From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 363 days remaining until the end of the year (364 in leap years).

Events

• 366 – The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire
• 533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy
• 1492 – Reconquista: the emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders
• 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of George Washington repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey
• 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution
• 1791 – Big Bottom massacre in the Ohio Country, marking the beginning of the Northwest Indian War
• 1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded
• 1833 – Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands.
• 1860 – The discovery of the planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the Académie des Sciences in Paris
• 1871 – Amadeus I becomes King of Spain
• 1900 – John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China
• 1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian garrison surrenders at Port Arthur, China
• 1920 – The second Palmer Raid takes place with another 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists arrested and held without trial. These raids take place in several U.S. cities.
• 1935 – Bruno Hauptmann goes on trial for the murder of Charles Lindbergh, Jr., infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh
• 1941 – World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales
• 1942 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) convicts 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history -- the Duquesne Spy Ring
• 1942 – World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces
• 1945 – World War II: Nuremberg (in German, Nürnberg) is severely bombed by Allied forces
• 1949 – Luis Muñoz Marín becomes the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico
• 1955 – Panamanian president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated
• 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the U.S.S.R.
• 1971 – The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic football match
• 1974 – President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo
• 1999 – A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern United States, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches (487 mm) in Chicago, where temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C); 68 deaths are reported
• 2001 – Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico
• 2002 – Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly.
• 2004 – Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that were returned to Earth.
• 2006 – An explosion in a coal mine in Sago, West Virginia traps and kills 12 miners, while leaving one miner in critical condition.

