What Happened on Jan 4

Charles Darwin First Speech to the Geological Society of London

With Lyell's enthusiastic backing, Darwin read his first paper to the Geological Society of London on 4 January 1837, arguing that the South... Read more

John C. Calhoun Makes A Speech To Congress

This was a controversial proposition for two reasons. First, idealistic advocates of Manifest Destiny like John L. O'Sullivan had always maintained... Read more

Nebraska Bill Introduced to Senate

The bill was reported to the main body of the Senate on January 4, 1854. The bill had been significantly modified by Douglas, who had also authored... Read more

Utah is the 45th State Admitted to the Union

The Utah constitution was adopted November 5, 1895, by a vote of 31,305 to 7,607. On January 4, 1896, the president of the United States issued a... Read more

Ottawa Silver Seven win Stanley Cup

The 1903–04 Ottawa Hockey Club season, the club's 19th season of play, lasted from December 30, 1903 until March 11, 1904. Ottawa resigned from the... Read more

Joseph Stalin Is Named Time Magazine's 'Person Of The Year' For A Second Time

The year 1942 was a year of blood and strength. The man whose name means steel in Russian, whose few words of English include the American... Read more

Burma Becomes An Independent Nation

On January 4, 1948, the British colony of Burma, now Myanmar, became an independent nation after more than sixty years of colonial rule. England... Read more

Gerald Ford is Voted the House Minority Leader

In 1964, Democratic President Lyndon Johnson led a landslide victory for his party, securing another term as president and taking 36 seats from... Read more

The Doors Release Self-Titled Debut Album

The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band The Doors, released in January 1967. It features the breakthrough single "Light My Fire",... Read more

Tonghai Earthquake

The 1970 Tonghai earthquake occurred on 4 January 1970 in Tonghai, China. The rupture originated on the local Yunnan Province’s Red River fault,... Read more

Judas Priest release Defenders of the Faith

Defenders of the Faith is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain and... Read more

"The Rye" - Season 7 Episode 11 of Seinfeld Premiers

"The Rye" is the 121st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the seventh season. It aired on January 4, 1996. Plot... Read more

Rainbow Bridge Collapse

In Chongqing alone 1,600 people have died as a result of shoddy construction. Forty people died after falling 460 feet when the steel-and-concrete... Read more

The Fingerpoke of Doom

The Fingerpoke of Doom is the common nickname for a storyline in American professional wrestling history that happened on January 4, 1999 on WCW... Read more

Packers beat Seahawks 33-27 in overtime playoff game

Jan. 4, 2004, at Lambeau. Favre throws for 319 yards to get the Packers to overtime, and Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck - Favre's former... Read more

Ali al-Haidari, Governor of the Baghdad Governorate, is Assassinated by Armed Gunmen

Ali al-Haidari was the governor of the Baghdad Governorate in Iraq. Al-Haidari had narrowly escaped being killed in an assassination attempt in... Read more

Boston Celtics defeat Memphis Grizzlies, 100-96

With an Eastern Conference showdown on tap for tonight, it seemed hard for the Celtics to stay focused on a lesser opponent last night. The... Read more

Norman Hsu Sentenced on Original Fraud Charges

A judge on Friday sentenced disgraced political donor Norman Hsu to three years in state prison after rejecting the one-time Democratic rainmaker's... Read more

Iranian Officials Deny Senator Kerry's Proposed Visit

Iranian officials have decided not to allow Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman and 2004 Democratic... Read more

Opening of World's Tallest Building, Burj Khalifa, Formerly Called Burj Dubai

The opening Monday of the world's tallest skyscraper could mark a turning point in Dubai's fortunes and those of its ruler after a year that saw... Read more

Rod Blagojevich officially announced as competitor on 'Celebrity Apprentice'

Donald Trump boasted that the upcoming season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" is the best ever and promised the star power of its cast "blows... Read more

Snoop Dogg Eyes Susan Boyle Collaboration

Proving that he'll work with just about anyone to make a hit, Snoop Dogg has announced a particularly popular female vocalist he'd like to work... Read more