January 24 : Roman Empire - 1st day of Sementivae

Genial.Soul · Fun Addict Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 641 Gender:

January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 341 days remaining until the end of the year (342 in leap years).

Events

41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. Claudius succeeds his nephew.
1438 - The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa.
1679 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament.
1742 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1776 - Henry Knox arrives at Cambridge, Massachusetts with the artillery that he has transported from Fort Ticonderoga.
1826 - Mississippi College is founded in Clinton, becoming the first college in the state of Mississippi.
1848 - California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento.
1857 - The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first full-fledged university in south Asia.
1859 - Political union of Moldavia and Wallachia; Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler.
1862 - Bucharest proclaimed capital of Romania.
1878 - The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of Saint Petersburg.
1887 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians.
1907 - Robert Baden-Powell founds the Boy Scout movement.
1916 - In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
1918 - The Gregorian calendar introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars effective from February 14(NS)
1924 - Petrograd, formerly St. Petersburg, Russia, is renamed Leningrad.
1927 - Director Alfred Hitchcock releases his first film, The Pleasure Garden, in England.
1935 - The first cans of beer are sold in the US (Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale).
1936 - Albert Sarraut becomes Prime Minister of France
1943 - World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
1952 - Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor-General of Canada.
1966 - An Air India Boeing 707 jet crashes on Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, killing 117.
1972 - Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
1977 - Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy.
1978 - Soviet satellite Cosmos 954 burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering debris over Canada's Northwest Territories.
1978 - Rose Dugdale and Eddie Gallagher become the first convicted prisoners to marry in prison in the history of the Republic of Ireland.
1984 - The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
1986 - Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 km (50,680 miles) of Uranus.
1986 - Wapping dispute: Newspaper workers in London launch ultimately unsuccessful strike against Rupert Murdoch's News International.
1993 - Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara
1996 - Polish Premier Jozef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
2003 - The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.

Births

76 - Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138)
1287 - Richard Aungerville, English bishop (d. 1345)
1444 - Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1476)
1540 - Edmund Campion, English Jesuit (d. 1581)
1638 - Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet (d. 1706)
1670 - William Congreve, English playwright (d. 1729)
1674 - Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d. 1735)
1679 - Christian Wolff, German philosopher (d. 1754)
1705 - Farinelli, Italian castrato (d. 1782)
1712 - King Frederick II of Prussia (d. 1786)
1724 - Frances Brooke, English writer (d. 1789)
1732 - Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d. 1799)
1742 - Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (d. 1808)
1752 - Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (d. 1832)
1754 - Andrew Ellicott, American surveyor (d. 1820)
1763 - Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, Russian general (d. 1831)
1776 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer (d. 1822)
1779 - Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden), Russian tsarina (d. 1826)
1848 - Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d. 1916)
1862 - Edith Wharton, American writer (d. 1937)
1864 - Marguerite Durand, French feminist leader (d. 1936)
1872 - Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d. 1943)
1873 - Leon Czolgosz, American anarchist, assassin of U.S. President William McKinley (d. 1901)
1886 - Henry King, American film director (d. 1982
1888 - Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d. 1960)
1888 - Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1958)
1891 - Walter Model, German field marshal (d. 1945)
1895 - Eugen Roth, German writer (d. 1976)
1898 - Cliff Heathcote, American baseball player (d. 1939)
1901 - Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
1902 - E. A. Speiser, American Bible scholar (d. 1965)
1905 - J. Howard Marshall, American billionaire (d. 1995)
1907 - Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician (d. 1999)
1909 - Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (d. 2005)
1909 - Ann Todd, English actress (d. 1993)
1913 - Norman Dello Joio, American composer
1915 - Robert Motherwell, American painter (d. 1991)
1916 - Jack Brickhouse, American sports broadcaster (d. 1998)
1917 - Ernest Borgnine, American actor
1918 - Oral Roberts, American evangelist
1919 - Coleman Francis, American film director
1922 - Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (d. 2005)
1925 - Maria Tallchief, American ballerina
1926 - Georges Lautner, French director and screenwriter
1927 - Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet, British aristocrat (d. 2007)
1928 - Desmond Morris, British anthropologist
1928 - Michel Serrault, French actor (d. 2007)
1934 - Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet (d. 1976)
1936 - Doug Kershaw, American musician
1939 - Ray Stevens, American musician
1941 - Neil Diamond, American singer
1941 - Aaron Neville, American singer
1943 - Subhash Ghai, Indian film director
1943 - Sharon Tate, American actress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
1944 - Klaus Nomi, German singer (d. 1983)
1945 - John Garamendi, American politician
1946 - Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
1947 - Warren Zevon, American musician (d. 2003)
1947 - Masashi Ozaki, Japanese golfer
1949 - John Belushi, American actor (d. 1982)
1950 - Gerald Brisco, American professional wrestler
1950 - Benjamin Urrutia, Ecuadorian writer
1950 - Daniel Auteuil, French actor
1951 - Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-born American comedian
1954 - Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (d. 1986)
1956 - Hanne Krogh, Norwegian singer (Bobbysocks)
1957 - Adrian Edmondson, British comedian
1958 - Neil Allen, American baseball player
1958 - Jools Holland, British musician
1959 - Vic Reeves, English comedian
1959 - David Mills, American author
1961 - Nastassja Kinski, German-born actress
1961 - Vince Russo, American writer
1963 - Martyn Grimley, English field hockey player
1963 - Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
1965 - Carlos Saldanha, Brazilian director
1965 - Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
1966 - Jimeoin, Northern Irish comedian
1967 - Mark Kozelek, American singer/songwriter (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon)
1967 - Phil LaMarr, American voice actor
1967 - John Myung, American musician (Dream Theater)
1968 - Michael Kiske, German musician
1968 - Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
1969 - Hilmir SnÃ¦r GuÃ°nason, Icelandic actor
1970 - Matthew Lillard, American actor
1971 - Cory Bailey, American baseball player
1971 - Andrea Mackris, American television producer
1972 - Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
1974 - Shii Ann Huang, American game show contestant
1974 - Ed Helms, American actor
1975 - RÃ³nald GÃ³mez, Costa Rican footballer
1976 - Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer with Victor Kraatz
1979 - Tatyana Ali, American actress
1979 - Tom Kostopoulos, Canadian ice hockey player
1980 - Nicole Marie Lenz, American actress
1981 - Travis Hanson, American baseball player
1983 - Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
1983 - Scott Speed, American race car driver
1984 - BenoÃ®t Huot, Quebec paralympic swimmer
1984 - Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
1984 - Witold Kiełtyka, Polish drummer (Decapitated) (d. 2007)
1986 - Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
1986 - Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born American actor
1989 - Calvin Goldspink, English singer

