History Events on January 04

Great Britain declares war on Spain, thus entering the Seven Years' War.

#Spain

Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to Earth from orbit.

#Sputnik_1

The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen would shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.

#The_Troubles

The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.

#110th_United_States_Congress

The New Apostolic Church, a Christian and chiliastic church, is established in Hamburg, Germany.

#New_Apostolic_Church

World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.

#World_War_II

Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.

#1989_air_battle_near_Tobruk

Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota, United States.

#Jesse_Ventura

The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter.

#The_Scout_Association

Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army.

#Battle_of_Reading_(871)

Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.

#Luna_1

The Fabian Society is founded in London, United Kingdom.

#Fabian_Society

English Civil War: The Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial.

#Rump_Parliament

Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire.

#Constantine_Hangerli

The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, United States, killing 16 people.

#1987_Maryland_train_collision

The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France.

#Finnish_Declaration_of_Independence

Ehud Olmert becomes acting Prime Minister of Israel after the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke.

#Ehud_Olmert

After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller.

#Solomon_Northup

Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.

#Mikheil_Saakashvili

Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul.

#Korean_War

Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.

#Spirit_(rover)

Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death.

#Topsy_(elephant)

Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom becoming an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu its first Prime Minister.

#Myanmar

Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.

#Utah

The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.

#Heard_Island_and_McDonald_Islands

The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai.

#Burj_Khalifa

The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance in an attempt to maintain the Treaty of Utrecht; Britain having signed a preliminary alliance with France on November 28 (November 17, 1716).

#Dutch_Republic

Hennenman-Kroonstad train crash: A passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collides with a truck on a level crossing at Geneva Station between Hennenman and Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. Twenty people are killed and 260 injured.

#Hennenman-Kroonstad_train_crash

Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.

#Julius_Caesar

A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines.

A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.

In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.

Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, UK.

The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis.

Russo-Turkish War (1877-78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule and designated the capital of Liberated Bulgaria.