What happened on January 24? There are more than 258 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About January 24
January 24 is the 24th day of the year 2024. There are 342 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday. This day falls under the 4th week of the year 2024.
On this day in Penn, Pennsylvania 17786 sunrise occured at 07:23 AM and sunset occured at 05:14 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Aquarius. The modern birthstone for this month is Garnet while the mystical birthstone is Emerald.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 17 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (February 10, 2024).
Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 22 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)
Historical Events For January 24
- 41Roman Emperor Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. The Guard then proclaims Caligula’s uncle Claudius as Emperor
- 1438The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa.
- 1679King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament.
- 1742Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1817Crossing of the Andes: Many soldiers of Juan Gregorio de las Heras were captured during the Action of Picheuta.
- 1848California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento.
- 1857The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully-fledged university in south Asia.
- 1859Political union of Moldavia and Wallachia; Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler.
- 1862Bucharest is proclaimed capital of Romania.
- 1878The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of Saint Petersburg.
- 1916In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
- 1918The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People’s Commissars effective February 14(NS)
- 1939The deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán.
- 1942World War II: The Allies bombard Bangkok, leading Thailand to declare war against the United States and United Kingdom.
- 1943World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
- 1947Greek banker Dimitrios Maximos becomes Prime Minister of Greece.
- 1955New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Wood Sheep in Chinese astrology.
- 1960Algerian War: Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the “barricades week”, during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
- 19611961 Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost.
- 1966An Air India Boeing 707 jet crashes on Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, killing 117.
- 1972Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
- 1977Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy.
- 1978Soviet satellite Cosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor onboard, burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada’s Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.
- 1984The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
- 1986Voyager 2 passes within 81500 km of Uranus.
- 1990Japan launches Hiten, the country’s first lunar probe, the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than Soviet Union or the United States.
- 1993Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara.
- 1996Polish Premier Józef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
- 2003The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
- 2009The storm Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux, France. It subsequently would cause 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
- 2011At least 35 died and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport.
Who Were Born On January 24?
- 3 BCGalba, Roman Emperor (d. 69)
- 76Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138)
- 1287Richard Aungerville, English bishop (d. 1345)
- 1444Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1476)
- 1540Edmund Campion, English Jesuit (d. 1581)
- 1638Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet (d. 1706)
- 1670William Congreve, English playwright (d. 1729)
- 1674Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d. 1735)
- 1679Christian Wolff, German philosopher (d. 1754)
- 1705Farinelli, Italian castrato (d. 1782)
- 1712King Frederick II of Prussia (d. 1786)
- 1724Frances Brooke, English writer (d. 1789)
- 1732Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d. 1799)
- 1742Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (d. 1808)
- 1746King Gustav III of Sweden (d. 1792)
- 1752Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (d. 1832)
- 1754Andrew Ellicott, American surveyor (d. 1820)
- 1763Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, Russian general (d. 1831)
- 1776E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer (d. 1822)
- 1779Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeievna (d. 1826)
- 1848Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d. 1916)
- 1862Edith Wharton, American writer (d. 1937)
- 1864Marguerite Durand, French suffragette (d. 1936)
- 1872Ethel Turner, Australian author (d. 1958)
- 1872Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d. 1943)
- 1886Henry King, American film director (d. 1982)
- 1888Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1958)
- 1888Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d. 1960)
- 1891Walter Model, German field marshal (d. 1945)
- 1895Eugen Roth, German writer (d. 1976)
- 1898Cliff Heathcote, American baseball player (d. 1939)
- 1900Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian-born American geneticist and biologist (d. 1975)
- 1901Edward Turner, English motorcycle designer (d. 1973)
- 1901Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
- 1902E. A. Speiser, American biblical scholar (d. 1965)
- 1905J. Howard Marshall, American billionaire (d. 1995)
- 1907Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician (d. 1999)
- 1909Ann Todd, English actress (d. 1993)
- 1909Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (d. 2005)
- 1910Doris Haddock, American political activist (d. 2010)
- 1911Muir Mathieson, Scottish conductor and composer (d. 1975)
- 1913Norman Dello Joio, American composer (d. 2008)
- 1915Robert Motherwell, American painter (d. 1991)
- 1916Arnoldo Foà, Italian actor
- 1916Jack Brickhouse, American sports broadcaster (d. 1998)
- 1916Rafael Caldera, President of Venezuela (d. 2009)
- 1917Ernest Borgnine, American actor
- 1918Oral Roberts, American evangelist (d. 2009)
- 1919Coleman Francis, American film director (d. 1973)
- 1920Jerry Maren, American actor
- 1922Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (d. 2005)
- 1923Vlado Kristl, Croatian painter and filmmaker (d. 2004)
- 1925Maria Tallchief, American ballerina
- 1926Georges Lautner, French director and screenwriter
- 1927Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet, British aristocrat (d. 2007)
- 1928Desmond Morris, British anthropologist
- 1928Michel Serrault, French actor (d. 2007)
- 1930Bernard Matthews, British poultry industry figure (d. 2010)
- 1934Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet (d. 1976)
- 1935Eric Ashton, English rugby league footballer (d. 2008)
- 1936Bobby Wellins, Scottish jazz saxophonist
- 1936Doug Kershaw, American musician
- 1936William Bogert, American actor
- 1939Ray Stevens, American musician
- 1941Aaron Neville, American singer
- 1941Neil Diamond, American singer
- 1942Gary Hart, American professional wrestling figure (d. 2008)
- 1943Peter Struck, German politician
- 1943Sharon Tate, American actress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
- 1943Subhash Ghai, Indian film director
- 1944Klaus Nomi, German singer (d. 1983)
- 1945D. Todd Christofferson, American religious figure
- 1945John Garamendi, American politician
- 1946Haji, Canadian actress
- 1946Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
- 1947Masashi Ozaki, Japanese golfer
- 1947Michio Kaku, Japanese-born American theoretical physicist
- 1947Warren Zevon, American musician (d. 2003)
- 1948Michael Des Barres, British actor and rock singer
- 1949John Belushi, American actor (d. 1982)
- 1950Benjamin Urrutia, Ecuadorian-born American writer
- 1950Daniel Auteuil, French actor
- 1950Gennifer Flowers, American actress, political figure
- 1951Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-born American comedian
- 1953Tim Stoddard, American baseball player
- 1954Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (d. 1986)
- 1955Jim Montgomery, American swimmer
- 1956Hanne Krogh, Norwegian singer (Bobbysocks)
- 1956Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berber Kabyle singer (d. 1998)
- 1957Adrian Edmondson, English comedian
- 1957Mark Eaton, American basketball player
- 1958Jools Holland, English musician
- 1958Neil Allen, American baseball player
- 1959David Mills, American author
- 1959Vic Reeves, English comedian
- 1960Jack Neo, Singaporean filmmaker & actor
- 1960Rick Leventhal, American journalist
- 1961Guido Buchwald, German football player
- 1961Nastassja Kinski, German-born actress
- 1961Vince Russo, American writer
- 1961William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete
- 1962Argiris Kambouris, Greek basketball player
- 1963Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
- 1963Martyn Grimley, English field hockey player
- 1965Carlos Saldanha, Brazilian film director
- 1965Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
- 1966Jimeoin, Northern Irish comedian
- 1967John Myung, American musician (Dream Theater)
- 1967Mark Kozelek, American singer/songwriter (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon)
- 1967Phil LaMarr, American actor,comedian,and voice actor
- 1968Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
- 1968Michael Kiske, German musician
- 1969Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Icelandic actor
- 1970Matthew Lillard, American actor
- 1971Andrea Mackris, American television producer
- 1971Cory Bailey, American baseball player
- 1972Daan Schuurmans, Dutch actor
- 1972Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
- 1972Ulla Werbrouck, Belgian judoka and politician
- 1974Adam Dean, American philosopher
- 1974Ed Helms, American actor
- 1975Isobel Cooper, English singer
- 1975Rónald Gómez, Costa Rican footballer
- 1976Cindy Pieters, Belgian cyclist
- 1976Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer
- 1977Kensuke Kita, Japanese guitarist (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)
- 1979Leandro Desábato, Argentine footballer
- 1979Tatyana Ali, American actress and singer
- 1979Tom Kostopoulos, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980Nicole Marie Lenz, American actress
- 1980Rocky Boiman, American football player
- 1981Michael Wolf, German ice hockey player
- 1981Travis Hanson, American baseball player
- 1982Fiona Xie, Singaporean actress
- 1983Diane Birch, American singer/songwriter/pianist
- 1983Scott Speed, American race car driver
- 1983Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
- 1983Wyatt Crockett, New Zealand rugby player
- 1984Paulo Sérgio, Portuguese footballer
- 1984Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
- 1984Witold Kiełtyka, Polish drummer (Decapitated) (d. 2007)
- 1986Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
- 1986Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born American actor
- 1986Vieirinha, Portuguese footballer, currently plays for Wolfsburg
- 1987Luis Suárez, Uruguayan footballer
- 1988Jade Ewen, English singer
- 1989Calvin Goldspink, English singer/actor (S Club 8, S Club Juniors, I Dream)
- 1990Mao Abe, Japanese singer-songwriter
- 1995Callan McAuliffe, Australian actor
- 1997Dylan Riley Snyder, American film, television and theatre actor
Who Died On January 24?
- 41Caligula, Emperor of Rome (b. 12)
- 772Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
- 1002Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 980)
- 1125David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
- 1366Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
- 1376Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English military leader
- 1473Conrad Paumann, German composer
- 1595Ferdinand II of Austria (b. 1529)
- 1626Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (b. 1580)
- 1639Georg Jenatsch, Swiss politician (b. 1596)
- 1666Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer (b. 1588)
- 1709George Rooke, English admiral (b. 1650)
- 1769François de Chevert, French general (b. 1695)
- 1856Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir, Polish Hasidic leader (b. 1775)
- 1877Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (b. 1796)
- 1882Levi Boone, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1808)
- 1883Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
- 1895Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician (b. 1849)
- 1911David Graham Phillips, American journalist and novelist (b. 1867)
- 1918George Arthur Crump, Founder of the Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon NJ (b. 1871)
- 1920Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
- 1924Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1894)
- 1932Alfred Yarrow, English shipbuilder (b. 1842)
- 1936Harry T. Morey, American actor (b. 1873)
- 1939Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (b. 1867)
- 1943John Burns, English politician (b. 1858)
- 1948Maria Mandel, Camp Leader at Auschwitz (b. 1912)
- 1955Ira Hayes, American World War II hero (b. 1923)
- 1960Arthur Murray Chisholm, author of Western fiction (b. 1872)
- 1960Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
- 1961Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American pole vaulter and inventor (b. 1884)
- 1962André Lhote, French painter (b. 1885)
- 1962Stanley Lord, captain of the SS Californian the night of the Titanic disaster (b. 1877)
- 1965Winston Churchill, soldier, politician, historian, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Nobel laureate (b. 1874)
- 1966Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist (b. 1909)
- 1970Caresse Crosby, American poet (b. 1891)
- 1971William Griffith “Bill” Wilson, American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
- 1973J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b. 1897)
- 1973Masao Ohba, world champion Japanese boxer (b. 1949)
- 1975Larry Fine, American actor and comedian (b. 1902)
- 1978Herta Oberheuser, German doctor (b. 1911)
- 1980Lil Dagover, Dutch-born German actress (b. 1887)
- 1982Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president and dictator (b. 1918)
- 1983George Cukor, American film director (b. 1899)
- 1986Flo Hyman, American volleyball player (b. 1954)
- 1986Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
- 1986L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b. 1911)
- 1988Werner Fenchel, German mathematician (b. 1905)
- 1989George Knudson, Canadian golfer (b. 1937)
- 1989Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
- 1990Madge Bellamy, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1991John M. Kelly, Irish politician and academic (b. 1931)
- 1992Ken Darby, American composer, arranger and conductor (b. 1909)
- 1992Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (b. 1950)
- 1993Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1908)
- 1993Uğur Mumcu, Turkish journalist and writer (b. 1942)
- 1994Yves Navarre, French writer (b. 1940)
- 1998Walter D. Edmonds, American author (b. 1903)
- 2000Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
- 2002Elie Hobeika, Lebanese Forces militia commander (b. 1956)
- 2002Peter Gzowski, Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter (b. 1934)
- 2003Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (b. 1921)
- 2004Leônidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1913)
- 2005Chalkie White, English rugby union coach (b. 1929)
- 2005June Bronhill, Australian singer (b. 1929)
- 2005Vladimir Savchenko, Ukrainian writer (b. 1933)
- 2006Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
- 2006Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of The Nicholas Brothers (b. 1914)
- 2006Schafik Handal, Salvadoran politician (b. 1930)
- 2007Emiliano Mercado del Toro, World’s oldest military veteran (b. 1891)
- 2007Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1956)
- 2007Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b. 1916)
- 2008Randy Salerno, co-anchor of Chicago’s CBS 2 News (b. 1963)
- 2009Gérard Blanc, French singer (b. 1947)
- 2009Kay Yow, North Carolina State Univ. women’s basketball head coach (b. 1942)
- 2009Reg Gutteridge, British boxing journalist (b. 1924)
- 2010Pernell Roberts, American actor & singer, last surviving star of Bonanza (b. 1928)
- 2011Bernd Eichinger, German film producer and director (b. 1949)
- 2011Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Indian Musician, Bharat Ratna Laureate (b. 1922)
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