1643 – Abel Tasman became the first European to reach Tonga on the 21st January 1643.

1749 – The Verona Philharmonic Theatre was destroyed by fire on the 21st January 1749. It was rebuilt in 1754.

1789 – The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth, was printed in Boston, Massachusetts on the 21st January 1789.

1820 – Joseph Wolf the German illustrator was born on the 21st January 1820 (died 1899).

1824 – Stonewall Jackson the American general was born on the 21st January 1824 (died 1863).

1840 – Jules Dumont d’Urville discovered Adélie Land in Antarctica on the 21st January 1840.

1887 – 465 millimetres (18.3 inches) of rain fell in Brisbane on the 21st January 1887, becoming a record for any Australian capital city.

1899 – Opel manufactured its 1st automobile on the 21st January 1899.

1905 – Christian Dior the French fashion designer and founder of Christian Dior S.A. was born on the 21st January 1905 (died 1957).

1905 – Karl Wallenda the German acrobat was born on the 21st January 1905 (died 1978).

1911 – The 1st Monte Carlo Rally took place on the 21st January 1911.

1915 – Kiwanis International was founded in Detroit, Michigan on the 21st January 1915.

1922 – Telly Savalas the American actor was born on the 21st January 1922 (died 1994).

1924 – Benny Hill the English actor was born on the 21st January 1924 (died 1992).

1925 – Albania declared itself a republic on the 21st January 1925.

1938 – Wolfman Jack the American radio host and actor was born on the 21st January 1938 (died 1995).

1941 – Mike Medavoy the Chinese-American film producer and co-founder of Orion Pictures was born on the 21st January 1941.

1942 ~ Martin Sharp the Australian artist, underground cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker was born in Bellevue Hill, New South Wales on the 21st January 1942 (died 1st December 2013 aged 71). Martin Sharp was known as Australia’s foremost pop artist. Martin Sharp’s psychedelic posters of Bob Dylan, Donovan and others are ranked as classics of the genre. His covers, cartoons and illustrations were a main feature of Oz magazine. Martin Sharp co-wrote Cream‘s Tales of Brave Ulysses song, and created the cover art for Cream’s Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire albums. In the 1970s Martin Sharp became a champion of singer Tiny Tim, and Sydney’s Luna Park. Martin Sharp Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-Sharp | YouTube video: 7News: Cartoonist Martin Sharp has died….

1948 – The Flag of Quebec was adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec on the 21st January 1948. The day was marked annually as Quebec Flag Day.

1950 – Billy Ocean the Trinidadian-English singer-songwriter was born on the 21st January 1950.

1953 – Paul Allen the American businessman and co-founder of Microsoft was born on the 21st January 1953.

1954 – The 1st nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched on the 21st January 1954, in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.

1955 – Jeff Koons the American sculptor was born on the 21st January 1955.

1956 – Geena Davis the American actress was born on the 21st January 1956.

1966 – Robert Del Naja the English singer-songwriter  from Massive Attack and DJ was born on the 21st January 1966.

1968 – Charlotte Ross the American actress was born on the 21st January 1968.

1971 – The current Emley Moor transmitting station, known as the tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, began transmitting UHF broadcasts on the 21st January 1971.

1974 – Rove McManus the Australian comedian, television host, and producer was born on the 21st January 1974.

1976 – Emma Bunton the English singer-songwriter from the Spice Girls was born on the 21st January 1976.

1976 – Commercial service of Concorde began with the London-Bahrain & Paris-Rio routes on the 21st January 1976.

1977 – President Jimmy Carter pardoned nearly all American Vietnam War draft evaders on the 21st January 1977.

1981 – Production of the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 sports car began on the 21st January 1981 in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.

1985 – The public celebration of the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan to a 2nd term, was moved indoors because of freezing temperatures and high winds on the 21st January 1985. The parade was cancelled altogether, after already postponed a day because January 20 fell on a Sunday.

1994 ~ Marny Kennedy the Australian actress was born on the 21st January 1994, and grew up in Melton, Victoria. Marny Kennedy is best known for her roles as Taylor Fry in Mortified, and Veronica diAngelo (No.2) on The Saddle Club, and Ally Henson in A_gURLs_wURLd.

1999 – The United States Coast Guard intercepted a ship with over 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board on the 21st January 1999, making it one of the largest drug busts in American history during the War on Drugs.

2003 – A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Mexican state of Colima on the 21st January 2003, killing 29 people while leaving about 10,000 people homeless.

