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January 4
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===1901–present=== *[[1903]] – [[Topsy (elephant)|Topsy]], an [[elephant]], is electrocuted by the owners of [[Luna Park, Coney Island (1903)|Luna Park, Coney Island]]. The [[Edison Studios|Edison film company]] records the film ''[[Electrocuting an Elephant]]'' of Topsy's death.<ref>Daly, Michael (2013). Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-tailed Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison, page 282</ref> *[[1909]] – Explorer [[Aeneas Mackintosh]] of the [[Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition]] escaped death by fleeing across [[drift ice|ice floes]].<ref>{{cite book|author-link= Beau Riffenburgh|last= Riffenburgh|first=Beau|title= Nimrod|publisher= Bloomsbury Publications|location= London|year= 2004|isbn= 0-7475-7253-4 |pages=266}}</ref> *[[1912]] – [[The Scout Association]] is incorporated throughout the [[British Empire]] by [[royal charter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scoutdocs.ca/Scouts_Canada_Act/Royal_Charter.php|title=Royal Charter of The Boy Scouts Association|website=Scouts Canada|access-date=14 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025134620/https://scoutdocs.ca/Scouts_Canada_Act/Royal_Charter.php|archive-date=25 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1918]] – The [[Finnish Declaration of Independence]] is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France.<ref>{{cite book|author=Suzanne Lalonde|title=Determining Boundaries in a Conflicted World: The Role of Uti Possidetis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x7qEqVpq9poC&pg=PA66|date=6 December 2002|publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP|isbn=978-0-7735-2424-8|pages=66}}</ref> *[[1944]] – [[World War II]]: [[Operation Carpetbagger]], involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.<ref>{{cite book|title=Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: An Illustrated History of the Military Airlift Command, 1941-1991|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2HpZ11L1Md8C|year=1991|publisher=Headquarters Military Airlift Command|page=52}}</ref> *[[1946]] – The first day of a [[Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946|three-day "disastrous" tornado outbreak]] across the south-central United States leaves 41 people dead and at least 412 others injured.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=L. H. Seamon (U.S. Weather Bureau) |title=Preliminary Report on Tornadoes in the United States During 1946 |journal=Monthly Weather Review |date=1 December 1946 |volume=74 |issue=12 |pages=211–213 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0211:PROTIT>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Laura V. Wolford (U.S. Office of Climatology) |author2=Frederick H. Mueller (Secretary of Commerce) |author3=F. W. Reichelderfer (Chief of U.S. Weather Bureau) |title=Tornado Occurrences in the United States |url=https://www.weather.gov/media/owp/oh/hdsc/docs/TP20.pdf |publisher=Department of Commerce |access-date=22 April 2023 |pages=22–25 |date=1960 |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422185622/https://www.weather.gov/media/owp/oh/hdsc/docs/TP20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> *[[1948]] – [[Myanmar|Burma]] gains its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming an independent republic.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bertil Lintner|title=Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency since 1948|url=https://archive.org/details/burmainrevoltopi0000lint|url-access=registration|date=1 May 1999|publisher=Silkworm Books|isbn=978-1-63041-184-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/burmainrevoltopi0000lint/page/11 11]}}</ref> *[[1951]] – [[Korean War]]: Chinese and [[North Korea]]n forces [[Third Battle of Seoul|capture Seoul]] for the second time.<ref>{{cite book|title=New Encyclop3Œdia Britannica: Macrop3Œdia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvsaAQAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Encyclop3Œdia Britannica|page=501|isbn = 9780852296332}}</ref> *[[1956]] – The Greek [[National Radical Union]] is formed by [[Konstantinos Karamanlis]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Political Handbook of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8ISAAAAIAAJ|year=1963|publisher=Center for Comparative Political Research of the State University of New York at Binghamton and for the Council on Foreign Relations|page=89}}</ref> *[[1958]] – [[Sputnik 1]], the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to [[Earth]] from orbit.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Anil K. Maini|author2=Varsha Agrawal|title=Satellite Technology: Principles and Applications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qw7ECiEvy5kC&pg=PA8|date=29 January 2007|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-03335-7|pages=8}}</ref> *[[1959]] – ''[[Luna 1]]'' becomes the first [[spacecraft]] to reach the vicinity of the [[Moon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1959-012A|title=Luna 1|website=NASA|access-date=8 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602031816/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1959-012A|archive-date=2 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1965]] – [[Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20]] crashes on approach to [[Almaty International Airport|Alma-Ata Airport]], killing 64 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Ilyushin 18B CCCP-75685 Alma-Ata Airport (ALA) |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19650104-1 |access-date=2017-12-26 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref> *[[1972]] – [[Rose Heilbron]] becomes the first female judge to sit at the [[Old Bailey]] in London, UK.