Births

• 1642 – Mehmed IV, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1693)
• 1647 – Nathaniel Bacon, English-born American colonist (d. 1676)
• 1699 – Osman III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1757)
• 1713 – Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)
• 1719 – Jacques-Alexandre Laffon de Ladebat, French shipbuilder (d. 1797)
• 1727 – James Wolfe, British general (d. 1759)
• 1777 – Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (d. 1857)
• 1822 – Rudolf Clausius, German physicist (d. 1888)
• 1827 – Peter Semenov of Tian Shan, Russian explorer (d. 1914)
• 1833 – Frederick A. Johnson, American politician (d. 1893)
• 1836 – Queen Emma of Hawaii, Consort of King Kamehameha IV (d. 1885)
• 1836 – Mendele Moykher Sforim, Jewish writer (d. 1917)
• 1837 – Mily Balakirev, Russian composer (d. 1910)
• 1866 – Prof Gilbert Murray, Australian classical scholar (d. 1957)
• 1870 – Ernst Barlach, German sculptor (d. 1938)
• 1873 – Thérèse de Lisieux, French Roman-Catholic nun (d. 1897)
• 1877 – Slava Raskaj, Croatian painter (d. 1906)
• 1884 – Ben-Zion Dinur, Russian-born Israeli educator, historian and politician (d. 1973)
• 1885 – Gordon Flowerdew, Canadian Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
• 1886 – Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English Antarctic explorer (d. 1959)
• 1886 – Florence Lawrence, Canadian actress (d. 1938)
• 1888 – Tito Schipa, Italian tenor (d. 1965)
• 1889 – Sir Bertram Stevens, Premier of New South Wales 1932-39 (d. 1973)
• 1892 – Seiichiro Kashio, Japanese tennis player (d. 1962)
• 1893 – Lillian Leitzel, German acrobat and strongwoman (d. 1931)
• 1895 – Count Folke Bernadotte, Swedish diplomat (d. 1948)
• 1896 – Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (d. 1954)
• 1896 – Sir Lawrence Wackett, Australian aircraft engineer (d. 1982)
• 1897 – Jim Londos, Greek wrestler (d. 1975)
• 1902 – Dan Keating, Irish republican (d. 2007)
• 1905 – Lev Schnirelmann, Russian mathematician (d. 1938)
• 1905 – Michael Tippett, English composer (d. 1998)
• 1905 – Luigi Zampa, Italian film director and screenwriter (d. 1991)
• 1909 – Riccardo Cassin, Italian mountaineer (d. 2009)
• 1910 – Srirangam Srinivasarao, Telugu Poet (d. 1983)
• 1913 – Anna Lee, English actress (d. 2004)
• 1914 – Violet Vivian Finlay Stuart Mann, British writer (d. 1986)
• 1916 – Zypora Spaisman, Polish-born American Yiddish theatre actress and producer (d. 2002)
• 1917 – Vera Zorina, German dancer (d. 2003)
• 1918 – Willi Graf, German anti-Nazi activist (d. 1943)
• 1920 – Isaac Asimov, American author and biochemistry professor (d. 1992)
• 1921 – Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
• 1925 – William J. Crowe, American admiral and ambassador (d. 2007)
• 1925 – Larry Harmon, American entertainer and TV producer (d. 2008)
• 1927 – Grigoris Varfis, Greek politician
• 1928 – Avie Bennett, Canadian philanthropist
• 1928 – Robert Goralski, American journalist (d. 1988)
• 1928 – Daisaku Ikeda, Japanese writer
• 1930 – Julius LaRosa, American singer
• 1931 – Toshiki Kaifu, Japanese politician
• 1932 – Peter Redgrove, British poet (d. 2003)
• 1933 – Ed Casey, Australian politician (d. 2006)
• 1933 – Seiichi Morimura, Japanese novelist
• 1936 – Roger Miller, American singer (d. 1992)
• 1938 – Ian Brady, British serial killer
• 1938 – Hans Herbjørnsrud, Norwegian author
• 1940 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist
• 1940 – S. R. S. Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
• 1942 – Dennis Hastert, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1942 – Hugh Shelton, 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• 1943 – Barış Manço, Turkish singer and television producer (d. 1999)
• 1944 – Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian politician
• 1946 – Richard Cole, American tour manager
