Tophat Dragoneye

Events

41 – Roman Emperor Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. The Guard then proclaims Caligula's uncle Claudius as Emperor
1438 – The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV.
1458 – Matthias I Corvinus becomes king of Hungary.
1624 – Afonso Mendes, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa.
1679 – King Charles II of England dissolves the Cavalier Parliament.
1742 – Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1817 – Crossing of the Andes: Many soldiers of Juan Gregorio de las Heras were captured during the Action of Picheuta.
1835 – Slaves in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, stage a revolt, which is instrumental in ending slavery there 50 years later.
1848 – California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento.
1857 – The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully-fledged university in south Asia.
1859 – Political and state union of Moldavia and Wallachia; Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as Domnitor in bouth Principalities.
1862 – Bucharest is proclaimed capital of Romania.
1878 – The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of Saint Petersburg.
1900 – Second Boer War: Boers stop a British attempt to break the Siege of Ladysmith in the Battle of Spion Kop.
1908 – The first Boy Scout troop is organized in England by Robert Baden-Powell.
1911 – Japanese anarchist Shūsui Kōtoku is hanged for treason in a case now considered a miscarriage of justice.
1916 – In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
1918 – The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars effective February 14(NS)
1939 – The deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán.
1942 – World War II: The Allies bombard Bangkok, leading Thailand to declare war against the United States and United Kingdom.
1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
1946 – The United Nations General Assembly passes its first resolution to establish the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission.
1947 – Greek banker Dimitrios Maximos becomes Prime Minister of Greece.
1960 – Algerian War: Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the "barricades week", during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
1961 – 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. The uranium core of one weapon remains lost.
1972 – Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
1977 – Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy.
1978 – Soviet satellite Cosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor on board, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.
1984 – The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
1986 – Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 kilometres (50,600 mi) of Uranus.
1990 – Japan launches Hiten, the country's first lunar probe, the first robotic lunar probe since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976, and the first lunar probe launched by a country other than Soviet Union or the United States.
1993 – Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara.
1996 – Polish Premier Józef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
2003 – The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.
2009 – The storm Klaus makes landfall near Bordeaux, France. It subsequently would cause 26 deaths as well as extensive disruptions to public transport and power supplies.
2011 – At least 35 died and 180 injured in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.

