On this day in history
January 4
American
1847Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistols to the United States government, launching the Colt firearms busi…
Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistols to the United States government, launching the Colt firearms business.
Source: On This Day
1865The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10 to 12 Broad Street near Wall Street.
The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10 to 12 Broad Street near Wall Street.
Source: On This Day
1877Railroad and shipping magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt dies in New York, reputedly the richest man in America at t…
Railroad and shipping magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt dies in New York, reputedly the richest man in America at the time.
Source: On This Day
1896Utah is admitted to the Union as the 45th state, after the Mormon church officially renounces polygamy.
Utah is admitted to the Union as the 45th state, after the Mormon church officially renounces polygamy.
Source: Utah State Archives
1903Topsy the elephant is electrocuted at Coney Island's Luna Park, an event filmed by the Edison Manufacturing Co…
Topsy the elephant is electrocuted at Coney Island's Luna Park, an event filmed by the Edison Manufacturing Company.
Source: On This Day
1965President Lyndon Johnson uses his State of the Union address to outline the Great Society, a sweeping agenda o…
President Lyndon Johnson uses his State of the Union address to outline the Great Society, a sweeping agenda of civil rights, antipoverty, and education programs.
1974President Richard Nixon refuses to comply with Watergate subpoenas issued by the Senate committee, escalating …
President Richard Nixon refuses to comply with Watergate subpoenas issued by the Senate committee, escalating the confrontation that leads toward his resignation.
Source: KidsKonnect
1999Jesse Ventura, the former professional wrestler, is sworn in as governor of Minnesota after winning the office…
Jesse Ventura, the former professional wrestler, is sworn in as governor of Minnesota after winning the office as a Reform Party candidate.
World
1961The Baixa de Cassange uprising begins in Portuguese Angola, as cotton workers rebel against forced labor; its …
The Baixa de Cassange uprising begins in Portuguese Angola, as cotton workers rebel against forced labor; its violent suppression fuels the Angolan independence movement.
1894The Franco Russian Alliance takes effect, the defensive military pact between France and Russia that reshapes …
The Franco Russian Alliance takes effect, the defensive military pact between France and Russia that reshapes European diplomacy before World War I.
Source: Omniatlas
1948Burma gains independence from Britain, becoming the sovereign Union of Burma.
Burma gains independence from Britain, becoming the sovereign Union of Burma.
Source: timeanddate
1959The Soviet probe Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity.
The Soviet probe Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity.
Source: On This Day
2010The Burj Khalifa in Dubai officially opens, becoming the tallest building in the world at 828 meters.
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai officially opens, becoming the tallest building in the world at 828 meters.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica