Historical Events
- Jan 1 "Flying Karamzov Brothers" closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 50 performances
- Jan 1 "Grand Night after Singing" closes at Criterion NYC after 52 performances
- Jan 1 23rd Fiesta Bowl: #16 Arizona beats #10 Miami, 29-0
- Jan 1 60th Orange Bowl: #1 Florida State beats #2 Nebraska, 18-16
- Jan 1 60th Sugar Bowl: #8 Florida beats #3 West Virginia, 41-7
- Jan 1 80th Rose Bowl: #9 Wisconsin beats #14 UCLA, 21-16
- Jan 1 Aleksandr Popov swims world record 100m free style (47.83)
- Jan 1 Carquest Bowl 4: Boston College beats Virginia, 32-13
Stern's Beauty Pageant
Jan 1 Howard Stern's New Year's Eve Beauty Pageant
- Jan 1 International Year of Family
- Jan 1 Jacobs Field opens with "Gateway's New Year's Eve Countdown to '94"
- Jan 1 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect
- Jan 1 The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican State of Chiapas.
- Jan 2 "Shakespeare after My Father" closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 266 performances
- Jan 2 Battles between army & rebellious indians in South Mexico, kill 57
- Jan 2 Revival of Robert E. Sherman's stage drama "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", starring Sam Waterston, closes at Beaumont NYC after 40 performances
- Jan 3 "Gray's Anatomy" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 13 performances
- Jan 3 100s killed in Venezuela in prison revolt
- Jan 3 35-foot-tall Chief Wahoo, trademark of Indians on top of Stadium since 1962, is taken down, to be moved to Jacob's Field
Black Citizenship Restored
Jan 3 More than 7 million Black South Africans have their citizenship restored (announced on 15 December 1993 by parliament of President F. W. de Klerk, effective four months before first non-racial polls 27 April, 1994)
Young's Record 3rd Passing Title
Jan 3 Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers becomes first quarterback to win 3 straight NFL passing titles despite a 37-34 OT loss to the Philadelphia Eagles; first to lodge 3 consecutive passer ratings of 100+
- Jan 3 Tupolev-154M crashes at Irkutsk, Siberia: 122 killed
- Jan 4 10th largest wrestling crowd (58,000-Tokyo Dome)
- Jan 5 26th NAACP Image Awards: "Sister Act" wins Outstanding Motion Picture
- Jan 5 Aleksandr Popov swims world record 100m free style (47.82)
- Jan 6 "The Government Inspector" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 37 performances
- Jan 6 Dow-Jones hits record 3803.88
Nancy Kerrigan Attacked
Jan 6 US figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard at the US Championships in Detroit
- Jan 7 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Petr Korda defeats Bernd Karbacher of Germany 6-3, 6-3 for an unassailable 2-0 lead (ends 2-1) and the Czech Republic's first title
- Jan 7 South Africa beat Australia in the Sydney Test by 5 runs
- Jan 7 United Express commuter plane crashes in Ohio, killing 5
- Jan 7 US female Figure Skating championship won by Tonya Harding
- Jan 8 Rintje Ritsma skates world record 1500m (1:51.60)
- Jan 8 Russian manned space craft TM-18, launches into orbit
- Jan 8 US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Davis
- Jan 9 14th United Negro College Fund raises $11,000,000
- Jan 9 Gunda Niemann skates world record (167.282 pts)
- Jan 9 Rintje Ritsma skates world record (156.201 points)
- Jan 10 Trial of Lorena Bobbitt who cut off her husband's penis, begins
- Jan 10 Ukraine says it will give up world's 3rd largest nuclear arsenal
- Jan 10 Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan agrees to abolish trade tariffs
- Jan 11 Hyderabad score 6 for 944 against Andhra Pradesh in Ranji Trophy
- Jan 11 Irish government announces end of a 20-year broadcasting ban on IRA
Baseball Hall of Fame
Jan 12 Lefthanded pitcher Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jan 13 Italian government of Carlo Ciampi resigns
- Jan 13 Tonya Harding's bodyguard, Shawn Eric Eckardt & Derrick Brian Smith arrested & charged with conspiracy in attack of figure skater Nancy Kerrigan
- Jan 14 Inna Lassovskaya triple-jumps ladies world record (14.61m)
- Jan 14 Russian manned space craft TM-17, lands
