1506 – The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrive at the Vatican.
1689 – The Convention Parliament convenes to determine whether James II and VII, the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Ireland and Scotland, had vacated the thrones when he fled to France in 1688.
1788 – Lord Byron, English poet (d. 1824) was born.
1863 – The January Uprising breaks out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The aim of the national movement is to regain Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation by Russia.
1869 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian monk and confidant of Russian Tsar Nicholas II (d. 1916) Birthed
1877 – Arthur Tooth, an Anglican clergyman is taken into custody after being prosecuted for using ritualist practices.
1889 – Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, D.C.
1890 – The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, Ohio.
1900 – David Edward Hughes, Welsh-American physicist, co-invented the microphone (b. 1831) died.
1901 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (b. 1819) died.
1901 – Edward VII is proclaimed King after the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
1905 – In St Petersburg, Russia, a large demonstration of workers led by Father Gapon, march to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar; troops fire on protesters in what becomes known as ‘Bloody Sunday’
1916 – National Board of Censorship made up of film fans representing movie studios that served as an industry watchdog to help studios avoid government censorship, says it will not accept nudity in films.
1917 – World War I: President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States calls for “peace without victory” in Europe.
1920 – Home Meal Planning classes were planned by the Red Cross in Pennsylvania. This was a series of eight sessions run by a dietician from a state college.
1925 – International radio has not become yet a reality as of this date. However, plans were in the making at this time to further able allow Americans to hear broadcasts from London, Paris, and Berlin.
1931 – Sam Cooke, American singer (d. 1964) Born
1932 – Piper Laurie, [Rosetta Jacobs], actress (Twin Peaks), born in Detroit, Michigan born
1934 – Bill Bixby, actor (Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian, Courtship of Eddies father), born in San Francisco, California – Born
1940 – John Hurt, England, actor (Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express, 1984) Born
1944 – World War II: The Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio, Italy.
1946 – US president Truman sets up CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
1947 – KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood, California.
1949 – Phil Miller, English guitarist (National Health, In Cahoots, Matching Mole, and Hatfield and the North) was born
1949 – Steve Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer (Journey) was born.
1956 – Steve Riley, American drummer (L.A. Guns, W.A.S.P., Keel, and Steppenwolf) was born.
1957 – Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.
1957 – The New York City “Mad Bomber”, George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and is charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
1959 – Linda Blair, American actress was born.
1960 – Michael Hutchence, Australian singer-songwriter and actor (INXS and Max Q) (d. 1997) was born.
1962 – The Organization of American States suspends Cuba’s membership.
1962 – Jimmy Herring, American guitarist (Widespread Panic) was born.
1965 – Steven Adler, American drummer and songwriter (Guns N’ Roses, Adler’s Appetite, Hollywood Rose, and Road Crew) was born.
1965 – DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ, producer, and actor (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince) was born.
1965 – Diane Lane, American actress (The Perfect Storm, Lady Beware, Lonesome Dove), born in NYC, New York – Born
1965 – Ray Mayhew, rocker (Sigue Sigue Sputnik-Love Missile F-111) Born
1968 – Operation Igloo White, a US electronic surveillance system to stop communist infiltration into South Vietnam begins installation.
1968 – U.S. Senator Monroney had introduced a plan to create a bill which would ban all tolls within the U.S. Interstate Highway System. This bill was also introduced to discourage new turnpikes from being to this U.S. highway network.
1969 – Olivia d’Abo, English actress Born
1971 – The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued.
1971 – Harry Frank Guggenheim, American businessman and publisher, co-founded Newsday (b. 1890) died
1971 – John Lennon & Yoko Ono record “Power to the People”
1973 – Lyndon B. Johnson, American politician, 36th President of the United States (b. 1908) died.(and went straight to HELL)
1973 – George Foreman TKOs Joe Frazier in 2 for heavyweight boxing title
1973 – The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
1977 – President Carter granted a complete and unconditional pardon today to all Vietnam draft dodgers
1981 – Ben Moody, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (Evanescence and We Are the Fallen) was born.
1984 – The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during Super Bowl XVIII with its famous “1984” television commercial.
1986 – Daniel Wayne Smith, American son of Anna Nicole Smith (d. 2006) was born.
1987 – Ray Rice, American football player was birthed
1990 – Robert Tappan Morris is convicted of releasing the 1988 Internet Computer worm.
1990 – President Mikhail Gorbachev sends Red Troops into the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan
1992 – The UN has ordered Libya to surrender intelligence agents accused of the Lockerbie and French airliner bombings or sanctions will be imposed against Libya
1994 – Telly Savalas, American actor (Kojak), dies of prostate cancer at 72
1995 – Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of pres JFK, RFK, & Ted, dies at 104
1995 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Beit Lid massacre – In central Israel, near Netanya, two suicide bombers from the Gaza Strip blow themselves up at a military transit point killing 19 Israelis.
2001 – The British government launches pro-vaccine campaign
2002 – Kmart Corp becomes the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
2003 – Last successful contact with the spacecraft Pioneer 10, one of the most distant man-made objects.
2006 – Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country’s first indigenous president.
2006 – Kobe Bryant scores a career-high 81 points in a victory against the Toronto Raptors, the second most in NBA history in one single game
2008 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor, Batman, The Patriot… (b. 1979) Dies of “Overdose”
2009 – Following a minor mistake during the first oath-taking yesterday, President Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday’s ceremony. ( The Oath was done behind closed doors in the Map Room of the White House ).
2010 – Conan O’Brien’s last Tonight Show episode after a big controversy over the Tonight Show timeslot.
2012 – Joe Paterno, American College Hall of Fame football coach, dies from lung cancer at 85
2013 – The Bank of Japan doubles its inflation target to 2% and announces open-ended asset purchases for 2014 in the hope of ending deflation
2014 – Water vapour is detected on the dwarf planet Ceres