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/hilary-heilbron-writing-life-story-3333354|title=Hilary Heilbron on writing the life story of her mother – the late Liverpool legal pioneer Dame Rose Heilbron|last=Shennan|first=Paddy|date=2012-10-26|work=liverpoolecho|access-date=2018-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125204535/https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/hilary-heilbron-writing-life-story-3333354|archive-date=2018-11-25|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1975]] – This 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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Neumann|first=Peter G.|date=1987-02-02|title=The RISKS Digest, Volume 4 Issue 45|url=https://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/4.45.html|access-date=2021-07-20|website=The RISKS Digest, Volume 4 Issue 45|volume=4|issue=45|archive-date=2021-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720061243/http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/4.45.html|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1976]] – [[The Troubles]]: The [[Ulster Volunteer Force]] [[Reavey and O'Dowd killings|shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians]] in [[County Armagh]], Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen [[Kingsmill massacre|would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians]] nearby in retaliation.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lost Lives: The Stories of the Men, Women, and Children who Died as a Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781840182279|url-access=registration|year=1999|publisher=Mainstream|isbn=978-1-84018-227-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781840182279/page/610 610]}}</ref> *[[1987]] – The [[1987 Maryland train collision|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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Special Report: Rail Emergencies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JqGZj1QYZIUC&pg=PA16|publisher=FEMA|pages=16|id=GGKEY:2HTT9LF787X}}</ref> *[[1989]] – [[1989 air battle near Tobruk|Second Gulf of Sidra incident]]: A pair of Libyan [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23 "Floggers"]] are shot down by a pair of US Navy [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14 Tomcat]]s during an air-to-air confrontation.<ref>* Stanik, Joseph T. ''El Dorado Canyon: Reagan’s Undeclared War with Qaddafi''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2003, page 228. {{ISBN|978-1-55750-983-3}}</ref> *[[1990]] – In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train [[Sukkur rail disaster|collides with an empty freight train]], resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/05/world/at-least-210-die-in-pakistan-s-worst-rail-crash.html|title=At Least 210 Die in Pakistan's Worst Rail Crash|date=5 January 1990|website=New York Times (archive)|access-date=17 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617113424/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/05/world/at-least-210-die-in-pakistan-s-worst-rail-crash.html|archive-date=17 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1998]] – [[North American Ice Storm of 1998|A massive ice storm]] hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through [[January 10]] and causing widespread destruction.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Burlington, Vermont National Weather Service|title=10th Anniversary of the Devastating 1998 Ice Storm in the Northeast|year=2008|publisher=NOAA|access-date=July 16, 2008|url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/events/IceStorm1998/ice98.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511204226/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/events/IceStorm1998/ice98.shtml|archive-date=May 11, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[1999]] – Former professional wrestler [[Jesse Ventura]] is sworn in as governor of [[Minnesota]], United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/jan99/ventura5.htm?|title=In Minnesota, Pomp and Pep Rally|date=January 5, 1999|author=Jon Jeter|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=17 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408213051/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/jan99/ventura5.htm|archive-date=8 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2000]] – A Norwegian passenger train departing from [[Trondheim]], [[Åsta accident|collides with a local train]] coming from [[Hamar]] in [[Åsta]], [[Åmot]]; 19 people are killed and 68 injured in the accident.