- Jan 14 The Duchess of Kent converts to Catholicism, the first member of the Royal Family to do so in more than 300 years
- Jan 15 15th ACE Cable Awards: Michael Fuchs wins the Golden CableACE for outstanding achievements in advancing the development of cable programming
- Jan 15 Dallas Mavericks drop a 104-87 decision to the San Antonio Spurs at Reunion Arena to set an unwanted NBA record with their 17th consecutive home defeat; break mark of 16 set by Orlando in 1990
- Jan 15 Hague motorist with .51% alcohol in blood, breaks Dutch record (.47%)
Lawrence Taylor Retires
Jan 15 Lawrence Taylor announces his retirement from the NFL
Taylor Released From Hospital
Jan 17 Actress Elizabeth Taylor released from the hospital after hip treatment
Ewing's 15,000 Points
Jan 17 Patrick Ewing becomes first New York player to reach the 15,000-point mark in his NBA career; scores a game-high 34 points in the Knicks' 106-94 win over visiting Minnesota
9th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Jan 19 9th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Animals; The Band; Duane Eddy; The Grateful Dead; Elton John; John Lennon; Bob Marley; Rod Stewart; Willie Dixon; and Johnny Otis
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" Premieres
Jan 20 British comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral" written by Richard Curtis, starring Hugh Grant premieres at the Sundance Film Festival
- Jan 21 Dallas Mavericks suffer 19th straight loss at Reunion Arena, 91-87 to the Seattle SuperSonics; extends an unwanted NBA record for the most consecutive home defeats
- Jan 21 Dow Jones passes 3900 (record 3,914.20)
- Jan 21 Lorena Bobbitt found temporarily insane when she cut off her husband's penis
- Jan 22 45th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 9-8; MVP: Mike Richter, NY Rangers, G
- Jan 22 5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Sumatra
51st Golden Globes
Jan 22 51st Golden Globes: Schlinder's List, Tom Hanks, & Holly Hunter win
- Jan 23 AFC Championship, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY: Buffalo Bills beat Kansas City Chiefs, 30-13
- Jan 23 Bernie Kosar is 2nd QB to throw TD passes in AFC & NFC Champ games
- Jan 23 NFC Championship, Texas Stadium, Irving: Dallas Cowboys beat San Francisco 49ers, 38-21
- Jan 23 Worldwide Day for peace in Bosnia-Hercegovina
- Jan 24 Dow Jones closes above 3,900 for 1st time (3,914.48)
Jackson Settles Lawsuit
Jan 25 Accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, Michael Jackson settles a civil lawsuit out of court
- Jan 25 Australia beat South Africa 2-1 to win cricket's World Series Cup
- Jan 25 Mine fire at Asansol, India, kills 55
- Jan 25 US space probe Clementine launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
- Jan 27 "No Man's Land" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 61 performances
- Jan 27 Carlos Reina succeeds pres Callejas in Honduras
- Jan 27 Romanian social democrats form government with anti-Semites
- Jan 28 Helicopter crashes into office building in San Jose California, 1 dead
- Jan 28 Inna Lassovskaja jumps ladies world record (14.78m)
- Jan 29 Frankie Randall beats Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez by split decision to win WBC super lightweight title at MGM Grand, Las Vegas; Chavez's 1st knockdown of career in 11th and 1st loss in 91 pro fights
- Jan 30 10th Sundance Film Festival: "What Happened Was" wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
Sampras Defeats Martin
Jan 30 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Pete Sampras wins 1st of 2 Australian titles; fellow American Todd Martin 7-6, 6-4, 6-4
Graf Defeats Sánchez Vicario
Jan 30 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Steffi Graf beats Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6-0, 6-2
World Record 500m
Jan 30 Dan Jansen skates world record 500m (35.76)
Dev Equals Hadlee's Record
Jan 30 Kapil Dev takes 2/41 as India beats Sri Lanka by an innings and 95 runs in 2nd Cricket Test in Bengaluru; equals Sir Richard Hadlee's world record of 431 Test wickets
- Jan 30 Péter Lékó becomes the youngest chess grand master.
