January 6Birthdays & History

On this day: January 6 in history

Oldest first. Tap a year to see it on the World Chronicle timeline.

1. 1066Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will eventually lead to the Norman conquest of England.Europe
2. 1205Philip of Swabia undergoes a second coronation as King of the Romans.Europe
3. 1322Stephen Uroš III is crowned King of Serbia, having defeated his half-brother Stefan Konstantin in battle. His son is crowned "young king" in the same ceremony.Europe
4. 1355Charles IV of Bohemia is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy as King of Italy in Milan.Europe
5. 1449Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor at Mystras.Europe
6. 1492The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella enter Granada at the conclusion of the Granada War.Europe
7. 1536The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, is founded by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza and Bishop Juan de Zumárraga in Mexico City.EuropeLatin America
8. 1540King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.Europe
9. 1579The Union of Arras unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma (Ottavio Farnese), governor in the name of King Philip II of Spain.Europe
10. 1641Arauco War: The first Parliament of Quillín is celebrated, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile.EuropeLatin America
11. 1661English Restoration: The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London, England. The revolt is suppressed after a few days.Europe
12. 1721The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings, revealing details of fraud among company directors and corrupt politicians.Europe
13. 1724Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, a Bach cantata, for Epiphany, is performed the first time.Europe
14. 1725J. S. Bach leads the first performance of Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123, a chorale cantata for Epiphany.Europe
15. 1781In the Battle of Jersey, the British defeat the last attempt by France to invade Jersey in the Channel Islands.Europe
16. 1809Combined British, Portuguese and colonial Brazilian forces begin the Invasion of Cayenne during the Napoleonic Wars.EuropeLatin America
17. 1838Alfred Vail and colleagues demonstrate a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code).North America
18. 1839The Night of the Big Wind, the most damaging storm in 300 years, sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.Europe
19. 1900Second Boer War: Having already besieged the fortress at Ladysmith, Boer forces attack it, but are driven back by British defenders.AfricaEurope
20. 1912New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the 47th U.S. state.North AmericaLatin America
21. 1912German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift.Europe
22. 1929King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution, starting the January 6th Dictatorship.Europe
23. 1929Mother Teresa arrives by sea in Calcutta, India, to begin her work among India's poorest and sick people.Asia
24. 1941United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address.North America
25. 1946The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.Asia
26. 1947Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to offer a round-the-world ticket.North America
27. 1951Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered.Asia
28. 1960The Associations Law comes into force in Iraq, allowing registration of political parties.Middle East
29. 1960National Airlines Flight 2511 is destroyed in mid-air by a bomb, while en route from New York City to Miami.North America
30. 1967Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta.AsiaNorth America
31. 1968Aeroflot Flight 1668 crashes near Olyokminsk, killing 45.Europe
32. 1969Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 crashes in Lafayette Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States, killing 11.North America
33. 1974Aeroflot Flight H-75 crashes near Mukachevo, killing 24.Europe
34. 1974In response to the 1973 oil crisis, the United States implements the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, switching to permanent daylight saving time for a trial period.North America
35. 1989Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are sentenced to death for conspiracy in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; the two men are executed the same day.Asia
36. 1992President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia flees the country as a result of the military coup.Europe
37. 1993Indian Border Security Force units kill 55 Kashmiri civilians in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir, in revenge after militants ambushed a BSF patrol.Asia
38. 1993Four people are killed when Lufthansa CityLine Flight 5634 crashes on approach to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, France.Europe
39. 1994U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and injured by an assailant hired by her rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.North America
40. 1995A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.Asia
41. 2005Edgar Ray Killen is indicted for the 1964 murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner during the American Civil Rights Movement.North America
42. 2005A train collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, United States, releases about 60 tons of chlorine gas.North America
43. 2012Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.Middle East
44. 2017Five people are killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida.North America
45. 2019Muhammad V of Kelantan resigns as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, becoming the first monarch to do so.Asia
46. 2021Supporters of U.S. president Donald Trump storm the United States Capitol Building to disrupt certification of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in four deaths and evacuation of the U.S. Congress.North America
47. 2025Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister of Canada after nine years in office.North America

Source: Wikipedia "January 6" / CC BY-SA 4.0