2024 › January

January 4: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Pinterest
Facts & Historic Events That Happened on January 4

Share:

Share

January 4th observes Trivia Day and Spaghetti Day.

We are now on our fourth day of the year, anyone else feeling like this is going to be a long year?!

Find out all about January 4 with these top facts, including milestones in space exploration and how this day was a special day for The King of Rock and Roll.

Did you know that on this day in 1962, New York City modernized its subway with unmanned trains? A fire in 1964 led to the restoration of manual operations.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about January 4th in history!

Events

What memorable events happened on January 4 in history? Keep reading to find out!

2022

Blackberry phones officially ended their service after a year-long transition to a software-based business model.

2010

The world’s largest building at the time opened in Dubai.

OTD in 2010: The world's largest building at the time opened in Dubai.

The building was called Burj Khalifa and stood at 2,722 feet tall (829.8 meters).

2001

The rapper Vanilla Ice was arrested and spent a night in jail after a row with his wife, which led to ripping out her hair.

1989

George H. W. Bush declared himself President of the United States of America.

1970

A 7.1 magnitude Earthquake in Tonghai, China, claimed over 10,000 lives.

The disaster occurred at 01:00 and could be felt 300 miles away from the epicenter. The earthquake caused up to $25 million in damages.

1962

New York City modernized its subway by starting its first unmanned trains.

OTD in 1962: New York City modernized its subway by starting its first unmanned trains.

1959

The Soviet spacecraft Luna I became the first to pass the moon.

As the craft headed for the Sun’s orbit it, came within just 3,700 miles of the moon.

1954

Elvis Presley recorded his first demo for “It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You” and “I’ll Never Stand In Your Way.”

1948

Burma declared independence from the United Kingdom.

OTD in 1948: Burma declared independence from the United Kingdom.

1903

The famous elephant called Topsy was executed at Luna Park, Coney Island, in New York.

OTD in 1903: The famous elephant called Topsy was executed at Luna Park

It’s believed that owners Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy used the electrocution as a publicity stunt. Topsy’s execution was advertised as a public performance where attendees paid an entrance fee to watch.

1896

Utah became the 45th state to join the United States of America.

1884

Canada’s last-ever sighting of the Eastern Cougar was found in Ontario.

The cougar wasn’t seen again until May 16, 1938, in Maine, US, which was the last ever recorded sighting in the world. Sadly, they became unofficially extinct in 2011.

1642

King Charles I attacked the House of Commons.

On this day, King Charles I ambushed English Parliament and attempted to arrest five members. The arrest was unsuccessful as these members were tucked away safely at a top hiding spot in the City of London. This violent act was a significant cause that led to the Great Civil War.

46 BC

Julius Caesar and his legions made battle with one of Caesar’s former forces in the Battle of Ruspina in Africa.

Famous Births

If you’re celebrating your birthday today, you share the same birthday with Isaac Newton! Check out these other famous people who were born on this day!

2003

Jaeden Martell

American

Actor

Jaeden Martell

Age:

21 years old

Born In:

Pennsylvania, USA

1643

Isaac Newton

English

Mathematician

Isaac Newton

Died On:

Mar 31, 1727 (Age 84)

Born In:

England, UK

1996

Emma Mackey

English-French

Actress

Emma Mackey

Age:

28 years old

Born In:

Le Mans, France

1954

Tina Knowles

American

Businesswoman

Tina Knowles

Age:

70 years old

Born In:

Texas, USA

Quotes

Of all of the quotes said on this day, these are the most well-known ones spoken on January 4th throughout history.

1848

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

American Writer

Special Holidays

If you’re looking for something to do today, maybe these special holidays might just help to cure your boredom!

January 4: National Trivia Day
United States

National Trivia Day

National Trivia Day is a day to brush up on your general knowledge and learn something new. So why not celebrate Trivia Day by reading some fun facts or playing Trivial Pursuit? It doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it’s all trivial.

January 4: National Spaghetti Day
United States

National Spaghetti Day

Can you imagine a better day than Spaghetti Day? After all, the best way to celebrate today is simply to choose your favorite sauce, add it to a steaming pile of spaghetti and chow down! Just remember to make enough for everyone!

THe Fact Site’s

Fun Fact Of The Day

Celebrities have to pay $40,000 to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Birthday & Zodiac

If you were born on January 4th, your zodiac sign is Capricorn.

Capricorn is the last earth sign of the zodiac. It’s represented by the sea goat – a mythological creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish.

Garnet is the birthstone given to people born in January. This rich gem is thought to provide the wearer protection on their journey through life.

Those who were born on January 4th were likely conceived the previous year on April 13th.

A baby that is conceived on January 4th, 2024, will be born around September 27th, 2024.

Fact Check

We have a thorough fact-checking process and a dedicated team verifying our content for accuracy. However, occasionally, we may get things wrong, or information becomes outdated. If you believe something to be incorrect, please leave us a message below.

Leave a Comment