Births

76 – Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138)
1287 – Richard Aungerville, English bishop (d. 1345)
1444 – Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan (d. 1476)
1540 – Edmund Campion, English Jesuit (d. 1581)
1638 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet (d. 1706)
1670 – William Congreve, English playwright (d. 1729)
1674 – Thomas Tanner, English bishop (d. 1735)
1679 – Christian Wolff, German philosopher (d. 1754)
1705 – Farinelli, Italian castrato (d. 1782)
1709 – Dom Bédos de Celles, Benedictine monk best known for being a master pipe organ builder (d. 1779)
1712 – King Frederick II of Prussia (d. 1786)
1724 – Frances Brooke, English writer (d. 1789)
1732 – Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d. 1799)
1742 – Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (d. 1808)
1746 – King Gustav III of Sweden (d. 1792)
1752 – Muzio Clementi, Italian composer (d. 1832)
1754 – Andrew Ellicott, American surveyor (d. 1820)
1763 – Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron, Russian general (d. 1831)
1776 – E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer (d. 1822)
1779 – Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeievna (d. 1826)
1841 – Robert Williams, American archer (d. 1914)
1848 – Vasily Surikov, Russian painter (d. 1916)
1862 – Edith Wharton, American writer (d. 1937)
1864 – Marguerite Durand, French suffragette (d. 1936)
1872 – Konstantin Bogaevsky, Russian painter (d. 1943)
1872 – Ethel Turner, Australian author (d. 1958)
1883 – Philip Schuster, American gymnast (d. 1926)
1886 – Henry King, American film director (d. 1982)
1888 – Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d. 1960)
1888 – Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1958)
1891 – Walter Model, German field marshal (d. 1945)
1895 – Eugen Roth, German writer (d. 1976)
1898 – Cliff Heathcote, American baseball player (d. 1939)
1900 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian-born American geneticist and biologist (d. 1975)
1901 – Harry Calder, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
1901 – Edward Turner, English motorcycle designer (d. 1973)
1902 – E. A. Speiser, American biblical scholar (d. 1965)
1905 – J. Howard Marshall, American billionaire (d. 1995)
1907 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician (d. 1999)
1907 – Tuts Washington, American R&B pianist(d. 1984)
1909 – Martin Lings, English Islamic scholar (d. 2005)
1909 – Ann Todd, English actress (d. 1993)
1910 – Doris Haddock, American political activist (d. 2010)
1911 – Muir Mathieson, Scottish conductor and composer (d. 1975)
1913 – Norman Dello Joio, American composer (d. 2008)
1915 – Robert Motherwell, American painter (d. 1991)
1916 – Jack Brickhouse, American sports broadcaster (d. 1998)
1916 – Rafael Caldera, President of Venezuela (d. 2009)
1916 – Arnoldo Foà, Italian actor
1917 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor (d. 2012)
1918 – Oral Roberts, American evangelist (d. 2009)
1919 – Coleman Francis, American film director (d. 1973)
1920 – Jerry Maren, American actor
1922 – Charles Socarides, American psychiatrist (d. 2005)
1923 – Vlado Kristl, Croatian painter and filmmaker (d. 2004)
1924 – Joe Albany, American jazz pianist
1925 – Maria Tallchief, American ballerina
1926 – Georges Lautner, French director and screenwriter
1927 – Sir Patrick Macnaghten, 11th Baronet, British aristocrat (d. 2007)
1928 – Desmond Morris, British anthropologist
1928 – Michel Serrault, French actor (d. 2007)
1930 – Bernard Matthews, British poultry industry figure (d. 2010)
1931 – Lars Hörmander, Swedish mathematician (d. 2012)
1934 – Stanisław Grochowiak, Polish poet (d. 1976)
1934 – Ann Cole, American gospel and R&B singer
1935 – Eric Ashton, English rugby league footballer (d. 2008)
1936 – William Bogert, American actor
1936 – Doug Kershaw, American musician
1936 – Bobby Wellins, Scottish jazz saxophonist
1939 – Ray Stevens, American musician
1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer
1941 – Aaron Neville, American singer (Neville Brothers)
1942 – Gary Hart, American professional wrestling figure (d. 2008)
1943 – Subhash Ghai, Indian film director
1943 – Peter Struck, German politician
1943 – Sharon Tate, American actress and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
1944 – Klaus Nomi, German singer (d. 1983)
1945 – D. Todd Christofferson, American religious figure
1945 – John Garamendi, American politician
1946 – Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor
1946 – Haji, Canadian actress
1947 – Michio Kaku, Japanese-born American theoretical physicist
1947 – Masashi Ozaki, Japanese golfer
1947 – Warren Zevon, American musician (d. 2003)
1948 – Michael Des Barres, British actor and rock singer (Power Station, Silverhead, and Detective)
1949 – John Belushi, American actor (d. 1982)
1950 – Daniel Auteuil, French actor
1950 – Gennifer Flowers, American actress, political figure
1950 – Benjamin Urrutia, Ecuadorian-born American writer
1951 – Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-born American comedian
1953 – Tim Stoddard, American baseball player
1954 – Jo Gartner, Austrian racing driver (d. 1986)
1955 – Jim Montgomery, American swimmer
1956 – Hanne Krogh, Norwegian singer (Bobbysocks)
1956 – Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berber Kabyle singer (d. 1998)
1957 – Mark Eaton, American basketball player
1957 – Adrian Edmondson, English comedian
1958 – Neil Allen, American baseball player
1958 – Jools Holland, English musician (Squeeze)
1959 – David Mills, American author
1959 – Vic Reeves, English comedian
1960 – Rick Leventhal, American journalist
1960 – Jack Neo, Singaporean filmmaker & actor
1960 – Mária Bajzek Lukács Hungarian Slovene writer, adjunct of the University ELTE
1961 – Guido Buchwald, German football player
1961 – Nastassja Kinski, German-born actress
1961 – Vince Russo, American writer
1961 – William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete
1962 – Argiris Kambouris, Greek basketball player
1963 – Martyn Grimley, English field hockey player
1963 – Arnold Vanderlyde, Dutch boxer
1965 – Mike Awesome, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
1965 – Pagonis Vakalopoulos, Greek footballer
1966 – Jimeoin, Northern Irish comedian
1967 – Mark Kozelek, American singer/songwriter (Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon)
1967 – Phil LaMarr, American actor,comedian,and voice actor
1967 – John Myung, American musician (Dream Theater)
1968 – Michael Kiske, German musician (Helloween)
1968 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
1969 – Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Icelandic actor
1970 – Matthew Lillard, American actor
1971 – Cory Bailey, American baseball player
1971 – Andrea Mackris, American television producer
1972 – Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
1972 – Daan Schuurmans, Dutch actor
1972 – Ulla Werbrouck, Belgian judoka and politician
1974 – Adam Dean, American philosopher
1974 – Ed Helms, American actor
1975 – Isobel Cooper, English singer
1975 – Rónald Gómez, Costa Rican footballer
1976 – Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canadian ice dancer
1976 – Cindy Pieters, Belgian cyclist
1976 – Olga Vymetálková, Czech tennis player
1977 – Kensuke Kita, Japanese guitarist (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)
1978 – Kristen Schaal, American actress, writer and comedian
1979 – Tatyana Ali, American actress and singer
1979 – Leandro Desábato, Argentine footballer
1979 – Tom Kostopoulos, Canadian ice hockey player
1980 – Rocky Boiman, American football player
1980 – Nicole Marie Lenz, American actress
1980 – Yamandu Costa, Brazilian guitarist and composer
1981 – Travis Hanson, American baseball player
1981 – Michael Wolf, German ice hockey player
1982 – Fiona Xie, Singaporean actress
1983 – Diane Birch, American singer/songwriter/pianist
1983 – Wyatt Crockett, New Zealand rugby player
1983 – Shaun Maloney, Scottish footballer
1983 – Scott Speed, American race car driver
1983 – Davide Biondini, Italian footballer
1984 – Scott Kazmir, American baseball player
1984 – Witold Kiełtyka, Polish drummer (Decapitated) (d. 2007)
1984 – Paulo Sérgio, Portuguese footballer
1986 – Vieirinha, Portuguese footballer
1986 – Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
1986 – Raviv Ullman, Israeli-born American actor
1986 – Michael Kightly, English footballer
1987 – Luis Suárez, Uruguayan footballer
1988 – Jade Ewen, English singer (Sugababes)
1989 – Calvin Goldspink, English singer and actor (S Club 8)
1989 – Samba Diakité, Malian footballer
1989 – Ki Sung-Yueng, South Korean footballer
1990 – Mao Abe, Japanese singer-songwriter
1990 – Zuzana Zlochová, Slovak tennis player
1995 – Callan McAuliffe, Australian actor
1997 – Dylan Riley Snyder, American film, television and theatre actor
2012 – Princess Athena of Denmark