2004 – NASA‘s MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceased communication with mission control on the 21st January 2004. The problem was in the management of its flash memory and was fixed remotely from Earth on the 6th February.

2008 – Black Monday in worldwide stock markets was on the 21st January 2008, when the FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall. European stocks closed with their worst result since September 11 in 2001, and Asian stocks drop as much as 14%.

Today in History for the 21st January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1896 – George Burns the American actor was born on the 20th January 1896 (d. 1996).

1929 – In Old Arizona the first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors, was released on the 20th January 1929.

1930 – Buzz Aldrin the American pilot and astronaut was born on the 20th January 1930.

1933 – Ronald Townson the American singer from The 5th Dimension was born on the 20th January 1933 (d. 2001).

1934 – Fujifilm the photographic and electronics company was founded on the 20th January 1934, in Tokyo, Japan.

1945 – Eric Stewart the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from 10cc was born on the 20th January 1945.

1946 – David Lynch the American director was born on the 20th January 1946.

1950 – Liza Goddard the English actress was born on the 20th January 1950. Liza is best remembered for her role as Clarissa “Clancy” Merrick in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. YouTube video: Liza Goddard’s Second ‘Skippy’ Episode…

1952 – Paul Stanley the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Kiss was born on the 20th January 1952.

1984 ~ Bonnie McKee the award-winning American singer, songwriter, and actress was born on the 20th January 1984. YouTube video: American Girl (2013)..

1985 – Ronald Reagan was sworn in as U.S. President for the 2nd time on the 20th January 1985, in a private ceremony at the White House.

2009 – Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 1st black President of the United States on the 20th January 2009.

Today in History for the 20th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1788 – The 2nd group of ships of the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay on the 19th January 1788.

1809 – Edgar Allan Poe the American author and poet was born on the 19th January 1809 (died 1849).

1813 – Henry Bessemer the English engineer and businessman was born on the 19th January 1813 (died 1898).

1839 – Paul Cézanne the French painter was born on the 19th January 1839 (died 1906).

1883 – The 1st electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, began service at Roselle, New Jersey on the 19th January 1883.

1915 – Georges Claude patented the neon discharge tube for use in advertising on the 19th January 1915.

1920 – The United States Senate voted against joining the League of Nations on the 19th January 1920.

1935 – Coopers Inc. sold the world’s first briefs on the 19th January 1935.

1935 ~ Johnny O’Keefe the Australian singer-songwriter was born on the 19th January 1935 (died 6 October 1978 aged 43).

1937 – Howard Hughes set a new air record on the 19th January 1937, by flying from Los Angeles, California to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.

1939 – Phil Everly the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from The Everly Brothers was born on the 19th January 1939.

1942 – Michael Crawford the English actor and singer was born on the 19th January 1942.

1943 – Janis Joplin the American singer-songwriter was born on the 19th January 1943 (died 1970).

1943 – Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born on the 19th January 1943.

1946 – Dolly Parton the American singer-songwriter and actress was born on the 19th January 1946.

1949 – Robert Palmer the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from the Power Station was born on the 19th January 1949 (died 2003).

1953 – 71.7% of all television sets in the United States were tuned in to I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth on the 19th January 1953.

1958 – Thomas Kinkade the American painter was born on the 19th January 1958 (died 2012).

1968 – Whitfield Crane the American singer-songwriter from Ugly Kid Joe was born on the 19th January 1968.

1969 – Luc Longley, Australian basketball player

1977 – Snow fell in Miami, Florida on the 19th January 1977, making it the only time in the history of the city that snow had fallen. Snow also fell in the Bahamas on the same day.

1978 – The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany left VW’s plant in Emden on the 19th January 1978. Beetle production continued in Latin America until 2003.

1980 – Jenson Button the English race car driver was born on the 19th January 1980.

1982 – Jodie Sweetin the American actress was born on the 19th January 1982.

1983 – The Apple Lisa, the 1st commercial personal computer from Apple Inc. to have a graphical user interface and a computer mouse, was announced on the 19th January 1983.

1986 – The first IBM PC computer virus was released into the wild on the 19th January 1986. A boot sector virus dubbed (c)Brain was created by the Farooq Alvi Brothers in Lahore, Pakistan, reportedly to deter piracy of the software they had written.

2006 – The New Horizons probe was launched by NASA on the first mission to Pluto on the 19th January 2006.