Super Bowl XXVIII
Jan 30 Super Bowl XXVIII, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA: Dallas Cowboys beat Buffalo Bills, 30-13; MVP: Emmitt Smith, Dallas, RB
- Jan 31 Barcelona opera theater "Gran Teatro del Liceo", built in 1847, burns down for the second time; re-built and re-opens in 1999
- Jan 31 Dow Jones hits a record 3,978.36
"Marimar"
Jan 31 Mexican telenovela "Marimar" starring Thalia and Eduardo Capetillo premieres
Famous Birthdays
Derrick Henry (30 years old)
Jan 4 American NFL running back (Heisman Trophy 2015, U of Alabama; Pro Bowl 2019, Tennessee Titans), born in Yulee, Florida
- Jan 6 Catriona Gray, Filipino-Australian beauty queen (Miss Universe, 2018), born in Cairns, Queensland, Australia
- Jan 6 Jameis Winston, American NFL quarterback (Heisman Trophy 2013, Florida State; Pro Bowl 2015, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Bessemer, Alabama
- Jan 10 Faith Kipyegon, Kenyan athlete (Olympic gold women's 1,500m 2016, 20; World C'ship gold 2017), born in Bomet, Kenya
- Jan 11 Kai [Kim Jong-in], South Korean singer, dancer and actor (Exo, SuperM), born in Suncheon, South Korea
- Jan 14 Samir Patel, American spelling bee winner
- Jan 15 Eric Dier, English football player (Tottenham, England), born in Cheltenham, England
- Jan 17 Lucy Boynton, British-American actress (The Politician), born in New York City
- Jan 17 Sajal Aly, Pakistani actress (Mom), born in Lahore, Pakistan
- Jan 21 (Nils) "Booboo" Stewart, American actor (Descendants), born in Beverly Hills, California
- Jan 21 Laura Robson, British tennis player (Olympics mixed doubles silver 2012), born in Melbourne, Australia
Joseph Quinn (30 years old)
Jan 26 British actor (Stranger Things), born in London, England
- Jan 28 Maluma [Juan Londoño], Colombian urbano singer-songwriter, ("El Préstamo"; "11PM"; "Hawái"), born in Medellín, Colombia
- Jan 30 Amelia Dimoldenberg, English comedian and journalist (Chicken Shop Date), born in London, England
- Jan 31 Vitalik Buterin, Russian-Canadian computer programmer (co-founder of Ethereum), born in Kolomna, Russia
Famous Weddings
Melinda & Bill Gates
Jan 1 Microsoft CEO Bill Gates (38) marries Melinda French (29)
Edward James Olmos
Jan 28 American actress Lorraine Bracco (39) weds American actor Edward James Olmos (46); divorce in 2002
Famous Divorces
Lorenzo Lamas
Jan 14 Kathleen Kinmont files for divorce from Lorenzo Lamas
Bill Murray
Jan 29 Actor Bill Murray (43) divorces Margaret Kelly after 13 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Jan 1 Arthur Porritt, New Zealand athlete (Olympic bronze 100m 1924) and 11th governor-general of New Zealand 1967-72, dies at 93
- Jan 1 Werner Schwab, Austrian playwright (Female Presidents) and artist, dies at 35
- Jan 2 Dixy Lee Ray, American politician (17th Governor of Washington) and chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), dies at 79
- Jan 2 Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, French director of IMF (1963-73), dies at 81
- Jan 2 Sammy Taft, Canadian businessman (coined term "hat trick"), dies at 81
- Jan 3 Frank Belknap Long, American writer (Rim of the Unknown), dies at 92
- Jan 3 Heather Sears, English actress (Room at the Top), dies of cancer at 58
- Jan 3 Roel Bazen, Dutch sound technician (Van Kooten & The Bie), dies at 48
- Jan 4 Jim Booth, New Zealand producer (Heavenly Creatures), dies at 48
- Jan 4 Michiel P "Michael" Gorsira, Gov of Curacao (1951-67), dies at 80
- Jan 4 R. D. Burman, Indian film score composer (1942: A Love Story), dies at 54
- Jan 5 Brian Johnston, British cricket commentator (BBC radio commentator & cake connoisseur), dies at 81
- Jan 5 Louis R J Ridder van Rappard, Dutch mayor of Zoelen, dies at 87
