On January 12th 1926, the two-man comedy series "Sam 'n' Henry" debuted on Chicago's WGN radio station. Two years later, after changing its name to "Amos 'n' Andy," the show became one of the most popular radio programs in American history. It later, for a time, became one of the most controversial. It also lead … Continue reading January 12 1926 Amos N Andy On Chicago Radio

On January 11th 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declared the massive Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona a national monument. Though Native Americans lived in the area as early as the 13th century, the first European sighting of the canyon wasn't until 1540, by members of an expedition headed by the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de … Continue reading January 11 1908 Grand Canyon Becomes National Monument

On January 10th 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produced an enormous gusher of crude oil, coating the landscape for hundreds of feet and signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser was discovered at a depth of over 1,000 feet, flowed at an initial rate of approximately 100,000 … Continue reading January 10 1901 American Oil Industry Begins

On January 9th 1493, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, saw three "mermaids" (in reality manatees) and describes them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted." Six months earlier, Columbus (1451-1506) had set off from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, hoping to find … Continue reading January 9 1493 Columbus Mistakes Manatees For Mermaids

On January 8th 1877, Crazy Horse and his warriors, outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated weapons to defend themselves fought their final losing battle against the US Cavalry in Montana. Six months earlier, in the Battle of Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and his ally, Chief Sitting Bull, led their combined forces of … Continue reading January 8 1877 Crazy Horse Fights Last Battle

On January 7th 1789, America's first presidential election was held, when voters cast ballots to choose state electors. Only white men who owned property were allowed to vote, and as expected, George Washington won the election and was sworn into office on April 30th, 1789. As it did in 1789, the United States still uses … Continue reading January 7 1789 First US Presidential Election

On January 6th 1838, Samuel Morse's telegraph system was demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication, reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. Samuel … Continue reading January 6 1838 Samuel Morse Demonstrates Telegraph

On January 5th 1918, the formation of the German political party, "Freier Ausschuss für einen deutschen Arbeiterfrieden" took place. Translated, it means "Free Committee for a German Workers' Peace." While the name may not be of much significance by itself, it is historically significant in that it was the foundation for what would in the … Continue reading January 5 1918 Nazi Party Foundation Formed

On January 4th 1642,  King Charles I attacked Parliament in an attempt to capture five members of Parliament, which is regarded as the official beginning of the English Civil War. The Civil War, essentially fought between Parliamentary supporters and Royalists, gave rise to historically prominent figures the likes of Oliver Cromwell, King Charles I, and … Continue reading January 4 1642 First English Civil War Begins

On January 3rd 1990, Panama's General Manuel Antonio Noriega, after holing up for 10 days at the Vatican embassy in Panama City, surrendered to U.S. military troops to face charges of drug trafficking. Noriega was flown to Miami the following day and crowds of citizens on the streets of Panama City rejoiced. On July 10, … Continue reading January 3 1990 Noriega Surrenders To US

On January 2nd 1980, in a strong reaction to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter asked the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II nuclear weapons treaty and recalled the U.S. ambassador to Moscow. These actions sent a message that the age of detente and the friendlier diplomatic and economic … Continue reading January 2 1980 Jimmy Carter Postpones SALT II Nuclear Treaty

On January 1st 1959, facing a popular revolution spearheaded by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island nation. Amid celebration and chaos in the Cuban capitol of Havana, the U.S. debated how best to deal with the radical Castro and the ominous rumblings of anti-Americanism in Cuba. The U.S. … Continue reading January 1 1959 Batista Outed By Castro

On January 25th 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond was discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1 1/3 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan," it was the largest diamond ever found. Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's surface when he spotted a flash of … Continue reading January 25 1905 World’s Largest Diamond Found

On January 23rd 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company rolled out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs, now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees. The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities … Continue reading January 23 1957 Wham-O Produces First Frisbees

On January 22nd 1973, the US Supreme Court ruled in Roe v Wade that women, as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. Only during the last trimester, when the fetus can survive outside the womb, would states be permitted to regulate abortion of a healthy … Continue reading January 22 1973 Supreme Court Legalises Abortion

On January 20th 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 US captives held at the US embassy in Teheran, Iran, were released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. government had allowed … Continue reading January 20 1981 Iran Hostage Crisis Ends

On January 5th 1933, construction started on the Golden Gate Bridge, as workers began excavating 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt for the structure’s huge anchorages. Following the Gold Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Francisco Bay would increase in value in direct proportion to its accessibility to … Continue reading January 5 1933 Golden Gate Bridge Construction Begins

On January 4th 1999, for the first time since Charlemagne's reign in the ninth century, Europe had a common currency, when the "Euro" debuts as a financial unit in corporate and investment markets. Eleven European Union (EU) nations , representing some 290 million people, launched the currency in the hopes of increasing European integration and … Continue reading January 4 1999 Euro Becomes European Currency

On December 30th 1922, in post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics). Also known as the Soviet Union, the new communist state was the successor to the Russian Empire and … Continue reading December 30 1922 USSR Established

On December 23rd 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cut off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France. He later documented the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an artistic genius and his masterpieces … Continue reading December 23 1888 Van Gogh Chops Off Ear

On December 22nd 1956, a baby gorilla named Colo entered the world at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, becoming the first-ever gorilla born in captivity. Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland gorilla whose name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio. He was the daughter of Millie and Mac, two gorillas … Continue reading December 22 1956 First Gorilla Born In Captivity

On December 21st 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York exploded in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated in the cargo area when the plane was at … Continue reading December 21 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 Explodes Over Lockerbie

On December 15th 1916, the French defeated the Germans in the World War I Battle of Verdun. The Battle of Verdun, was recorded as being fought from 21 February to 19 December 1916 around the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in northeast France. It was one of the most important battles in World War I on the … Continue reading December 15 1916 Battle of Verdun

On December 14th 1503, Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), one of the world's most famous publishers of prophecies, was born. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death and has always … Continue reading December 14 1503 Birth Of Nostradamus