• 1947 – Jack Hanna, American zoologist
• 1947 – Calvin Hill, American football player
• 1947 – David Shapiro, American poet, literary critic, and art historian
• 1949 – Christopher Durang, American playwright
• 1950 – Débora Duarte, Brazilian actress
• 1950 – David Shifrin, American classical clarinetist
• 1951 – Alexander Pogrebinsky, Russian painter
• 1952 – Jimmy Santiago Baca, American poet and writer
• 1952 – Graeme Strachan, Australian rock singer (Skyhooks) (d. 2001)
• 1953 – Vincent Racaniello American Viroligist
• 1954 – Henry Bonilla, American politician
• 1954 – Dawn Silva, American singer (The Brides of Funkenstein, P-Funk)
• 1955 – Tex Brashear, American voice actor
• 1955 – Vivien Savage, French singer
• 1956 – Lynda Barry, American cartoonist
• 1957 – Joanna Pacula, Polish actress
• 1958 – Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Russian pianist
• 1960 – Naoki Urasawa, Japanese manga author
• 1961 – Gabrielle Carteris, American actress
• 1961 – Todd Haynes, American film director
• 1963 – David Cone, American baseball player
• 1963 – Edgar Martínez, American baseball player
• 1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer
• 1965 – Greg Swindell, American baseball player
• 1967 – Tia Carrere, American actress
• 1967 – Jón Gnarr, Icelandic comedian
• 1967 – Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player
• 1968 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor
• 1968 – Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion
• 1968 – Evan Parke, Jamaican actor
• 1968 – Goichi Suda, Japanese video game developer
• 1969 – Robby Gordon, American racing driver
• 1969 – Karl-Heinz Grasser, Austrian politician
• 1969 – Patrick Huard, Quebec actor and comedian
• 1969 – Glen Johnson, Jamaican boxer
• 1969 – Tommy Morrison, American boxer
• 1969 – Róbert Švehla, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1969 – Christy Turlington, American model
• 1970 – Royce Clayton, American baseball player
• 1970 – Robert Fertitta, American opera singer
• 1970 – Sanda Ladoşi, Romanian singer
• 1970 – Eric Whitacre, American composer
• 1971 – Taye Diggs, American actor
• 1971 – Renee Elise Goldsberry, American actress and singer
• 1971 – Lisa Harrison, American basketball player
• 1972 – Adam Elliot, Australian animator
• 1972 – Christopher Lennertz, American composer
• 1972 – Hristos Meletoglou, Greek triple jumper
• 1973 – Lucy Davis, British actress
• 1973 – Will Kirby, American actor
• 1975 – Chris Cheney, Australian musician (The Living End)
• 1975 – Doug Robb, American singer (Hoobastank)
• 1975 – Dax Shepard, American actor
• 1975 – Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby union player
• 1976 – Hrysopiyi Devetzi, Greek triple jumper
• 1976 – Danilo Di Luca, Italian cyclist
• 1976 – Cletidus Hunt, American football player
• 1976 – Mahée Paiement, Canadian actress
• 1976 – Paz Vega, Spanish actress
• 1977 – Ales Pisa, Czech ice hockey player
• 1977 – Scott Proctor, American baseball player
• 1978 – Megumi Toyoguchi, Japanese seiyuu (voice actress)
• 1979 – Jonathan Greening, British footballer
• 1980 – Annie Bellemare, Canadian Figure Skater
• 1980 – Mac Danzig, American Mixed martial arts combatant
• 1981 – Hanno Balitsch, German footballer
• 1981 – Ryan Garko, American baseball player
• 1981 – Kirk Hinrich, American basketball player
• 1981 – Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
• 1982 – Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker
• 1983 – Kate Bosworth, American actress
• 1983 – Andrew Ebbett, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 – Luis Beza, American musician
• 1985 – Heather O'Reilly, American soccer player
• 1988 – Jonny Evans, Northern Irish footballer
• 1991 – Davide Santon, Italian footballer
• 2001 – Christopher Barrios Jr., American murder victim (d. 2007)