Today in History for the 19th January video produced by Associated Press  Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1778 – James Cook was the first known European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he named the “Sandwich Islands” on the 18th January 1778.

1788 – The first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia arrived at Botany Bay on the 18th January 1788.

1849 – Edmund Barton the Australian politician, judge and 1st Prime Minister of Australia was born on the 18th January 1949 (ded 1920).

1866 – Wesley College in Melbourne was established on the 18th January 1866.

1886 – Modern field hockey was born on the 18th January 1886, with the formation of The Hockey Association in England.

1892 – Oliver Hardy the American comedian and actor was born on the 18th January 1892 (died 1957).

1896 – An X-ray generating machine was exhibited for the first time on the 18th January 1896, by H.L. Smith.

1903 – President Theodore Roosevelt sent a radio message to King Edward VII on the 18th January 1903, becoming the first transatlantic radio transmission originating in the United States.

1910 – Kenneth E. Boulding the English economist was born on the 18th January 1910 (died 1993).

1911 – Eugene B. Ely landed on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania on the 18th January 1911, while it was stationed in San Francisco harbor, and was the first time an aircraft landed on a ship.

1916 – A 611 gram chondrite type meteorite hit a house near the village of Baxter in Stone County, Missouri on the 18th January 1916.

1919 – Bentley Motors Limited was founded on the 18th January 1919.

1932 – Robert Anton Wilson the American author was born on the 18th January 1932 (died 2007).

1933 – Ray Dolby the American engineer, businessman and founder of Dolby Laboratories was born on the 18th January 1933.

1944 – The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City hosted a jazz concert for the first time on the 18th January 1944. The performers were Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.

1944 – Paul Keating the Australian politician and 24th Prime Minister of Australia was born on the 18th January 1944.

1954 – Tom Bailey the English singer-songwriter from Thompson Twins was born on the 18th January 1954.

1954 – Jagdish Mali the Indian photographer was born on the 18th January 1954 (died 2013).

1955 – Kevin Costner the American actor, singer, director, and producer was born on the 18th January 1955.

1955 – Fergus Martin the Irish painter was born on the 18th January 1955.

1973 – Anthony Koutoufides the Australian footballer was born on the 18th January 1973.

1977 – Scientists identified a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious Legionnaires’ disease on the 18th January 1977.

1977 – Australia‘s worst rail disaster occurred at Granville in Sydney on the 18th January 1977, killing 83 people.

1980 – Jason Segel the American actor, singer, and screenwriter was born on the 18th January 1980.

1981 – Phil Smith and Phil Mayfield parachuted off a Houston skyscraper on the 18th January 1981, becoming the first 2 people to BASE jump from objects in all 4 categories: buildings, antennae, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).

1985 – Dale Begg-Smith the Australian skier was born on the 18th January 1985.

1993 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was officially observed for the first time in all 50 states on the 18th January 1993.

1993 ~ Sean Keenan the Australian actor from Busselton, Western Australia was born on the 18th January 1993. Sean Keenan is best known for his leading role in Lockie Leonard filmed in Albany, and role as Gary Hennessey on Puberty Blues. YouTube video: Lockie Leonard ~ Series 1 Trailer…

1994 ~ Blue Heelers the Australian police drama series based at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in Victoria was 1st broadcast on the 18th January 1994, until the 4th June 2006. YouTube video: Blue Heelers – Extended Theme Song…

1997 – Boerge Ousland of Norway became the 1st person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided on the 18th January 1997.

2000 – The Tagish Lake meteorite impacted the Earth on the 18th January 2000.

2002 – Sierra Leone Civil War was finally declared over on the 18th January 2002.

2003 – A bushfire killed 4 people and destroys more than 500 homes in Canberra, Australia on the 18th January 2003.

2005 – The Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial jet, is unveiled at a ceremony in Toulouse, France

2007 – The strongest storm in the United Kingdom in 17 years killed 14 people on the 18th January 2007. Germany saw the worst storm since 1999 with 13 deaths. Hurricane Kyrill, causeed at least 44 deaths across 20 countries in Western Europe.

2012 – SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) was opposed online on the internet by Blackout on the 18th January 2012 (2012 Wikipedia blackout).

Today in History for the 18th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1524 – Giovanni da Verrazzano set sail westward from Madeira on the 17th January 1542, to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.

1851 – A. B. Frost the American illustrator was born on the 17th January 1851 (died 1928).

1899 – Al Capone the American gangster was born on the 17th January 1899 (died 1947).

1706 – Benjamin Franklin the American politician, scientist, publisher, and 6th President of Pennsylvania was born on the 17th January 1706 (died 1790). Benjamin Franklin was the signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.

1773 – Captain James Cook and his crew become the first Europeans to sail below the Antarctic Circle on the 17th January 1773.

1904 – Anton Chekhov‘s The Cherry Orchard received its premiere performance at the Moscow Art Theatre on the 17th January 1904.

1922 – Betty White the American actress was born on the 17th January 1922.

1927 – Eartha Kitt the American actress and singer was born on the 17th January 1927 (died 2008).

1929 – Popeye the Sailor Man the cartoon character created by Elzie Segar, first appeared on the 17th January 1929, in the Thimble Theatre comic strip.

1942 – Muhammad Ali the American boxer was born on the 17th January 1942.

1942 – Ita Buttrose the Australian journalist was born on the 17th January 1942.

1962 – Jim Carrey the Canadian-American actor and producer was born on the 17th January 1962.

1974 – Danny Bhoy the Scottish comedian was born on the 17th January 1974.

1976 ~ Keri Russell the American actress and dancer was born on the 17th January 1976. Keri Russell is best known as Felicity Porter in the Felicity television series which ran from 1998 to 2002, which she won a Golden Globe Award.

1980 – Zooey Deschanel the American actress and singer-songwriter from She & Him was born on the 17th January 1980.

1983 –  Hudson’s store in Detroit closed on the 17th January 1983, due to high cost of operating. It was the tallest department store in the world.

1988 ~ Home and Away the Australian television soap opera was first broadcast on the 17th January 1988. Home and Away is the 2nd longest running Australian drama. Official website: www.au.tv.yahoo.com/Home-and-Away | YouTube video: Home and away openings from the 1st in 1988 to 1999…

1997 ~ Jack Vidgen the Australian singer-songwriter was born on the 17th January 1997. Jack Vidgen is best known for winning the 5th season of Australia’s Got Talent. Jack Vidgen’s official website: www.JackVidgen.com |Facebook: www.facebook.com/JackVidgen |Twitter: www.Twitter.com/JackVidgen | instagram: www.instagram.com/jack_vidgen 

 YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/JackVidgenHome | YouTube video: Jack Vidgen Singing “Yes I Am” in the Australia’s Got Talent finals in 2011…

1998 – Lewinsky scandal: Matt Drudge broke the story of the Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair on his website The Drudge Report on the 17th January 1998.

2007 – The Doomsday Clock was set to 5 minutes to midnight on the 17th January  2007, in response to North Korea nuclear testing.

2008 – British Airways Flight 38 crash landed just short of London Heathrow Airport in England on the 17th January 2008, with no fatalities. It was the 1st complete hull loss of a Boeing 777.

Today in History for the 17th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

27BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate on the 16th January 27BC, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.

1581 – The English Parliament outlawed Roman Catholicism on the 16th January 1581.

1605 – The 1st edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes was published on the 16th January 1605, in Madrid, Spain.

1909 – Ernest Shackleton‘s expedition found the magnetic South Pole on the 16th January 1909.

1920 – The League of Nations held its first council meeting on the 16th January 1920, in Paris, France.

1932 ~ Dian Fossey the American zoologist was born in San Francisco on the 16th January 1932 (died 26th December 1985 aged 53). Dian Fossey undertook extensive studies of gorilla groups in the mountain forests of Rwanda. Dian Fossey’s 1983 book, Gorillas in the Mist, combined her scientific study of the mountain gorillas at Karisoke Research Center with her own personal story. Dian Fossey was murdered in 1985 (the case remains open). The Gorillas in the Mist movie was made in 1988, starring Sigourney Weaver as Dian Fossey. YouTube video: Gorillas in the Mist ~ 1988 movie trailer…

1942 ~ René Angélil the Canadian singer, and husband and manager of Celine Dion was born on the 16th January 1942.

1945 – Adolf Hitler moved into his underground bunker, known as the Führerbunker on the 16th January 1945.

1964 – Hello, Dolly! (musical) starring Carol Channing opened on Broadway on the 16th January 1964, beginning a run of 2,844 performances.

1965 – Maxine Jones the American singer from En Vogue was born on the 16th January 1965.

1969 – Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 & 5 performed the 1st-ever docking of a manned spacecraft in orbit on the 16th January 1969, the 1st-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk.

1970 – Buckminster Fuller received the Gold Medal award from the American Institute of Architects on the 16th January 1970.

1972 – Greg Page the Australian singer from The Wiggles was born on the 16th January 1972.

1973 – Bonanza‘s final episode aired on NBC on the 16th January 1973.

1974 ~ Kate Moss the English model was born Katherine Moss in  Croydon, Greater London on the 16th January 1974. Kate Moss Tumblr | YouTube video: Kate Moss by Kate Garner at Gallery 618 ~ See Kate Moss in the controversial photographs taken by Kate Garner in “Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil” 20 unique canvas works…

1979 – Aaliyah the American singer, dancer, and actress was born on the 16th January 1979 (died 2001).

1986 – 1st meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force on the 16th January 1986.

2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia took off for mission STS-107 on the 16th January 2003, which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.

2005 – Romanian university lecturer and novelist Adriana Iliescu gave birth at 66 to her daughter Eliza on the 16th January 2005, breaking the record for the oldest birth mother in the world.

2006 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as Liberia‘s new president on the 16th January 2006, becoming Africa‘s 1st female elected head of state.

Today in History for the 16th January video produced by Associated Press

Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1493 – Christopher Columbus set sail for Spain from Hispaniola on the 15th January 1493, ending his first voyage to the New World.

1759 – The British Museum opened on the 15th January 1759.

1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolized the Democratic Party with a donkey (“A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion” by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly) on the 15th January 1870.

1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, was originally incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia on the 15th January 1889.

1910 – Construction ended on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States on the 15th January 1919, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft (99 m).

1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr. the American minster, activist and Nobel Prize laureate was born on on the 15th January 1929 (died 1968 aged 39).

1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, was completed in Toledo, Ohio on the 15th January 1936.

1943 – The world’s largest office building, The Pentagon, was dedicated in Arlington, Virginia on the 15th January 1943.

1948 – Ronnie Van Zant the American singer-songwriter from Lynyrd Skynyrd was born on the 15th January 1948 (died 1977).

1959 – Pete Trewavas the English bass player from Marillion was born on the 15th January 1959.

1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe’s oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, was found in northern Greece on the 15th January 1962.

1966 – Lisa Lisa the American singer was born on the 15th January 1966.

1967 – The first Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles, California on the 15th January 1967. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.

1969 – The Soviet Union launched Soyuz 5 on the 15th January 1969.

1974 ~ Happy Days the American television sitcom was first broadcast from the 15th January 1974, until the 24th September 1984 on ABC. Happy Days was set in the mid-1950s to the 1960s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, revolving around teenager Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family: his father Howard (Tom Bosley) the hardware store owner, mother Marion (Marion Ross), younger sister Joanie (Erin Moran), and biker Arthur Fonzie / The Fonz Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler), and Richie’s friends, Warren “Potsie” Weber (Anson Williams) and Ralph Malph (Donny Most). YouTube video: Happy Days – 1st episode (part 1 of 2) The very 1st episode: All The Way, first aired on the 15th January 1974…

1991 – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signed letters patent on the 15th January 1991, allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth Realm to institute its own separate Victoria Cross award in its own honours system.

1992 – The international community recognized the independence of Slovenia and Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the 15th January 1992.

2001 – Wikipedia, a free Wiki content encyclopedia, went  online on the 15th January 2001.

2005 – ESA‘s SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovered elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the moon on the 15th January 2005.

2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York on the 15th January 2001. All passengers and crew members survive.

Today in History for the 15th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica killed more than 1,000 on the 14th January 1907.

1911 – Roald Amundsen‘s South Pole expedition made landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf on the 14th January 1911.

1933 – The controversial Bodyline cricket tactics used by Douglas Jardine‘s England peaked on the 14th January 1933, when Australian captain Bill Woodfull was hit in the heart.

1938 – Norway claimed Queen Maud Land in Antarctica on the 14th January 1938.

1943 – Franklin D. Roosevelt became the 1st President of the United States to travel via airplane while in office on the 14th January 1943, when he traveled from Miami, Florida to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill.

1950 – The first prototype of the MiG-17 made its maiden flight on the 14th January 1950.

1952 – NBC’s long-running morning news program Today debuted on the 14th January 1952, with host Dave Garroway.

1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation on the 14th January 1954.

1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country’s central bank and banknote issuing authority, was established on the 14th January 1960.

1967 – Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In, took place in San Francisco, California‘s Golden Gate Park on the 14th January 1967, launching the Summer of Love.

