The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, officially opened in Dubai
MajorStanding at an astounding 828 meters (2,717 feet), the skyscraper claimed multiple world records including tallest free-standing structure, highest nu...
Historical Events
2010
2007
Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
MajorThe California Democrat shattered one of the highest glass ceilings in American government, becoming the first female Speaker in the institution's 218...
2004
The Mars rover Spirit successfully landed on Mars and began sending photos back to Earth
MajorSpirit touched down in Gusev Crater and immediately started its 90-day mission, which incredibly lasted over six years. The rover sent back over 124,0...
1999
Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Governor of Minnesota
The ex-Navy SEAL and WWE star stunned political experts by winning on a Reform Party ticket, becoming one of the most unconventional governors in Amer...
1974
President Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee
MajorIn a defiant move on January 4, Nixon claimed executive privilege and rejected the committee's demands for 500 tapes and documents. This standoff woul...
1965
President Lyndon Johnson outlined his 'Great Society' program in his State of the Union address
MajorJohnson unveiled his ambitious vision for domestic reform, including Medicare, Medicaid, federal education funding, and his War on Poverty. The speech...
1965
The iconic rock band The Who released their first single 'I Can't Explain'
Pete Townshend wrote the song as a deliberate attempt to sound like The Kinks, and it worked—the single launched The Who's career and reached #8 on th...
1958
Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, fell back to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere
MajorThe Soviet satellite that shocked the world and started the Space Race met its fiery end after 92 days in orbit. It had completed 1,440 orbits around...
1935
Floyd Collins's body was finally recovered from a Kentucky cave where he'd been trapped for 17 days in 1925
Collins had died in the cave ten years earlier in one of the most sensational news stories of the 1920s, with failed rescue attempts broadcast nationw...
1896
Utah was admitted as the 45th state of the United States
After decades of conflict over polygamy practices, Utah finally achieved statehood when the Mormon Church officially renounced plural marriage. The st...
1885
The first known surgical operation using cocaine as an anesthetic took place in New York
Dr. William Halsted performed eye surgery using cocaine to numb the patient's eye, revolutionizing medicine by proving local anesthesia was possible....
1885
The first successful appendectomy was performed by Dr. William Grant in Iowa
Dr. Grant operated on 22-year-old Mary Gartside, removing her inflamed appendix and saving her life. Before this groundbreaking surgery, appendicitis...
1847
Samuel Colt sold his first revolver to the U.S. government
After years of financial struggles and a previous bankruptcy, Colt finally secured a government contract for 1,000 revolvers during the Mexican-Americ...
1643
Isaac Newton was born on January 4 in Woolsthorpe, England
MajorThe legendary physicist and mathematician arrived prematurely and was so tiny that his mother said he could fit inside a quart mug. He would go on to...