Deaths

• 1512 – Svante, Regent of Sweden (b. 1460)
• 1514 – William Smyth, English bishop and statesman (b. c1460)
• 1557 – Pontormo, Italian painter (b. 1494)
• 1685 – Harbottle Grimston, English politician (b. 1603)
• 1694 – Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English politician (b. 1651)
• 1726 – Domenico Zipoli, Italian composer (b. 1688)
• 1861 – King Frederick William IV of Prussia (b. 1795)
• 1892 – George Airy, British Astronomer Royal (b. 1801)
• 1893 – John Obadiah Westwood, British entomologist (b. 1805)
• 1904 – James Longstreet, American Confederate general (b. 1821)
• 1913 – Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
• 1915 – Carl Goldmark, Hungarian composer (b. 1830)
• 1917 – Edward Burnett Tylor, English anthropologist (b. 1832)
• 1920 – Paul Adam, French novelist (b. 1862)
• 1924 – Sabine Baring-Gould, English composer and novelist (b. 1834)
• 1936 – Sir Francis Newdegate, Governor of Tasmania (b. 1862)
• 1939 – Roman Dmowski, Polish politician (b. 1864)
• 1941 – Mischa Levitzki, Russian-born pianist (b. 1898)
• 1945 – Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, British naval commander (b. 1883)
• 1946 – Joe Darling, Australian cricketer (b. 1870)
• 1948 – Vicente Huidobro, Chilean poet (b. 1893)
• 1950 – James Dooley, Premier of New South Wales (b. 1877)
• 1951 – Sir William Campion, Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)
• 1959 – Chris van Abkoude, Dutch-born writer and novelist (b. 1880)
• 1960 – Fausto Coppi, Italian cyclist (b. 1919)
• 1960 – Paul Sauvé, Canadian politician (b. 1907)
• 1963 – Jack Carson, American actor (b. 1910)
• 1963 – Dick Powell, American actor (b. 1904)
• 1971 – E. V. Knox, English poet and satirist (b. 1881)
• 1971 – Willard Maas, American poet and filmmaker (b. 1906)
• 1974 – Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)
• 1977 – Errol Garner, American musician (b. 1921)
• 1983 – Dick Emery, English comedian (b. 1915)
• 1986 – Dick James, English music publisher (Northern Songs) (b. 1920)
• 1986 – Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)
• 1986 – Bill Veeck, American baseball executive (b. 1914)
• 1990 – Alan Hale Jr., American actor (b. 1921)
• 1994 – Dixy Lee Ray, American politician (b. 1914)
• 1994 – Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (b. 1915)
• 1995 – Siad Barre, President of Somalia (b. 1919)
• 1995 – Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)
• 1996 – Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist (b. 1915)
• 1997 – Randy California, American guitarist & songwriter (Spirit) (b. 1951)
• 1998 – Frank Muir, English writer, raconteur (b. 1920)
• 1999 – Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (b. 1907)
• 2000 – Nat Adderley, American musician and composer (b. 1931)
• 2000 – Patrick O'Brian, British novelist (b. 1914)
• 2000 – Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., American admiral (b. 1920)
• 2001 – Teri Diver, American actress (b. 1971)
• 2001 – William P. Rogers, American politician (b. 1913)
• 2002 – Armi Aavikko, Finnish singer (b. 1958)
• 2003 – Eric Jupp, British-born pianist, composer, arranger (b. 1922)
• 2004 – Lynn Cartwright, American actress (b. 1927)
• 2004 – Jess Collins, American artist (b. 1923)
• 2005 – Cyril Fletcher, British comedian (b. 1913)
• 2005 – Frank Kelly Freas, American artist (b. 1922)
• 2005 – Ronald 'Bo' Ginn, American politician (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist (b. 1911)
• 2005 – Edo Murtić, Croatian painter (b. 1921)
• 2006 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, first female Philippine Supreme Court Justice (b. 1913)
• 2007 – Garry Betty, American CEO of Earthlink (b. 1957)
• 2007 – Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Mauno Jokipii, Finnish professor and researcher (b. 1924)
• 2007 – Teddy Kollek, Austrian-born mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)
• 2007 – Don Massengale, American PGA Tour golf player (b. 1937)
• 2007 – Paek Nam-sun, North Korean Foreign Affairs minister (b. 1929)
• 2007 – Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor (b. 1951)
• 2007 – David Perkins, American geneticist (b. 1919)
• 2007 – Dan Shaver, American racecar driver (b. 1950)
• 2007 – Robert C. Solomon, American scholar of continental philosophy (b. 1942)
• 2008 – Lee S. Dreyfus, American politician (b. 1926)
• 2008 – George MacDonald Fraser, British author (b. 1925)
• 2008 – Gerry Staley, American baseball player (b. 1920)
• 2008 – Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Thailand (b. 1923)
• 2009 – Inger Christensen, Danish poet (b. 1935)
• 2009 – Maria de Jesus, Portuguese supercentenarian (b. 1893)

Holidays and observances

• Second day of the Hogmanay Bank Holiday, Scotland
• Second day of New Year, Slovenia – Public holidays in Slovenia
• Second day of New Year, Serbia – Public holidays in Serbia
• Day after New Year's Day, New Zealand – Public holidays in New Zealand
• Cape Coloreds Tweede Nuwe Jaar South Africa [1] [2] [3]

Christian observances

• The ninth day of Christmas (and ninth night of same) in Western Christianity.
• Feast days of the following:
  • Basil the Great
  • Caspar del Bufalo
  • Gregory of Nazianzus
  • Macarius the Younger
  • Seraphim of Sarov
  • Saint Defendens of Thebes
• January 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

From Wikiquote

Quotes of the day from previous years:

2004

Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind. ~ Albert Einstein

• selected by Basil Fawlty

2005

We are all in this together. ~ English proverb

• selected by Kalki

2006

How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection...That is all wrong. The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers. ~ Isaac Asimov (born c. 2 January 1920)

• proposed by Kalki

2007

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. ~ Isaac Asimov

• proposed by Kalki

2008

When people grow wise in one direction, they are sure to make it easier for themselves to grow wise in other directions as well. On the other hand, when they split up knowledge, concentrate on their own field, and scorn and ignore other fields, they grow less wise — even in their own field. ~ Isaac Asimov

• proposed by Kalki

2009

It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be ... ~ Isaac Asimov

• proposed by Kalki

2010 

Rank or add further suggestions…

Ranking system:

4 : Excellent - should definitely be used.

