On This Day in History – January 25

Major Events

• 41 – Claudius is declared Roman Emperor after the assassination of his nephew Caligula, stabilizing Rome after political chaos.
• 1327 – Edward III is crowned King of England following the forced abdication of Edward II.
• 1533 – King Henry VIII secretly marries Anne Boleyn, a turning point that leads to England’s break from the Catholic Church.
• 1755 – Moscow State University is founded, becoming one of Russia’s most prestigious institutions.
• 1787 – Daniel Shays leads an armed uprising against the Massachusetts government, known as Shays’ Rebellion.
• 1858 – Felix Mendelssohn’s Wedding March is performed publicly for the first time.
• 1879 – U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes signs an executive order allowing women attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court.
• 1924 – The first Winter Olympic Games officially open in Chamonix, France.
• 1949 – The first Emmy Awards ceremony is held in Los Angeles.
• 2011 – Mass protests begin in Egypt, marking the start of the Egyptian Revolution during the Arab Spring.

Famous Birthdays

• 1627 – Robert Boyle, Irish chemist and physicist (d. 1691)
• 1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1813)
• 1882 – Virginia Woolf, English writer (d. 1941)
• 1917 – Ernie Harwell, American sports broadcaster (d. 2010)
• 1939 – Corazon Aquino, former President of the Philippines (d. 2009)
• 1955 – Kevin Martin, American musician
• 1978 – Charlene, Princess of Monaco
• 1981 – Toše Proeski, Macedonian singer (d. 2007)
• 1986 – Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player

Notable Deaths

• 41 – Caligula, Roman Emperor (b. 12)
• 1271 – Pope Urban IV, head of the Catholic Church (b. 1195)
• 1947 – Al Capone, American crime boss (b. 1899)
• 1965 – Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister (b. 1874)
• 1983 – Louis Wirth, American sociologist (b. 1897)
• 1998 – Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Filipino politician (b. 1938)
• 2004 – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch Olympic athlete (b. 1918)
• 2010 – Ernie Harwell, American sports broadcaster (b. 1917)
• 2022 – Wim Jansen, Dutch footballer (b. 1946)

Holidays

• Burns Night – Scotland
• Tatiana Day (Students’ Day) – Russia
• Opposite Day – Informal observance
• National Irish Coffee Day – United States

Fun Facts

• Burns Night celebrates the poetry of Robert Burns with traditional food and recitations.
• Moscow State University’s founding date is still celebrated as Students’ Day in Russia.
• The first Winter Olympics featured just 16 nations.
• Virginia Woolf is considered a pioneer of modernist literature.
• The Emmy Awards originally honored only television programming in Los Angeles.
• January 25 has marked major cultural, political, and educational milestones.