On This Day = January 4
Bithdays + Events + Holidays + Observances
BIRTHDAYS
1643 = Isaac Newton = English mathematician and physicist
1809 = Louis Braille = French educator and Braille inventor
1838 = General Tom Thumb = American circus performer
1874 = Josef Suk = Czech violinist and composer
1877 = Marsden Hartley = American painter and poet š
1878 = Augustus John = Welsh painter and illustrator
1936 = Gianni Vattimo = Italian philosopher and politician š
1937 = Dyan Cannon = American actor and filmmaker
1937 = Grace Bumbry = American operatic soprano
1942 = John McLaughlin = English guitarist and songwriter
1946 = Arthur Conley = American singer-songwriter
1954 = Tina Knowles = American fashion designer
1957 = Patty Loveless = American singer-songwriter
1958 = Julian Sands = English actor
1960 = Michael Stipe = American singer-songwriter š
1963 = Dave Foley = Canadian comedian, actor, director, and producer
1964 = Dot-Marie Jones = American actor and arm wrestler š
1965 = Julia Ormond = English actor
1966 = Deana Carter = American singer-songwriter
1970 = Josh Stamberg = American actor
1980 = D'Arcy Carden = American actor and comedian
1983 = Richard Rankin = Scottish film = television and theatre actor
1985 = Lenora Crichlow = British actor
1989 = Labrinth = English singer-songwriter and producer
1991 = Charles Melton = American actor
EVENTS
1844 = The first issue of the Swedish-languaged newspaper Saima is published.
1853 = Solomon Northup regains his freedom after having been sold into slavery. His memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a bestseller.
1896 = Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
1903 = 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.
1936 = Billboard magazine publishes its first music hit parade.
1958 = Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, falls to Earth from orbit.
1977 = The Sex Pistols' public behavior at Heathrow Airport prompts EMI to end their recording contract.
1982 = Gay Menās Health Crisis is formed in New York by Edmund White, Larry Kramer, Nathan Fain, Lawrence D. Mass, Paul Popham, and Paul Rapoport.
1984 = Night Court, starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC.
1986 = Christopher Isherwood dies in Santa Monica. CA, at the age of 81. Survived by his partner of 32 years, artist Don Bachardy.
2010 = The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, officially opens in Dubai.