3 : Very Good - strong desire to see it used.

2 : Good - some desire to see it used.

1 : Acceptable - but with no particular desire to see it used.

0 : Not acceptable - not appropriate for use as a quote of the day.

Suggestions

I prefer rationalism to atheism. The question of God and other objects-of-faith are outside reason and play no part in rationalism, thus you don't have to waste your time in either attacking or defending. ~ Isaac Asimov (date of birth)

• 3 Kalki 01:10, 2 January 2006 (UTC)
• 3 InvisibleSun 13:51, 1 January 2007 (UTC)
• 1 Zarbon 17:51, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. ~ Isaac Asimov (date of birth)

• 2 Kalki 01:10, 2 January 2006 (UTC) (A paraphrase of this by "anonymous" was onced used as QOTD prior to indications of this originating with Asimov, but I would eventually like to use this as well, IF we can find sourcing of it. I generally prefer to avoid "anonymous" quotes in QOTDs, and now would rank them highly only if they were some widely known "traditional" lyrics or proverb.)
• 1 Zarbon 17:51, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

Then rushed to meet the insulting foe;
They took the spear, but left the shield. ~ Philip Morin Freneau

• 3 because in the heat of combat, defense is as important as offense, if not more important. Zarbon 05:33, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
• 2 Kalki 16:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
• 2 InvisibleSun 23:24, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

I believe in evidence. I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, confirmed by independent observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be. ~ Isaac Asimov

• 4 Kalki (talk · contributions) 01:26, 30 December 2009 (UTC) * 3 Kalki 16:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
• 3 InvisibleSun 23:24, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
• 1 Zarbon 02:19, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not. ~ Isaac Asimov

• 3 Kalki 16:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC) with a strong lean toward 4.
• 3 InvisibleSun 23:24, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
• 2 Zarbon 02:19, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety. ~ Isaac Asimov

• 3 Kalki 16:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
• 2 Zarbon 02:19, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

From StrategyWiki, the free strategy guide and walkthrough wiki

Articles detailing events that are related to January 2. This may include the release of games or systems, the founding of a video game related company or some other important event.

From Wikia Gaming, your source for walkthroughs, games, guides, and more!

Game releases

• 1997
  • Diablo in United States

• 1992
  • Metroid II: Return of Samus for the Game Boy in Japan

From Familypedia

January 2 is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 363 days remaining until the end of the year (364 in leap years).