Deaths

41 - Caligula, Emperor of Rome (b. 12)
772 - Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
1002 - Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 980)
1125 - David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
1366 - Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
1376 - Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English military leader
1473 - Conrad Paumann, German composer
1595 - Ferdinand II of Austria (b. 1529)
1626 - Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (b. 1580)
1639 - Georg Jenatsch, Swiss politician (b. 1596)
1666 - Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer (b. 1588)
1709 - George Rooke, English admiral (b. 1650)
1769 - FranÃ§ois de Chevert, French general (b. 1695)
1856 - Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir, Polish Hasidic leader (b. 1775)
1877 - Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (b. 1796)
1882 - Levi Boone, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1808)
1883 - Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
1895 - Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician (b. 1849)
1911 - David Graham Phillips, American journalist and novelist (b. 1867)
1920 - Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
1932 - Alfred Yarrow, English shipbuilder (b. 1842)
1939 - Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (b. 1867)
1943 - John Burns, English politician (b. 1858)
1948 - Maria Mandel, Camp Leader at Auschwitz (b. 1912)
1948 - Arthur Liebehenschel, Commandant at Auschwitz concentration camp (b. 1901)
1955 - Ira Hayes, American World War II hero (b. 1923)
1960 - Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
1961 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American swimmer and inventor (b. 1884)
1962 - Stanley Lord, captain of the SS Californian the night of the Titanic disaster (b. 1877)
1965 - Winston Churchill, soldier, politician, historian, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Nobel laureate (b. 1874)
1966 - Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist (b. 1909)
1970 - Caresse Crosby, American poet (b. 1891)
1971 - Bill W., American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
1973 - J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b. 1897)
1975 - Larry Fine, American actor and comedian (b. 1902)
1978 - Herta Oberheuser, German doctor (b. 1911)
1982 - Alfredo Ovando CandÃa, Bolivian president and dictator (b. 1918)
1983 - George Cukor, American film director (b. 1899)
1986 - L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b. 1911)
1986 - Flo Hyman, American volleyball player (b. 1954)
1986 - Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
1988 - Werner Fenchel, German mathematician (b. 1905)
1989 - Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
1989 - George Knudson, Canadian golfer (b. 1937)
1990 - Madge Bellamy, American actress (b. 1899)
1991 - John M. Kelly, Irish politician and academic (b. 1931)
1992 - Ken Darby, American composer, arranger and conductor (b. 1909)
1992 - Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (b. 1950)
1993 - Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1908)
1994 - Yves Navarre, French writer (b. 1940)
1998 - Walter D. Edmonds, American author (b. 1903)
2000 - Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
2002 - Peter Gzowski, Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter (b. 1934)
2002 - Elie Hobeika, Lebanese Forces militia commander (b. 1956)
2003 - Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (b. 1921)
2004 - LeÃ´nidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1913)
2005 - June Bronhill, Australian singer (b. 1929)
2005 - Vladimir Savchenko, Ukrainian writer (b. 1933)
2005 - Chalkie White, English rugby union coach (b. 1929)
2006 - Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of The Nicholas Brothers (b. 1914)
2006 - Schafik Handal, Salvadorean politician
2006 - Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
2007 - Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b. 1920)
2007 - Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1956)
2007 - Emiliano Mercado del Toro, World's Oldest Military Veteran (b. 1891)

Holidays and observances

Roman Empire - first day of the Sementivae in honor of Ceres and Terra
Roman Catholic Church - Feasts of St. Francis de Sales and Our Lady of Peace
January 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Wales - Saint Cadoc