jan 6 Bjorn Lomborg, Danish mathematician, born in Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Jan 6 José DeJesús, American baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 6 Konnan, Cuban-born professional wrestler, born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
- Jan 6 Lindsay Burns, American rower (Olympic silver 1996), born in Big Timber, Montana
- Jan 6 Muhammed al-Ahari [Ray Rudder], American writer, historian, and Islamic scholar, born in the USA
- Jan 6 Tim McDonald, American football safety (Super Bowl 1995; First-team All-Pro 1989; 6 × Pro Bowl; St. L/Phoenix Cardinals, SF 49ers), born in Fresno, California
- Jan 7 Five for Fighting [Vladimir John Ondrasik], American soft rock-pop pianist, singer-songwriter, and record producer ("Superman (It's Not Easy)"; "100 Years"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 7 Mark Rushmere, South African cricketer (South African opening bat in comeback Test 1992), born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Jan 8 Champaka Ramanayake, Sri Lankan cricketer (Sri Lankan opening bowler), born in Galle, Sri Lanka
- Jan 8 Michelle Forbes [Guajardo], American actress (True Blood, Guiding Light, Star Trek: The Next Generation), born in Austin, Texas
- Jan 8 Rossen Milanov, Bulgarian conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra, 2000-11; Princeton Symphony, 2009-present; Columbus Symphony, 2015-present), born in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Jan 9 Carin Garbarra, American soccer forward (119 caps; Olympic gold 1996; FIFA Women's World Cup gold 1991; Southern California Ajax), born in East Orange, New Jersey
- Jan 9 Darren Bennett, Australian AFL player and NFL punter (San Diego Chargers), born in Sydney, Australia
- Jan 9 Eric Erlandson, American rock guitarist (Hole), born in Los Angeles, California
- Jan 9 Joely Richardson, English actress (Body Contact, Wetherby), born in London, England
- Jan 9 Muggsy Bogues, American NBA guard and the shortest player ever to play in the NBA (Washington Bullets, Charlotte Hornets), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Jan 9 Vincent Brown, American NFL inside linebacker (NE Patriots), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Jan 10 Butch Hartman, American animator (The Fairly OddParents; T.U.F.F. Puppy), born in Highland Park, Michigan
- Jan 10 Choi Dae-Shik, South Korean soccer midfielder who played 15 internationals; Daewoo Royals, LG Cheetahs, Oita Trinita, born in Hamyang County, South Korea (d. 2024)
- Jan 10 James Washington, American NFL safety (Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams) and two-time Super Bowl champion in 1993 and 1994, born in Abilene, Texas
- Jan 10 Nathan Moore, English pop singer (Brother Beyond - "Can You Keep A Secret?"), and actor, born in Stamford Hill, London, England
- Jan 11 Loredana Romito, Italian model and actress (Fatal Temptation), born in Benevento, Italy
- Jan 11 Olivia Barash, actress (Laura-Out of the Blue), born in Miami, Florida
- Jan 11 Roland Scholten, Dutch darts player (UK Open 2004), born in The Hague, Netherlands
- Jan 12 Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritanian politician and slavery abolitionist advocate, born in Rosso, Trarza
- Jan 12 Henry Thomas, American defensive tackle (Detroit Lions, New England Patriots), born in Houston, Texas
- Jan 12 Mark Moore, British dance music record producer and DJ (S'Express-Winter Course), born in London
- Jan 12 Rob Zombie [Cummings], American musician and filmmaker, born in Haverhill, Massachusetts
- Jan 13 Bill Bailey, British comedian (Black Books, QI), born in bath, England
- Jan 14 Dave Lowry, American NHL left wing (Florida Panthers), born in Greater Sudbury, Canada
- Jan 14 Desiree Nosbusch, Luxembourgish actress (The Fan), born in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Jan 14 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, British TV chef (River Cottage), writer and environmental activist, born in London, England
- Jan 14 Jemma Redgrave, English actress (Buddha of Suburbia), born in London, England
- Jan 14 Shamil Basayev, Chechen rebel, born in Dyshne-Vedeno, Russia (d. 2006)
- Jan 15 Bernard Hopkins, American boxer, born in Pennsylvania
- Jan 15 Derek B, British rapper ("Bullet From A Gun"), born in London, England (d. 2009)
- Jan 15 James Nesbitt, Northern Irish actor, born in Ballymena, United Kingdom
- Jan 15 Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist, born in Cles, Italy
- Jan 15 Michael Clemons, American CFL running back (Toronto Argonauts), born in Dunedin, Florida
- Jan 17 Nikos Nioplias, Greek footballer, born in Galatini, Greece
- Jan 17 Sylvain Turgeon, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Rouyn-Noranda, Canada
- Jan 18 Dave Attell, American writer and comedian, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jan 18 Richard Dunwoody, British jockey, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Jan 19 J. B. Pritzker, American businessman (Pritzker Group), and politician (Governor of Illinois, 2019- present), born in Atherton, California
- Jan 20 Anton Weissenbacher, Romanian footballer, born in Baia Mare, Romania
- Jan 20 Brad Brink, American baseball pitcher (SF Giants, Philadelphia Phillies), born in Roseville, California
- Jan 20 Colin Calderwood, Scottish footballer, born in Stranraer, United Kingdom
- Jan 20 Greg K. [Kreisel], American rock bassist (The Offspring, 1984-2018), born in Glendale, California
- Jan 20 John Michael Montgomery, American country music singer, born in Danville, Kentucky
- Jan 21 Cordell Crockett, American rock bassist (Ugly Kid Joe - America's Least Wanted), born in Alameda, California
- Jan 21 Eric Moore, NFL tackle (Cleveland Browns)
- Jan 21 Jam Master Jay [Jason Mizell], American rapper, DJ and musician (Run-DMC), born in New York City (d. 2002)
- Jan 21 Robert Del Naja, British trip-hop singer-songwriter (Massive Attack), and artist, born in Bristol, England
- Jan 22 "DJ Jazzy" Jeff [Townes], American Grammy Award-winning hip-hop DJ and music producer (DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Parents Just Don't Understand"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jan 22 Brian McCardie, Scottish actor, born in Bellshill, United Kingdom
- Jan 22 Chintara Sukapatana, Thai actress, born in Phra Pradaeng District, Thailand
- Jan 22 Diane Lane, American actress (The Perfect Storm, Lady Beware, Lonesome Dove), born in New York City
- Jan 22 Ray Mayhew, English new wave rock drummer (Sigue Sigue Sputnik, 1985-89 - "Love Missile F-111"), born in Southampton, United Kingdom
- Jan 22 Steven Adler [Michael Coletti], American rock drummer and songwriter (Guns & Roses, 1985-90), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Jan 24 Carlos Saldanha, Brazilian film director, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Jan 25 Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey left wing (Stanley Cup 1985, 87, 88, 90 Edmonton Oilers, 1994 NY Rangers; Olympic bronze 1998; World C'ship bronze 2000), born in Helsinki, Finland
- Jan 26 Allison Hossack, Canadian actress (Olivia-Another World), born in Steinbach, Canada
Kevin McCarthy (59 years old)
Jan 26 American politician (Rep-R-California 2007-23) and speaker of the House (2023), born in Bakersfield, California
- Jan 26 Natalia Yurchenko, Russian gymnast, (World C'ship gold USSR team, all-round 1983, team 1985), born in Norilsk, Russia
- Jan 26 Thomas Östros, Swedish politician, born in Malmberget, Sweden
- Jan 27 Alan Cumming, Scottish actor
- Jan 27 Igor Matoushkin, NHL defenseman (Belarus, Olympics 1998)