Events

• 366 - Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.
• 533 - Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
• 1492 - Reconquista: Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
• 1757 - The United Kingdom captures Calcutta, India.
• 1788 - Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
• 1791 - Big Bottom massacre in the Ohio Country, marking the beginning of the Northwest Indian War.
• 1793 - Russia and Prussia partition Poland.
• 1818 - The British Institution of Civil Engineers is formed.
• 1860 - The discovery of the planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the Académie des Sciences in Paris.
• 1871 - Amadeus I becomes King of Spain.
• 1872 - Brigham Young is arrested for bigamy due to having 25 wives.
• 1879 - Fred Spofforth claims the first hat-trick in test cricket on the Sydney Cricket Ground against England.
• 1882 - John D. Rockefeller unites his oil holdings into the Standard Oil trust.
• 1890 - Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer for the White House.
• 1893 - Webb C. Ball of the General Railroad Timepiece Standards in North America introduces railroad chronometers.
• 1900 - John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
• 1905 - Russo-Japanese War: The Russian fleet surrenders at Port Arthur, China.
• 1905 - The American anarcho-syndicalist union known as the Industrial Workers of the World forms.
• 1917 - The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank.
• 1920 - The Palmer Raids begin in the United States.
• 1921 - The first religious radio broadcast (KDKA AM in Pittsburgh) .
• 1923 - U.S. Interior Secretary Albert Fall resigns due to the Teapot Dome scandal.
• 1929 - Canada and the United States agree on a plan to preserve Niagara Falls.
• 1935 - Bruno Hauptmann goes on trial for the murder of Charles Lindbergh, Jr., infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh.
• 1941 - World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.
• 1941 - World War II: The U.S. government announces its Liberty ship program to build freighters in support of the war effort.
• 1942 - World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces.
• 1942 - The United States Navy opens a blimp base at Lakehurst.
• 1946 - Unable to resume rule after World War II, King Zog of Albania abdicates but retains his claim to the throne.
• 1949 - Luis Muñoz Marín became the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
• 1955 - Panamanian president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated.
• 1957 - The San Francisco Stock and Bond Exchange and Los Angeles Oil Exchange merge.
• 1959 - The first artificial satellite to orbit the moon, Luna 1, is launched by the U.S.S.R.
• 1969 - Luis Ferré becomes the first statehooder Governor of Puerto Rico.
• 1969 - Operation Barrier Reef began in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
• 1971 - The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic football game.
• 1974 - Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum US speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
• 1991 - Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, becoming the first African American woman to lead a city of that size and importance.
• 1993 - Leaders of the three warring factions in Bosnia meet to discuss peace plans.
• 1998 - Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.
• 1999 - A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern United States, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow at Milwaukee, and 19 inches (487 mm) at Chicago, where temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C); 68 deaths are reported.
• 2001 - Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico.
• 2002 - Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly.
• 2004 - Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that it will return to Earth two years later.