- Jan 5 Tip O'Neill, American politician and 47th speaker of the house (D-Ma: 1977-86), dies of cancer at 81
- Jan 5 Victor van Os, Dutch jazz guitarist, dies at 39
- Jan 5 William Raynor, American screenwriter (Gomer Pyle; Get Smart; McDuff, The Talking Dog; Dukes of Hazzard), dies at 73
- Jan 6 "Iron" Adriaan van Es, Dutch undersec of Navy (1963-72), dies at 80
- Jan 6 Gerardus J Sizoo, physicist/director of Dutch Free University, dies
- Jan 6 Morty the Moose, American character alces (Northern Exposure), dies at 6
- Jan 6 Virginia Kelley Clinton, Mother of President Clinton, dies at 70
- Jan 7 Bobby Pratt, American jazz trombone and piano player, dies at 67
- Jan 7 Lewis Boddington, Welsh aerospace Engineer (RAE), dies at 85
- Jan 7 Llewellyn Rees, British theatre actor (A Fish Called Wanda, Invisible Creature), dies at 92
- Jan 7 Lynn Blessing, American vibes player, dies at 65
- Jan 7 Phoumi Vongvichit, President of Laos (1986-91), dies at 84
- Jan 7 Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Italian actor (Cafe Express, Octopus), dies of heart failure at 52
- Jan 8 Edward Duke, actor (Decadence, Silver Bears), dies of cancer at 40
- Jan 8 Harvey Haddix, American baseball pitcher (12 perfect inning game), dies at 68
- Jan 8 Jay Blackton, American conductor and arranger (Guys & Dolls; Oklahoma!), dies at 84
- Jan 8 Lady Caithness, wife of British undersecretary, commits suicide
- Jan 8 Pat Buttram, American actor (Mr Haney-Green Acres), dies of kidney failure at 78
- Jan 8 Sri Chandrashekhara Saraswathi, guru of Kanchi, dies at 99
- Jan 9 Silas Hogan, American blues singer and guitarist, dies at 82
- Jan 10 Charles "Chub" Feeney, American MLB executive (President of the National League), dies at 72
- Jan 10 Ien Dales, Dutch politician (Minister of Internal affairs (1989-94), dies at 62
- Jan 10 Michael Aldridge, British actor (Last of the Summer Wine, Murder in Cathedral), dies at 73
- Jan 11 Helmut Poppendick, Nazi physician, dies at 92
- Jan 11 John Bradley, United States Navy corpsman, one of six who raised flag on top of Mt. Suribachi (see Iwo Jima), dies of a stroke at 70
- Jan 11 Roger "Ram" Ramirez, American jazz piano player and composer, dies at 80
- Jan 12 Robert Horen, American stage and screen actor, dies of cancer at 68
- Jan 12 Samuel Bronston, Romanian-American film producer (El Cid), dies at 85
- Jan 13 Frederick William Sternfield, musicologist, dies at 79
- Jan 13 Johan Jørgen Holst, Norwegian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (worked on the Oslo Peace Accords), dies at 56
- Jan 14 Esther Ralston, American actress (Tin Pan Alley, San Francisco Docks), dies at 91
- Jan 14 Federica Montseny, Spanish anarchist and government Minister of Health (1936), dies at 80
- Jan 14 Zino Davidoff, Ukrainian--Swiss tobacco entrepreneur (cigars; desktop humidors), dies at 87
- Jan 15 György Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist (Chopin, Liszt), dies at 72
Harry Nilsson (1941-1994)
Jan 15 American pop and rock singer-songwriter ("Everybody's Talkin'"; "One"; "Without You"), dies of a heart attack at 52
- Jan 15 Martin Kosleck, German actor (Pursuit to Algiers; Agent for H.A.R.M.), dies at 89
- Jan 15 Philippe Brun, French jazz trumpeter, dies at 85
- Jan 16 Stephen Kritsick, veterinarian (Good Morning America), dies at 42
- Jan 17 Allan Gilbert Odell, American Ad exec (Burma Shave), dies at 90
- Jan 17 Chung Il Kwon, Prime Minister of South Korea (1964-70), dies
- Jan 17 Grady "Fats" Jackson, tenor Sax Player, dies at 66
- Jan 17 Han Jansen, Dutch journalist (Volkskrant), dies at 61
- Jan 17 Helen Stephens, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m & 4x100m relay 1936), dies at 75
