January 4 in History

Historical Events on January 4

1642 King Charles I of England attempts to arrest Five Members of Parliament, commencing England's slide into civil war.

1762 Great Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples.

1896 Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.

1944 World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.

1948 Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

1974 United States President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.

2006 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

2007 The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.

2010 The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai

All Events

Famous Birthdays on January 4

1643 Isaac Newton

1967 David Berman (musician)

1986 Younès Kaboul

1986 James Milner

All Births

Famous Deaths on January 4

1941 Henri Bergson

1965 T. S. Eliot

1985 Brian Horrocks

2011 Gerry Rafferty

All Deaths

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