- Jan 27 Mike Newell, English soccer striker (Blackburn Rovers) and manager (Luton Town), born in Liverpool, England
- Jan 28 Lynda Boyd, Canadian actress, born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Jan 29 Dominik Hašek, Czech Hockey Hall of Fame goalie (Olympic gold 1998; NHL MVP 1997, 98; 6 x Vezina Trophy; 6 x NHL All Star; Buffalo Sabres), born in Pardubice, Czech Republic
- Jan 29 Tim Johnson, American pastor (Orlando World Outreach Center) and NFL defensive tackle (Super Bowl 1991; Pro Bowl 1993; Washington Redskins), born in Sarasota, Florida
- Jan 30 Julie McCullough, American actress (Growing Pains) & Playboy playmate (Feb 86), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Jan 31 Bobby Dollas, Canadian ice hockey player (Anaheim Mighty Ducks), born in Montreal, Quebec
- Jan 31 Diána Igaly, Hungarian sport shooter (Olympic gold women's skeet 2004; bronze 2000), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2021)
- Jan 31 Kim Clarke, American team handball back court (Olympics 1988, 92, 96), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Famous Weddings
Michael Crichton
Jan 1 Novelist Michael Crichton (22) weds high school sweetheart Joan Radam
Famous Deaths
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)
Jan 4 American-born British poet (The Waste Land) and Nobel laureate (1948), dies in London at 76
- Jan 5 Nell Craig, American actress (Dr. Kildare (films); The Queen of Sheba), dies at 73
- Jan 5 Paul Arntzenius, Dutch painter, graphic artist and etcher, dies at 81
- Jan 8 Albert Asher, New Zealand dual-code rugby union and rugby league winger (RU 11 caps; RL Australasia 2 Tests, NZ 1), dies at 85
- Jan 8 Aloÿs-Henri-Gérard Fornerod, Swiss composer, dies at 74
- Jan 11 Wally Pipp, American baseball first baseman (World Series 1923; AL HR leader 1916, 17; NY Yankees), dies from a heart attack at 71
- Jan 12 Lorraine Hansberry, American playwright (A Raisin in the Sun), and writer (To Be Young Gifted And Black), dies in NYC, dies of pancreatic cancer at 34
- Jan 12 Porcupine, in the National Zoo, dies at 27; oldest known rodent (Washington, DC)
- Jan 14 Jeanette MacDonald, American soprano (When I'm Calling You), dies at 63
- Jan 15 Pierre Ngendandumwe, premier of Burundi, murdered
- Jan 17 Hans Marchwitza, German writer and communist, dies at 75
- Jan 19 Frank Reicher, German-American actor (King Kong, Son of Kong), dies at 89
- Jan 20 (Albert) "Alan" Freed, American disc jockey and concert promoter who popularized the term "rock-n-roll", and payola scandal figure, dies of from uremia and cirrhosis at 43
- Jan 21 Harvey Zorbaugh, doctor/TV host (Play the Game), dies at 68
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Jan 24 British Prime Minister (Conservative: 1940-45, 1951-55) during World War II, and writer (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1953), dies of a stroke at 90
- Jan 25 (Gustaaf) "Staf" Nees, Flemish-Belgian carillonist, organist, composer (Maria-oratorio), and educator, dies at 63
- Jan 26 Hassan Ali Mansur, Prime Minister of Iran (1964-65), assassinated by a Shia fundamentalist at 41
- Jan 27 Theo Uden Masman, Dutch big band orchestra leader (The Ramblers), dies at 63
- Jan 28 Jef van Durme, Belgian composer, dies at 57
- Jan 28 Maxime Weygand, French general (head of French armed forces during German Invasion of France WWII), dies at 98
- Jan 28 Tich Freeman, English cricket leg-spin bowler (12 Tests, 66 wickets; Kent CCC), dies at 76
- Jan 29 Jack Hylton, English orchestra leader and impresario (Crazy Passage Show), dies at 72
- Jan 29 John Larkin, American actor (Saints & Sinners, The Satan Bug, 12 O'Clock High), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Jan 29 Michał Spisak, Polish composer (Hymne Olympique), dies at 50
- Jan 30 Vic Jackson, Australian cricketer (NS, Leicestershire off-spinner), dies in a car crash at 48