Births

• 1642 - Mehmed IV, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1693)
• 1647 - Nathaniel Bacon, English-born American colonist (d. 1676)
• 1713 - Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)
• 1719 - Jacques-Alexandre Laffon de Ladebat, French shipbuilder (d. 1797)
• 1727 - James Wolfe, British general (d. 1759)
• 1777 - Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (d. 1857)
• 1822 - Rudolf Clausius, German physicist (d. 1888)
• 1827 - Peter Semenov of Tian Shan, Russian explorer (d. 1914)
• 1833 - Frederick A. Johnson, American politician (d. 1893)
• 1836 - Mendele Moykher Sforim, Jewish writer (d. 1917)
• 1837 - Mily Balakirev, Russian composer (d. 1910)
• 1870 - Ernst Barlach, German sculptor (d. 1938)
• 1873 - Thérèse de Lisieux, French Roman-Catholic nun (d. 1897)
• 1877 - Slava Raskaj, Croatian painter (d.1906)
• 1886 - Florence Lawrence, Canadian actress (d. 1938)
• 1892 - Seiichiro Kashio, Japanese tennis player (d. 1962)
• 1896 - Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (d. 1954)
• 1897 - Jim Londos, wrestler (d. 1975)
• 1902 - Dan Keating, Irish republican (d. 2007)
• 1904 - Sally Rand, American fan dancer (d. 1979)
• 1905 - Michael Tippett, English composer (d. 1998)
• 1905 - Lev Schnirelmann, Russian mathematician (d. 1938)
• 1910 - Srirangam Srinivasarao, also known as Sri Sri, Famous Modern Telugu Poet (d. 1983)
• 1913 - Anna Lee, English actress (d. 2004)
• 1917 - Vera Zorina, German dancer (d. 2003)
• 1918 - Willi Graf, member of the White Rose (Weiße Rose) resistance group in Nazi Germany (d. 1943)
• 1920 - Isaac Asimov, Russian-born author (d. 1992)
• 1921 - Glen Harmon, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2007)
• 1925 - William J. Crowe, American admiral and ambassador (d. 2007)
• 1928 - Avie Bennett, Canadian philanthropist
• 1928 - Robert Goralski, American journalist (d. 1988)
• 1928 - Daisaku Ikeda, Japanese writer, president of SGI
• 1930 - Julius LaRosa, American singer
• 1933 - Morimura Seiichi, Japanese novelist
• 1935 - Neil Downing, Irish writer and musician
• 1936 - Roger Miller, American singer (d. 1992)
• 1938 - Ian Brady, British serial killer
• 1938 - Hans Herbjørnsrud, Norwegian author
• 1940 - Jim Bakker, American televangelist
• 1940 - S. R. S. Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
• 1942 - Dennis Hastert, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1942 - Hugh Shelton, 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• 1944 - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian politician
• 1946 - Richard Cole, American tour manager
• 1947 - Jack Hanna, American zoologist
• 1947 - Calvin Hill, American football player
• 1949 - Christopher Durang, American playwright
• 1950 - David Shifrin, American classical clarinetist
• 1951 - Alexander Pogrebinsky, Russian-born painter
• 1954 - Henry Bonilla, American politician
• 1954 - Dawn Silva, American singer (The Brides of Funkenstein, P-Funk)
• 1955 - Tex Brashear, American voice actor
• 1957 - Joanna Pacula, Polish actress
• 1958 - Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Russian pianist
• 1960 - Naoki Urasawa, Japanese manga author
• 1961 - Gabrielle Carteris, American actress
• 1961 - Todd Haynes, American film director
• 1963 - David Cone, American baseball player
• 1963 - Edgar Martinez, American baseball player
• 1964 - Pernell Whitaker, American boxer
• 1965 - Greg Swindell, American baseball player
• 1967 - Tia Carrere, American actress
• 1967 - Jón Gnarr, Icelandic comedian
• 1968 - Cuba Gooding Jr., American actor
• 1968 - Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion
• 1968 - Evan Parke, Jamaican actor
• 1968 - Goichi Suda, CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture
• 1969 - Tommy Morrison, American boxer
• 1969 - Christy Turlington, American model
• 1969 - Karl-Heinz Grasser, Austrian politician
• 1969 - Róbert Švehla, Slovak ice hockey player
• 1969 - Patrick Huard, Quebec actor and comedian
• 1970 - Royce Clayton, American baseball player
• 1970 - Robert Fertitta, American opera singer
• 1970 - Sanda Ladoşi, Romanian singer
• 1971 - Taye Diggs, American actor
• 1971 - Lisa Harrison, American basketball player
• 1971 - Renee Elise Goldsberry, American actress and singer
• 1972 - Hristos Meletoglou, Greek triple jumper
• 1973 - Lucy Davis, British actress
• 1973 - Will Kirby, American actor
• 1975 - Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby union player
• 1975 - Doug Robb, American singer (Hoobastank)
• 1975 - Chris Cheney, Australian musician (The Living End)
• 1976 - Cletidus Hunt, American football player
• 1976 - Danilo Di Luca, Italian cyclist
• 1976 - Paz Vega, Spanish actress
• 1976 - Hrysopiyi Devetzi, triple jump & long jump athlete
• 1977 - Ales Pisa, Czech ice hockey player
• 1977 - Scott Proctor, American baseball player
• 1978 - Toyoguchi Megumi, Japanese seiyuu (voice actress)
• 1979 - Suranne Jones, British actress
• 1980 - Mac Danzig, American Mixed martial arts combatant
• 1980 - Bill Alldredge, American politician
• 1981 - Hanno Balitsch, German footballer
• 1981 - Kirk Hinrich, basketball player
• 1981 - Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
• 1981 - Ryan Garko, American baseball player
• 1982 - Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker
• 1983 - Kate Bosworth, American actress
• 1984 - Colleen Taylor, American journalist
• 1985 - Heather O'Reilly, American soccer player
• 1987 - Loui Batley, British actress

Deaths

• 1512 - Svante, Regent of Sweden (b. 1460)
• 1514 - William Smyth, English bishop and statesman (bc. 1460)
• 1557 - Pontormo, Italian painter (b. 1494)
• 1685 - Harbottle Grimston, English politician (b. 1603)
• 1694 - Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English politician (b. 1651)
• 1726 - Domenico Zipoli, Italian composer (b. 1688)
• 1833 - Seraphim of Sarov, Russian Orthodox saint (b. 1759)
• 1892 - George Airy, British Astronomer Royal (b. 1801)
• 1893 - John Obadiah Westwood, British entomologist (b. 1805)
• 1904 - James Longstreet, American Confederate general (b. 1821)
• 1913 - Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
• 1917 - Edward Burnett Tylor, English anthropologist (b. 1832)
• 1920 - Paul Adam, French novelist (b. 1862)
• 1924 - Sabine Baring-Gould, English composer and novelist (b. 1834)
• 1939 - Roman Dmowski, Polish politician (b. 1864)
• 1946 - Joe Darling, Australian cricketer (b. 1870)
• 1950 - Emil Jannings, Swiss actor and the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor (b. 1884)
• 1959 - Chris van Abkoude, Dutch-American writer and novelist (b. 1880)
• 1960 - Fausto Coppi, Italian cyclist (b. 1919)
• 1960 - Paul Sauvé, Canadian politician (b. 1907)
• 1963 - Dick Powell, American actor (b. 1904)
• 1963 - Jack Carson, American actor (b. 1910)
• 1974 - Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)
• 1977 - Errol Garner, American musician (b. 1921)
• 1986 - Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)
• 1986 - Bill Veeck, baseball executive (b. 1914)
• 1986 - Dick James, English music publisher (Northern Songs) (b. 1920)
• 1990 - Alan Hale Jr., American actor (b. 1918)
• 1994 - Dixy Lee Ray, American politician (b. 1914)
• 1995 - Siad Barre, President of Somalia (b. 1919)
• 1995 - Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)
• 1996 - Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist (b. 1915)
• 1997 - Randy California, American guitarist & songwriter (Spirit) (b. 1951)
• 1999 - Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and author (b. 1907)
• 2000 - Nat Adderley, American musician and composer (b. 1931)
• 2000 - Patrick O'Brian, British novelist (b. 1914)
• 2000 - Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., U.S. admiral (b. 1920)
• 2001 - Teri Diver, American actress (b. 1971)
• 2002 - Armi Aavikko, Finnish singer (b. 1958)
• 2004 - Lynn Cartwright, American actress (b. 1927)
• 2004 - Jess Collins, American artist (b. 1923)
• 2005 - Cyril Fletcher, British comedian (b. 1913)
• 2005 - Frank Kelly Freas, American artist (b. 1922)
• 2005 - Ronald 'Bo' Ginn, American politician (b. 1934)
• 2005 - Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist (b. 1911)
• 2005 - Edo Murtić, Croatian painter (b. 1921)
• 2007 - Teddy Kollek, Austrian-born mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)
• 2007 - Robert C. Solomon, American scholar of continental philosophy (b. 1942)
• 2007 - Dan Shaver, NASCAR driver and ARCA race car driver/owner (b. 1950)
• 2007 - David Perkins, Stanford University geneticist (b. 1919)
• 2007 - Paek Nam-sun, North Korean Foreign Affairs minister (b. 1929)
• 2007 - Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor (b. 1951)
• 2007 - Don Massengale, American PGA Tour golf player (b. 1937)
• 2007 - Mauno Jokipii, Finnish professor and World War II researcher (b. 1924)
• 2007 - Sergio Jiménez, Mexican actor (b. 1937)
• 2007 - Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian (b. 1941)
• 2007 - Garry Betty, American CEO of Earthlink (b. 1957)

Holidays and observances

• Second day of New Year, New Zealand
• Second day of New Year, Slovenia
• Second day of New Year, Ukraine
• Second day of new Year, Japan
• Ancestry Day, Haiti
• Second day of the Hogmanay Bank Holiday, Scotland

Religious observances

• The eighth day of Christmas (and ninth night of same) in Western Christianity.
• Basil the Great^[1]
• Caspar del Bufalo^[1]
• Gregory of Nazianzus^[1]
• Macarius the Younger^[1]
• Seraphim of Sarov^[1]
• St. Berchtold's Day, Switzerland
• January 2

References

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day

• On This Day in Canada