Did you know
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
January 22 in History
1917 — American entry into World War I: President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States calls for "peace without victory" in Europe
January 22 spans 46 recorded events across recorded history, from 613 to 2024. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Historical Events
46 events
613 – 2024
Today in history
More major events on January 22
The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.
- 2006 Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president. Source
- 1992 Space Shuttle program: The space shuttle Discovery launches on STS-42 carrying Dr. Roberta Bondar, who becomes the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space. Source
- 1970 The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport. Source
Did you know
The sinking of the RMS Lusitania in May 1915 killed over 1,000 civilians, including 128 Americans
Did you know
President Woodrow Wilson's initial stance on World War I was one of neutrality, with a focus on domestic issues
Did you know
The Zimmermann Telegram, sent by Germany in January 1917, attempted to persuade Mexico to declare war on the United States
Did you know
The US entry into World War I led to the deployment of over 2 million American soldiers to Europe, with over 115,000 casualties
613
Eight-month-old Heraclius Constantine is crowned as co-emperor (Caesar) by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
Byzantine emperor in 641
871
Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated by the Danelaw Vikings at Basing.
Battle between Vikings and West Saxons in 871
1506
The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrives at the Vatican.
Military of Vatican City, Bodyguard of the Pope
1517
The Ottoman Empire under Selim I defeats the Mamluk Sultanate and captures present-day Egypt at the Battle of Ridaniya.
Turkish Empire (c. 1299–1922)
1555
The Ava Kingdom falls to the Taungoo Dynasty in what is now Myanmar.
Polity in upper Myanmar (1365–1555)
1689
The Convention Parliament convenes to determine whether James II and VII, the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Ireland and Scotland, had vacated the thrones of England and Ireland when he fled to France in 1688.
Parliament of England held in 1689
1808
The Portuguese royal family arrives in Brazil after fleeing the French army's invasion of Portugal two months earlier.
Portuguese dynasty
1849
Second Anglo-Sikh War: The Siege of Multan ends after nine months when the last Sikh defenders of Multan, Punjab, surrender.
1848–49 conflict between the British and Sikh empires
1863
The January Uprising breaks out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus.
The aim of the national movement is to regain Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation by Russia.
1879
Anglo-Zulu War: the Battle of Isandlwana results in a Zulu victory.
British colonial war in 1879
1879
Anglo-Zulu War: the Battle of Rorke's Drift, just some 15 km (9.3 mi) away from Isandlwana, results in a British victory.
1879 battle of the Anglo-Zulu War
1890
The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, Ohio.
North American labor union
1901
Edward VII is proclaimed King of the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
King of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910
1905
Bloody Sunday occurs in Saint Petersburg, beginning the 1905 revolution.
1905 protest in St. Petersburg, Russia
1906
SS Valencia runs aground on rocks on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, killing more than 130.
Passenger steamship (1882–1906)
1915
Over 600 people are killed in Guadalajara, Mexico, when a train plunges off the tracks into a deep canyon.
City and municipality in Jalisco, Mexico
1919
Act Zluky is signed, unifying the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian National Republic.
1919 unification treaty of Ukrainian republics
1924
Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1924; 1929–1935)
1927
Teddy Wakelam gives the first live radio commentary of a football match, between Arsenal F.C.
and Sheffield United at Highbury.
1941
World War II: British and Commonwealth troops capture Tobruk from Italian forces during Operation Compass.
Global conflict (1939–1945)
1943
World War II: Australian and American forces defeat Japanese army and navy units in the bitterly fought Battle of Buna–Gona.
World War II battle in the Pacific
1944
World War II: The Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio and Nettuno, Italy.
Military coalition of World War II
1946
In Iran, Qazi Muhammad declares the independent people's Republic of Mahabad at Chahar Cheragh Square in the Kurdish city of Mahabad; he becomes the new president and Haji Baba Sheikh becomes the prime minister.
Country in West Asia
1946
Creation of the Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.
U.S. intelligence and covert action agency
1947
KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood.
Television station in Los Angeles
1963
The Élysée Treaty of cooperation between France and West Germany is signed by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer.
1963 peace agreement between France and West Germany
1967
Between dozens and hundreds of anti-Somocista demonstrators are killed by the Nicaraguan National Guard in Managua.
Ruling family of Nicaragua from 1936 to 1979
1968
Apollo Program: Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space.
1961–1972 American crewed lunar exploration program
1968
Operation Igloo White, a US electronic surveillance system to stop communist infiltration into South Vietnam begins installation.
American electronic surveillance strategy during the Vietnam War
1970
The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from New York's John F.
Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
1971
The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued.
1971 agreement on the Commonwealth of Nations' shared political values
1973
The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decisions in Roe v.
Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states. This decision is subsequently overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022.
1973
The crew of Apollo 17 addresses a joint session of Congress after the completion of the final Apollo Moon landing mission.
Sixth and most recent crewed Moon landing
1973
A chartered Boeing 707 explodes in flames upon landing at Kano Airport, Nigeria, killing 176.
Four-engined single-aisle airliner family
1973
In a bout for the world heavyweight boxing championship in Kingston, Jamaica, challenger George Foreman knocks down champion Joe Frazier six times in the first two rounds before the fight is stopped by referee Arthur Mercante Sr..
Boxing competition
1987
Philippine security forces open fire on a crowd of 10,000–15,000 demonstrators at Malacañang Palace, Manila, killing 13.
Archipelagic country in Southeast Asia
1992
Space Shuttle program: The space shuttle Discovery launches on STS-42 carrying Dr.
Roberta Bondar, who becomes the first Canadian woman and the first neurologist in space.
1995
Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Beit Lid suicide bombing: In central Israel, near Netanya, two Gazans blow themselves up at a military transit point, killing 19 Israeli soldiers.
Ongoing military and political conflict in West Asia
1998
Space Shuttle program: space shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-89 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
Space Shuttle orbiter (1992–2011)
1999
Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons are burned alive by radical Hindus while sleeping in their car in Eastern India.
Australian missionary killed in India (1941–1999)
2006
Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president.
President of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019
2007
At least 88 people are killed when two car bombs explode in the Bab Al-Sharqi market in central Baghdad, Iraq.
2007 terrorist attack in Baghdad, Iraq
2009
U.S.
President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; congressional opposition will prevent it being implemented.
2024
Ram Mandir is inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh after 500 years of dispute.
Temple of the Hindu deity Rama in Ayodhya, India