January 31, 1950, U.S. President Truman announces that he has ordered development of the hydrogen bomb
January 30,1649, England's King Charles I is beheaded

January 29, 1996, French President Jacques Chirac announces the "definitive end" to nuclear testing

January 28, 1980, six Americans who had fled the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, left Iran using false Canadian diplomatic passports, after being hidden at the Canadian embassy in Tehran

January 27, 1606, the trial of
and his fellow conspirators begins. They are executed on January 31 of the same year

January 26 1998, U.S. President Clinton denies having an affair with a former White House intern, saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky"

January 24,1965, Winston Churchill dies at the age of 90

January 23, 1924, the first Labour government was formed, in the UK,under Ramsay MacDonald

January 22, 1979, in the UK tens of thousands of public sector workers take part in a day of action over pay - the biggest mass stoppage since 1926 The country is paralysed

January 21, 1997, Newt Gingrich is fined as the U.S. House of Representatives votes for first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical misconduct

January 20, 1961, John F Kennedy is sworn in as US President

January 19, 1995, Russian forces overwhelm resistance forces in Chechnya

January 18, 1964, plans for the World Trade Center in New York are disclosed

January 17, 1991, Coalition airstrikes begin against Iraq after negotiations to get Iraq to retreat from Kuwait fail

January 16, 1991, the White House announces the start of Operation Desert Storm designed to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait

January 15, 1973, President Nixon orders a halt to American bombing in North Vietnam

January 14, 1975, UK heiress Lesley Whittle kidnapped

January 13, 1964, Hindu-Muslim rioting breaks out in the Indian city of Calcutta resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people

January 12, 1991, The United States Congress votes to authorise the use of military force against Iraq

January 11, 1861, Alabama seceded from the United States of America
January 10 / 11, 2016, David Bowie dies aged 69

January 10 2003, North Korea announces that it is withdrawing from the global nuclear arms control treaty and that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons

January 9, 1997, Tamil rebels attack a military base in Sri Lanka, killing 200 soldiers and 140 rebels

January 8, 1996, France mourns its longest serving president Francois Mitterrand who died today

January 7 1942 The World War II siege of Bataan begins

January 6, 1900, in India, it is reported that millions of people are dying from starvation


On this day Amy Johnson went to a watery grave

Local 'lass' and world famous aviator Amy Johnson died January 5, 1941. ...more
January 5, 1981: Man arrested for Ripper murders - a 35-year-old lorry driver from Bradford, suspected of carrying out 13 murders across West Yorkshire over the past five years, is appearing in court.

January 4, 1884, the socialist Fabian Society was founded in London

January 3, 1925, Mussolini announced that he would take dictatorial powers in Italy

January 2, 1872, Brigham Young, the 71-year-old leader of the Mormon Church, arrested for bigamy, having 25 wives

January 1, 1900, Nigeria became a British protectorate with Frederick Lagard as the high commissionero