- Jan 17 Klaas Peereboom, Dutch sports reporter (Het Parool), dies at 77
- Jan 17 Noël Chiboust, French jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader, dies at 84
- Jan 17 Yevgeny Ivanov, Soviet spy involved in the Profumo affair (b. 1926)
- Jan 18 Arthur Altman, American songwriter ("All Or Nothing At All"), dies at 83
- Jan 18 Torbjörn Hultcrantzn, Swedish jazz double bass player, dies at 56
- Jan 20 Aar van de Werfhorst [pseudonym for Pieter Gerhardus Jansen], Dutch writer, dies at 87
- Jan 20 Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenyan vice-pres (1963-66), dies at about 81
- Jan 20 Matt Busby, Scottish soccer forward (Manchester City, Liverpool) and manager (Manchester United 1945-69, 70–71; Scotland 1958), dies from cancer at 84
- Jan 21 Basel al-Assad, Syrian president Hafez al-Assad's son and chosen successor, dies in car accident at 31
- Jan 22 (Aristotelis) "Telly" Savalas, American actor (Kojak; On Her Majesty's Secret Service), and singer ("If"), dies of prostate cancer at 72
- Jan 22 Frances Gifford, dies of emphysema, at 71
- Jan 22 Irving B. Kahn, American inventor of the teleprompter, dies at 76
- Jan 22 Jean-Louis Barrault, French stage actor, director and producer (Les Enfants du Paradis), dies at 83
- Jan 22 Rhett Forrester, American singer (Riot) (b. 1956)
- Jan 23 Brian Redhead, English journalist and broadcaster (b. 1929)
- Jan 23 Nikolai Ogarkov, Russian marshal (Flight KAL 007), dies at 76
- Jan 23 Oliver Smith, American 7-time Tony Award-winning set designer (Guys & Dolls), dies at 75
- Jan 23 Sherry Mathis, American actress (Search for Tomorrow), dies of cancer at 44
- Jan 23 Suzanne M. Blum, French lawyer (Charlie Chaplin), dies at 95
- Jan 24 Michalis Vranopoulos, head of Greek state bank, murdered at 48
- Jan 24 Yves Navarre, French writer (Le Jardin d'acclimatation), dies at 53
- Jan 25 Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician (Regular Expressions), dies at 85
- Jan 27 Claude Akins, American character actor (B. J. and the Bear; The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo; Movin' On), dies of cancer at 67
- Jan 27 Eddie Calhoun, American jazz bassist, dies at 72
- Jan 27 Joe Mays, American character actor (Mr. Saturday Night; The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd), dies of AIDS at 45
- Jan 27 Stanley Adams, American lyricist and songwriter ("What a Diff'rence a Day Makes"), dies from cancer at 86
- Jan 28 Hal Smith, American actor (The Andy Griffith Show-Otis Campbell), dies at 77
- Jan 28 Hermanus P. "Piet" Mulder, Dutch journalist (Het Parool), dies at 79
- Jan 28 William Levitt, builder (Levittown), dies of kidney failure at 86
- Jan 29 Nick Cravat [Nicholas Cuccia], American actor (Twilight Zone - "Gremlin" in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" episode), dies of lung cancer at 82
- Jan 29 Ulrike Maier, Austrian alpine skier (World C'ship gold Super-G 1989, 91), dies of a broken neck from accident during World Cup event in Germany at 26
- Jan 29 Yevgeny Leonov, Russian actor (Gentlemen of Fortune; Mimino), dies at 67
- Jan 30 Bahjat Talhouni, Prime Minister of Jordan (1960-62, 64-65, 67-69, 69-70), dies
- Jan 30 Byron "Wild Child" Gipson, American blues singer ("Sittin' Here Cryin'"), dies at 64
- Jan 30 Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, American jazz vocalist and trumpeter (International Sweethearts of Rhythm), dies at 86
- Jan 30 Finn Arnestad, Norwegian contemporary classical composer (Ritagliata), dies at 78
- Jan 30 Jan Schaefer, Dutch undersecretary of Housing (PvdA), dies at 53
- Jan 31 Pierre Boulle, French writer (Executioner), dies at 81