Deaths

41 – Caligula, Emperor of Rome (b. 12)
772 – Pope Stephen III (b. 720)
1002 – Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 980)
1125 – David IV of Georgia (b. 1073)
1366 – Alfonso IV of Aragon (b. 1299)
1376 – Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, English military leader
1473 – Conrad Paumann, German composer
1595 – Ferdinand II of Austria (b. 1529)
1626 – Samuel Argall, English adventurer and naval officer (b. 1580)
1639 – Georg Jenatsch, Swiss politician (b. 1596)
1666 – Johann Andreas Herbst, German composer (b. 1588)
1709 – George Rooke, English admiral (b. 1650)
1769 – François de Chevert, French general (b. 1695)
1856 – Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir, Polish Hasidic leader (b. 1775)
1877 – Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (b. 1796)
1882 – Levi Boone, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1808)
1883 – Friedrich von Flotow, German composer (b. 1812)
1895 – Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician (b. 1849)
1911 – David Graham Phillips, American journalist and novelist (b. 1867)
1918 – George Arthur Crump, Founder of the Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon NJ (b. 1871)
1920 – Amedeo Modigliani, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1884)
1924 – Anna Bayerová, Czech physician (b. 1853)
1924 – Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (b. 1894)
1932 – Alfred Yarrow, English shipbuilder (b. 1842)
1936 – Harry T. Morey, American actor (b. 1873)
1939 – Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Swiss physician and nutritionist (b. 1867)
1943 – John Burns, English politician (b. 1858)
1948 – Maria Mandel, Camp Leader at Auschwitz (b. 1912)
1955 – Ira Hayes, American World War II hero (b. 1923)
1955 – Henry Potter, American golfer (b. 1881)
1960 – Arthur Murray Chisholm, author of Western fiction (b. 1872)
1960 – Edwin Fischer, Swiss pianist and conductor (b. 1886)
1961 – Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American pole vaulter and inventor (b. 1884)
1962 – André Lhote, French painter (b. 1885)
1962 – Stanley Lord, captain of the SS Californian the night of the Titanic disaster (b. 1877)
1965 – Winston Churchill, soldier, politician, historian, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Nobel laureate (b. 1874)
1966 – Homi J. Bhabha, Indian physicist (b. 1909)
1970 – Caresse Crosby, American poet (b. 1891)
1971 – William Griffith "Bill" Wilson, American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
1973 – J. Carrol Naish, American actor (b. 1897)
1973 – Masao Ohba, world champion Japanese boxer (b. 1949)
1975 – Larry Fine, American actor and comedian (b. 1902)
1978 – Herta Oberheuser, German doctor (b. 1911)
1980 – Lil Dagover, Dutch-born German actress (b. 1887)
1982 – Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president and dictator (b. 1918)
1983 – George Cukor, American film director (b. 1899)
1986 – L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b. 1911)
1986 – Flo Hyman, American volleyball player (b. 1954)
1986 – Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
1988 – Werner Fenchel, German mathematician (b. 1905)
1989 – Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
1989 – George Knudson, Canadian golfer (b. 1937)
1990 – Madge Bellamy, American actress (b. 1899)
1991 – John M. Kelly, Irish politician and academic (b. 1931)
1992 – Ken Darby, American composer, arranger and conductor (b. 1909)
1992 – Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (b. 1950)
1993 – Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1908)
1993 – Uğur Mumcu, Turkish journalist and writer (b. 1942)
1994 – Yves Navarre, French writer (b. 1940)
1998 – Walter D. Edmonds, American author (b. 1903)
2000 – Bobby Duncum, Jr., American professional wrestler (b. 1965)
2002 – Peter Gzowski, Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter (b. 1934)
2002 – Elie Hobeika, Lebanese Forces militia commander (b. 1956)
2003 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (b. 1921)
2004 – Leônidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1913)
2005 – June Bronhill, Australian singer (b. 1929)
2005 – Vladimir Savchenko, Ukrainian writer (b. 1933)
2005 – Chalkie White, English rugby union coach (b. 1929)
2006 – Schafik Handal, Salvadoran politician (b. 1930)
2006 – Fayard Nicholas, American tap dancer, one-half of The Nicholas Brothers (b. 1914)
2006 – Chris Penn, American actor (b. 1965)
2007 – Krystyna Feldman, Polish actress (b. 1916)
2007 – Guadalupe Larriva, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1956)
2007 – Emiliano Mercado del Toro, World's oldest military veteran (b. 1891)
2008 – Lee Embree, American sergeant and photographer (b. 1915)
2008 – Randy Salerno, co-anchor of Chicago's CBS 2 News (b. 1963)
2009 – Gérard Blanc, French singer (b. 1947)
2009 – Reg Gutteridge, British boxing journalist (b. 1924)
2009 – Kay Yow, North Carolina State Univ. women's basketball head coach (b. 1942)
2010 – Pernell Roberts, American actor & singer, last surviving star of Bonanza (b. 1928)
2011 – Bernd Eichinger, German film producer and director (b. 1949)
2011 – Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Indian Musician, Bharat Ratna Laureate (b. 1922)
2011 – Gerardo Ortega, Filipino Journalist and Environmentalist (b. 1963)
2012 – James Farentino, American actor (b. 1938)

There's certainly a lot of stuff that happened on the 24th of January in various points in time. Also, how many of you can say that you share your birthday with a royal person from your own country?

The list is taken from Wikipedia, by the way.