On This Day in History – January 4

Major Events

• 46 BCE – Julius Caesar defeats Titus Labienus at the Battle of Ruspina during the Roman Civil War.
• 1642 – King Charles I of England storms the House of Commons in an unsuccessful attempt to arrest five Members of Parliament, escalating tensions that lead to the English Civil War.
• 1762 – Great Britain declares war on Spain, expanding the Seven Years’ War.
• 1847 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver to the United States government, advancing modern firearms manufacturing.
• 1896 – Utah is admitted as the 45th state of the United States.
• 1948 – Burma (now Myanmar) gains independence from British rule.
• 1958 – Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, falls back to Earth after three months in orbit.
• 1965 – New York City introduces its first public subway fare increase, raising the fare from 15 to 20 cents.
• 2007 – Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• 2010 – The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is officially opened as the world’s tallest building.

Famous Birthdays

• 1643 – Isaac Newton, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1727)
• 1809 – Louis Braille, French educator and inventor (d. 1852)
• 1883 – Max Eastman, American writer and political activist (d. 1969)
• 1946 – Michael Stipe, American singer (R.E.M.)
• 1950 – Jill Marie Jones, American actress
• 1956 – Dave Weckl, American jazz drummer
• 1975 – Bradley Cooper, American actor and filmmaker
• 1982 – Chris Kluwe, American football player
• 1985 – Tina Dico, Danish singer-songwriter

Notable Deaths

• 705 – Pope John VI, Catholic pope (b. c. 655)
• 1481 – Ulrich Zwingli, Swiss Protestant reformer (b. 1484)
• 1960 – Albert Camus, French philosopher and writer (b. 1913)
• 1974 – Gerri Halliwell, British musician (b. 1972)
• 1989 – Bill Travers, British actor (b. 1922)
• 1995 – T. S. Eliot, American-British poet (b. 1888)
• 2006 – Hubert Humphrey, American politician (b. 1911)
• 2017 – Daryl Dragon, American musician (b. 1942)
• 2021 – Tanya Roberts, American actress (b. 1955)

Holidays

• World Braille Day – Observed internationally
• Myanmar Independence Day
• Tom Thumb Day

Fun Facts

• Isaac Newton, born on January 4, laid the foundations of classical physics and calculus.
• World Braille Day honors the birthday of Louis Braille, inventor of the Braille reading system.
• The Burj Khalifa stands over twice the height of the Empire State Building.
• Sputnik 1’s re-entry marked the end of the first space-age satellite mission.
• Utah’s nickname, “The Beehive State,” reflects industry and cooperation.
• January 4 has produced more Nobel laureates than many other calendar dates.