1973 – Elvis Presley‘s concert Aloha from Hawaii was broadcast live via satellite on the 14th January 1973, and set a record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history.

1978 ~ James Mathison the Australian television presenter was born in Sydney on the 14th January 1978. James Mathison verified Twitter: Twitter.com/JamesMathison

2004 – The national flag of The Republic of Georgia, aka “five cross flag“, was restored to official use on the 14th January 2004, after a hiatus of 500 years.

2005 – Huygens probe landed on Saturn‘s moon Titan on the 14th January 2005.

Today in History for the 14th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1893 – Roy Cazaly the Australian footballer was born on the 13th January 1893 (d. 1963).

1911 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen the 31st Premier of Queensland was born on the 13th January 1911 (d. 2005).

1939 – The Black Friday bush fires burnt 20,000 square kilometers of land in Australia on the 13th January 1939, killing 71 people.

1942 – Henry Ford patented a plastic automobile on the 13th January 1942, which was 30% lighter than a regular car.

1955 – Paul Kelly the Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist was born on the 13th January 1955.

1961 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus the American actress was born on the 13th January 1961.

1968 – Johnny Cash performed live at Folsom State Prison on the 13th January 1968.

1977 – Orlando Bloom the English actor was born on the 13th January 1977.

2012 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sanks off the coast of Italy on the 13th January 2012, killing 32 people of the 4232 passengers and crew.

2014 ~ The Perth Hills fires in Western Australia destroyed over 50 houses, killing one person on the 13th January 2014. The fires started burning after 2 days of temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F) in the Perth Hills area, including Parkerville, Stoneville and Mundaring. Perth Now News: 52 homes lost to Perth Hills blaze, four people missing found | Video: Parkerville Bush Fire ~ 7News Perth (13/01/2014)…

2014 ~ Melbourne earthquake ~ The Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne experienced a magnitude 2.8 earthquake on the 13th January 2014.

Today in History for the 13th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1591 – José Ribera the Spanish painter was born on the 12th January 1591 (died 1652).

1597 – François Duquesnoy the French sculptor was born on the 12th January 1597 (died 1643).

1822 – Étienne Lenoir the French engineer and designor of the Internal combustion engine was born on the 12th January 1822 (died 1900).

1849 – Jean Béraud the French painter was born on the 12th January 1849 (died 1935).

1856 – John Singer Sargent the American painter was born on the 12th January 1856 (died 1925).

1895 – The National Trust was founded in the United Kingdom on the 12th January 1895.

1908 – A long-distance radio message was sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time on the 12th January 1908.

1908 – Clement Hurd the American illustrator was born on the 12th January 1908 (died 1988).

1915 – The Rocky Mountain National Park was formed by an act of U.S. Congress on the 12th January 1915.

1952 – Charles Faulkner the American-English motivational speaker and author was born on the 12th January 1952.

1954 ~ Waldemar Januszczak the British art critic was born on the 12th January 1954.

1959 – The Caves of Nerja were rediscovered in Spain on the 12th January 1959.

1959 – Per Gessle the Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist from Roxette was born on the 12th January 1959.

1962 – Joe Quesada the American writer and illustrator was born on the 12th January 1962.

1964 – Jeff Bezos the American businessman and founder of Amazon.com was born on the 12th January 1964.

1965 – Mark Moore the English DJ from S’Express was born on the 12th January 1956.

1971 – All in the Family premiered on CBS on the 12th January 1971.

1974 – Melanie Chisholm aka Mel C the English singer-songwriter from the Spice Girls was born on the 12th January 1974.

1978 ~ Hannah Gadsby the Australian comedian was born on the 12th January 1978.

1986 – Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a Mission Specialist on the 12th January 1986.

1993 ~ Zain Malik the English singer from One Direction was born on the 12th January 1993.

1998 – Nineteen European nations agreed to forbid human cloning on the 12th January 1998.

2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, made its maiden voyage on the 12th January 2004.

2005 – Deep Impact launched from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket on the 12th January 2005.

2007 – Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) reached perihelion on the 12th January 2007, becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years.

2010 – The 2010 Haiti earthquake occurred on the 12th January 2010, killing about 316,000 people, and destroying the majority of the capital Port-au-Prince.

2011 ~ SABLE the Malamute / Dingo dog, great travel companion and best friend of Anton K. Kressnig died on the 12th January 2011, aged 14.

Today in History for the 12th January video produced by Associated Press  Associated Press official website: www.AP.org