Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theater shows, and more.
Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in January 2023 (so you have time to write about them!)
We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2023. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
The 2027 edition will be available from August 2022 and the 2028 edition from April 2023.
Jan 1, 1898 – 125 years ago
The modern City of New York was formed when Brooklyn, the County of New York, the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens were consolidated. Staten Island was added on January 25th.
Jan 2, 1873 – 150 years ago
Birth of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, French Carmelite nun. Also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, The Little Flower of Jesus, or The Little Flower. One of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic Church.
Jan 3, 1983 – 40 years ago
Time magazine put a personal computer on its front cover as ‘Machine of the Year’ instead of its usual ‘Man of the Year’.
Jan 4, 1923 – 100 years ago
The first radio network in the USA was created. The ‘WEAF chain’ was created when AT&T linked WEAF (now WFAN) in New York City with WNAC (now WRKO) in Boston, Massachusetts. Only one program was transmitted from New York to Boston during this trial. A longer three-month trial began on July 1st when WEAF provided programming for WMAF in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Other networks also began operating during that summer.
Jan 5, 1948 – 75 years ago
Warner Brothers–Pathé showed the first colour newsreel. It featured the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl football game, both filmed in Pasadena, California, USA on January 1st.
Jan 6, 1958 – 65 years ago
The Gibson Guitar Company launched its iconic ‘Flying V’ electric guitar.
Jan 7, 1943 – 80 years ago
Death of Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American mechanical and electrical engineer and inventor. He made many important discoveries and developments in the field of electrical power.
Jan 8, 1823 – 200 years ago
Birth of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist, biologist and explorer. He independently conceived the theory of evolution. His work led Charles Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species.
Jan 9, 1873 –150 years ago
Death of Napoleon III, first President of France (1848–52) and last Emperor of France (1852–70). Nephew of Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte).
Jan 10, 1923 – 100 years ago
U.S. President Warren G. Harding ended the U.S. occupation of Germany following the end of WWI, and ordered the final U.S. troops stationed there to return home.
Jan 11, 1963 – 60 years ago
The first discotheque in the USA opened: the Whisky-a-Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, California.
Jan 12, 1773 – 250 years ago
The Charleston Museum was founded in South Carolina. It is regarded as the first museum in America. It opened to the public in 1824.
Jan 13, 1898 – 125 years ago
Dreyfus affair: French writer Émile Zola’s letter J’accuse…! was published in the newspaper L’Aurore. It was addressed to the President of France and accused the government of anti-Semitism and the unlawful imprisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jew who had been falsely convicted of treason. (Zola was later convicted of libel and fled to the UK to avoid imprisonment.)
Jan 14, 1963 – 60 years ago
George C. Wallace was sworn in as the Governor of Alabama, USA. During his inauguration speech he declared: “segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!”
Jan 15, 1943 – 80 years ago
The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, USA was dedicated. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, and was the largest office building in the world at that time.
Jan 16, 1963 – 60 years ago
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claimed that the USSR had a 100-megaton nuclear bomb.
Jan 17, 1953 – 70 years ago
Chevrolet displayed the first Corvette sports car at the General Motors Motorama show in New York City, USA. It was only a concept car at this stage, but proved so popular that it was put into production in June.
Jan 18, 1948 – 75 years ago
The first episode of the talent show The Original Amateur Hour was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network in the USA. It ran for 22 years.
Jan 19, 1943 – 80 years ago
Birth of Janis Joplin, American blues/rock singer. (Died 1970.)
Jan 20, 1953 – 70 years ago
Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States. It was the first inauguration to be televised live coast to coast.
Jan 21, 1948 – 75 years ago
Quebec, Canada officially adopted its flag. The day is now celebrated annually as Quebec Flag Day.
Jan 22, 1973 – 50 years ago
Abortion was legalized in the USA. (Supreme Court ruling: Roe v. Wade.)
Jan 23, 1983 – 40 years ago
The first episode of the action-adventure television series The A-Team was broadcast on NBC TV in the USA. It ran for five seasons and became a cultural icon.
Jan 24, 1848 – 175 years ago
California Gold Rush: the first gold was discovered by construction worker James W. Marshall. He found flakes of gold in the South Fork American River while constructing Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento.
Jan 5, 1933 – 90 years ago
The University of Iowa launched the first educational television service in the USA. W9XK was a low-definition station based on a mechanical (spinning disc) TV system.
Jan 26, 1823 – 200 years ago
Death of Edward Jenner, British physician and immunologist who created the first vaccine (for smallpox).
Jan 27, 1948 – 75 years ago
IBM dedicated the Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC) at its world headquarters in New York City, USA. It was the last large electro-mechanical computer to be built. It operated until 1952. One of its tasks was to calculate tables of Moon positions, which were later used by NASA during its Apollo missions.
Jan 28, 1953 – 70 years ago
Death of Derek Bentley, British teenager hanged for murdering a police officer after a controversial trial. (Conviction quashed in 1998.) His case was a key part of the campaign to abolish capital punishment in the UK.
Jan 29, 1963 – 60 years ago
Britain was refused entry into the European Economic Community (EEC). Its application was vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle. (Britain eventually joined the EEC on January 1, 1973. The EEC became the European Union (EU), which Britain left in 2020.)
Jan 30, 1873 – 150 years ago
Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days was first published in its entirety. (It was serialized between October and December 1872.)
Jan 31, 1958 (Feb 1 UTC) – 65 years ago
The USA’s first satellite, Explorer I, was launched. It detected the Van Allen radiation belt. It remained in operation until May 23rd when its batteries were depleted, and it burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere in 1970.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions are also available if you work further ahead, and the 2027 edition will be available from August 2022.
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