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gulowsen |first1=Jon |last2=Ryggvik |first2=Helge |title=Jernbanen i Norge 1854–2004: Ny tider og gamle spor 1940–2004 |publisher=Vogmostad & Bjørke |location=Bergen |year=2004 |language=Norwegian |isbn=82-419-0332-4}}</ref> *[[2004]] – [[Spirit (rover)|''Spirit'']], a [[NASA]] [[Mars rover]], lands successfully on [[Mars]] at 04:35 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/details.php?id=5917|title=Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit|website=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory|access-date=16 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903114938/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/details.php?id=5917|archive-date=3 September 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2004 – [[Mikheil Saakashvili]] is [[Georgian presidential election, 2004|elected]] [[President of Georgia]] following the November 2003 [[Rose Revolution]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1051169.html|title=Georgia's Saakashvili Vows To Fight Corruption|date=6 January 2004|newspaper=Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty|access-date=16 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616143640/https://www.rferl.org/a/1051169.html|archive-date=16 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2006]] – [[Ehud Olmert]] becomes acting [[Prime Minister of Israel]] after the incumbent, [[Ariel Sharon]], suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke.<ref>{{cite book|author1=United Nations|author2=United Nations Publications|title=Report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ST-2XZ-C-IgC&pg=PA6|date=November 2006|publisher=United Nations Publications|isbn=978-92-1-810275-1|pages=6}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> *[[2007]] – The [[110th United States Congress]] convenes, electing [[Nancy Pelosi]] as the first female [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] in U.S. history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/technology/2007/01/04/pelosi-sworn-in-as-first-woman-speaker-of-the-house/32917f2c-c075-4d7a-b404-90e8c9fe7cea/|title=Pelosi Sworn in as First Woman Speaker of the House|date=January 4, 2007|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 22, 2019|issn=0190-8286|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122145116/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/technology/2007/01/04/pelosi-sworn-in-as-first-woman-speaker-of-the-house/32917f2c-c075-4d7a-b404-90e8c9fe7cea/|archive-date=January 22, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2008]] – A [[Let L-410 Turbolet]] [[2008 Los Roques archipelago Transaven Let L-410 crash|crashes]] in the [[Los Roques Archipelago]] in [[Venezuela]], killing 14 people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ranter|first=Harro|title=ASN Aircraft accident Let L-410UVP-E3 YV2081 Los Roques Airport (LRV)|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20080104-0|access-date=2022-01-03|website=aviation-safety.net|publisher=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|archive-date=2020-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121210408/https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20080104-0|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2010]] – The [[Burj Khalifa]], the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in [[Dubai]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0105/World-s-tallest-building-What-s-it-worth-to-have-the-Dubai-tower-and-what-should-people-call-it|title=World's tallest building: What's it worth to have the Dubai tower – and what should people call it?|last=Huang|first=Carol|date=5 January 2010|newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|access-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174823/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0105/World-s-tallest-building-What-s-it-worth-to-have-the-Dubai-tower-and-what-should-people-call-it|archive-date=5 January 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2013]] – A gunman [[Kawit shooting|kills eight people]] in a house-to-house rampage in [[Kawit]], [[Cavite]], Philippines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/04/world/asia/philippines-shooting/index.html|title=Gunman kills 9 in house-to-house rampage in Philippine town|date=4 January 2013|author=Tim Schwarz and Jethro Mullen|website=CNN|access-date=16 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616143643/https://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/04/world/asia/philippines-shooting/index.html|archive-date=16 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> *[[2018]] – [[Hennenman–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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/four-dead-and-hundreds-injured-in-south-africa-train-crash-11195032 |title=14 dead and up to 100 injured in South Africa train crash |first=Alix |last=Culbertson |newspaper=Sky News |access-date=4 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330075824/https://news.sky.com/story/four-dead-and-hundreds-injured-in-south-africa-train-crash-11195032 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> *[[2019]] – A [[ToNiePokój escape room fire|fire in an escape room]] in [[Koszalin]], Poland, kills five teenagers through [[carbon monoxide poisoning]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palin |first=Megan |date=6 January 2019 |title=Five girls locked in home-based escape room died from 'asphyxiation' |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/five-girls-locked-in-home-based-escape-room-died-from-asphyxiation/MHDLSQRH4FYPRBVVCSZGITQSXM/ |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref>
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