Globally Significant:
1933:
construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a suspension bridge that once boasted the longest main span in the world and that has been celebrated for the magnificence of its setting.
1919:
Anton Drexler founded the German Workers’ Party, the forerunner of the Nazi Party, in Munich, Germany.
1972:
President Richard Nixon launched the space shuttle program, a major initiative to develop reusable spacecraft for orbital missions .
2005:
the dwarf planet Eris was discovered in images taken two years earlier at Palomar Observatory in California
Scientific and Technological Advancements:
1920:
Henry Ford raised his workers’ pay from $2.40 to $5.00 a day and reduced the hours of the workday, setting a new standard for the American industry.
1933:
construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a suspension bridge that once boasted the longest main span in the world and that has been celebrated for the magnificence of its setting.
1972:
President Richard Nixon launched the space shuttle program, a major initiative to develop reusable spacecraft for orbital missions.
2005:
the dwarf planet Eris was discovered in images taken two years earlier at Palomar Observatory in California
Cultural and Political Turning Points:
1477:
the Battle of Nancy took place, in which the Swiss Confederacy led by René II decisively defeated the Duchy of Burgundy, ending the Burgundian Wars and the reign of Charles the Bold.
1919:
Anton Drexler founded the German Workers’ Party, the forerunner of the Nazi Party, in Munich, Germany. This marked the beginning of the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe.
1953:
Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot premiered in Paris, France. The play is considered one of the most influential works of the 20th century, as it challenged the conventions of theatre and introduced the concept of the absurd.
1976:
Pol Pot renamed Cambodia as Democratic Kampuchea and began his brutal regime of genocide, starvation, and forced labor5. His rule resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people, or about a quarter of the population.
2014:
Eusébio, perhaps the greatest Portuguese football (soccer) player of all time, died in Lisbon, Portugal. He was widely regarded as one of the best players in history, scoring 733 goals in 745 matches and winning the Ballon d’Or in 1965.
Sports
1920:
New York Yankees announced the purchase of Babe Ruth, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, from the Boston Red Sox for $125,00012. This marked the beginning of the Curse of the Bambino, a superstition that allegedly prevented the Red Sox from winning the World Series for 86 years.
1971:
the first ODI cricket match in history was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia won the match by five wickets, with Bill Lawry scoring 82 runs and Alan Connolly taking three wickets.
1996:
Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula announced his retirement after 33 seasons in the NFL. He is the winningest coach in NFL history, with 347 victories, including two Super Bowl titles.
2014:
Eusébio, perhaps the greatest Portuguese football (soccer) player of all time, died in Lisbon, Portugal. He was widely regarded as one of the best players in history, scoring 733 goals in 745 matches and winning the Ballon d’Or in 1965.
Born on January 5th:
Mirza Sahib Uddin Baig Muhammad Khan Khurram (1592-1666):
better known as Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor of India, who built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (1941-2011):
also known as Tiger Pataudi, an Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian national team, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest captains and batsmen in Indian cricket history.
Deepika Padukone (1986-):
an Indian actress and producer, who is one of the highest-paid and most popular celebrities in India, and has won several awards, including three Filmfare Awards. She has also been featured in Time’s 100 most influential people in the world list in 2018.
Died on January 5th:
Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933):
The 30th president of the United States, who led the nation through the Roaring Twenties and promoted a pro-business agenda
George Reeves (1914-1959):
An American actor best known for playing Superman in the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman
Sonny Bono (1935-1998), an American singer, songwriter, producer, and politician, who was half of the pop duo Sonny & Cher and later served as a U.S. Representative from California .
Roger Sperry (1913-1994):
an American neuroscientist and Nobel laureate, who pioneered the study of the split brain and the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres .
Umberto Eco (1932-2016):
an Italian novelist, philosopher, and semiotician, who wrote acclaimed works such as The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum .
