Vintage News · Odd history for January 4

What Happened On January 4

Q: What happened on January 4?

1903: Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death. 1863: The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany. 1844: The first issue of the Swedish-languaged Saima newspaper founded by J. V. Snellman is published in Kuopio, Finland. 2004: Spirit (artist's impression depicted), the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars. 1973: Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse. 1972: Rose Heilbron (pictured) became the first female judge to sit at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales. 1936: Billboard published its first music hit parade. 1909: British explorer Aeneas Mackintosh, a member of the Nimrod Expedition, escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. 2007: The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history. 1976: The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.

46 events and 196 births, refreshed daily. OddlyTrue's own archive for 4 January →

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10 odd things that happened on January 4

1903 Oddly true
Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1863 Oddly true
The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1844 First ever
The first issue of the Swedish-languaged Saima newspaper founded by J. V. Snellman is published in Kuopio, Finland.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2004 First ever
Spirit (artist's impression depicted), the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1973 Oddly true
Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1972 First ever
Rose Heilbron (pictured) became the first female judge to sit at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1936 First ever
Billboard published its first music hit parade.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1909 Oddly true
British explorer Aeneas Mackintosh, a member of the Nimrod Expedition, escaped death by fleeing across ice floes.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2007 First ever
The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1976 Oddly true
The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2019A fire in an escape room in Koszalin, Poland, kills five teenagers through carbon monoxide poisoning. Wikipedia →
2018Hennenman–Kroonstad train crash: A passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collides with a truck on a level crossing at Geneva Station between Hennenman and Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. Twenty people are killed and 260 injured. Wikipedia →
2013A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines. Wikipedia →
2010The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai. Wikipedia →
2008A Let L-410 Turbolet crashes in the Los Roques Archipelago in Venezuela, killing 14 people. Wikipedia →
2007The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history. Wikipedia →
2006Ehud Olmert becomes acting Prime Minister of Israel after the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. Wikipedia →
2004Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC. Wikipedia →
2004Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution. Wikipedia →
2000A Norwegian passenger train departing from Trondheim, collides with a local train coming from Hamar in Åsta in Åmot Municipality; 19 people are killed and 68 injured in the accident. Wikipedia →
1999Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota, United States. Wikipedia →
1998A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction. Wikipedia →
1990In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries. Wikipedia →
1989Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation. Wikipedia →
1987The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, United States, killing 16 people. Wikipedia →
1976The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation. Wikipedia →
1975This date overflowed the 12-bit field that had been used in TOPS-10. There were numerous problems and crashes related to this bug while an alternative format was developed. Wikipedia →
1972Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, UK. Wikipedia →
1967The Doors released their eponymous debut album. Wikipedia →
1965Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 crashes on approach to Alma-Ata Airport, killing 64 people. Wikipedia →
1959Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. Wikipedia →
1958Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to Earth from orbit. Wikipedia →
1956The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis. Wikipedia →
1951Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time. Wikipedia →
1948Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming an independent republic. Wikipedia →
1946The first day of a three-day "disastrous" tornado outbreak across the south-central United States leaves 41 people dead and at least 412 others injured. Wikipedia →
1944World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins. Wikipedia →
1918The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France. Wikipedia →
1912The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter. Wikipedia →
1909Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. Wikipedia →
1903Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death. Wikipedia →
1896Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. Wikipedia →
1885Sino-French War: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing force at Núi Bop in northern Vietnam. Wikipedia →
1884The Fabian Society is founded in London, United Kingdom. Wikipedia →
1878Russo-Turkish War (1877–78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule. Wikipedia →
1863The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany. Wikipedia →
1854The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang. Wikipedia →
1853After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller. Wikipedia →
1844The first issue of the Swedish-languaged Saima newspaper founded by J. V. Snellman is published in Kuopio, Finland. Wikipedia →
1798Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire. Wikipedia →
1762Great Britain declares war on Spain, which meant the entry of Spain into the Seven Years' War. Wikipedia →
1717The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance. Wikipedia →
1649English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial. Wikipedia →
1642English Civil War: King Charles I, accompanied by 400 soldiers, attempts to arrest five members of Parliament for treason, only to discover the men had been tipped off and fled. Wikipedia →
871Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army. Wikipedia →
46 BCJulius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. Wikipedia →

From The Guardian Archives — On This Day

2023The Guardian
China data ‘under-represents’ true impact of Covid outbreak – WHO
Analysis of Chinese data finds no new variants of concern emerging, but world health body says it still does not have…
Read on The Guardian →
2013The Guardian
No boys allowed: the rise of single-sex clubs and societies
Zoe Williams: This month, a women-only restaurant will join a clutch of new clubs, societies and networking events th…
Read on The Guardian →
1975The New York Times
U.S. Safety Board Enters Study of Bronx Rail Crash
Natl Transportation Safety Bd, superseding Fed RR Adm in Fed investigation of Jan 2 crash of 2 Penn Central commuters…
Read on NYTimes.com →

Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.