On This Day in History – January 24

Major Events

• 41 – Roman Emperor Caligula is assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard, ending his tyrannical reign.
• 76 – Roman Emperor Hadrian is born, later known for consolidating and strengthening the empire.
• 1458 – Matthias Corvinus is elected King of Hungary, becoming one of the most influential rulers in Central Europe.
• 1848 – James W. Marshall discovers gold at Sutter’s Mill in California, triggering the California Gold Rush.
• 1908 – Robert Baden-Powell begins the first Scout camp on Brownsea Island, leading to the global Scouting movement.
• 1924 – The city of Petrograd is officially renamed Leningrad following the death of Vladimir Lenin.
• 1942 – Allied forces begin evacuating civilians from Manila during World War II.
• 1960 – The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, is launched.
• 1984 – Apple introduces the Macintosh computer, revolutionizing personal computing.
• 2020 – The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 are reported in Europe.

Famous Birthdays

• 76 – Hadrian, Roman Emperor (d. 138)
• 1712 – Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (d. 1786)
• 1732 – Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, French playwright (d. 1799)
• 1862 – Edith Wharton, American novelist (d. 1937)
• 1888 – Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1951)
• 1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer-songwriter
• 1949 – John Belushi, American comedian and actor (d. 1982)
• 1965 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
• 1986 – Mischa Barton, English-American actress

Notable Deaths

• 41 – Caligula, Roman Emperor (b. 12)
• 1965 – Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister (b. 1874)
• 1975 – Larry Fine, American comedian (b. 1902)
• 1989 – Ted Bundy, American serial killer (b. 1946)
• 1996 – Bill Wilson, American co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (b. 1895)
• 2004 – Leônidas da Silva, Brazilian footballer (b. 1913)
• 2012 – Theo Angelopoulos, Greek film director (b. 1935)
• 2018 – Mark E. Smith, English musician (b. 1957)
• 2022 – Thích Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk (b. 1926)

Holidays

• International Day of Education
• National Compliment Day – United States
• Gold Discovery Day – United States (California)

Fun Facts

• The Macintosh launch in 1984 famously featured a Super Bowl commercial inspired by George Orwell’s 1984.
• The California Gold Rush dramatically accelerated westward expansion in the United States.
• Scouting now exists in more than 170 countries worldwide.
• Hadrian’s Wall still stands as one of the most famous Roman landmarks.
• Winston Churchill’s state funeral was one of the largest in world history.
• January 24 has marked both revolutionary beginnings and dramatic endings.