This Day In History

On January 25, 1924, the first-ever Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France, bringing together athletes from across the globe to compete on snow and ice. These historic games laid the foundation for a new Olympic tradition, showcasing winter sports in a way never done before.

Neysa McMein, born on January 24, 1888, helped shape how America saw itself during the early 20th century through powerful images that appeared everywhere from magazines to movie studios. Her art captured modern beauty, wartime patriotism, and celebrity culture at a moment when illustration defined public life.

On January 23, 1943, Duke Ellington made his first of many performances at Carnegie Hall. His premiere performance included the debut of his ambitious jazz symphony Black, Brown, and Beige. Ellington hoped to raise jazz to the level of classical music by bringing it to the halls of the esteemed institution.

On January 22, 1901, Queen Victoria—the longest-reigning British monarch of her era—died after more than six decades on the throne, closing a chapter that reshaped Britain and the modern world. Her life and reign were so influential that her image would go on to appear on countless postage stamps, helping establish a tradition that continues with British monarchs today.

On January 17, 1944, the Allies launched a brutal struggle in Italy that would test their endurance and reshape the course of the war in Europe. The Battle of Monte Cassino became one of World War II’s longest and bloodiest campaigns, marked by sacrifice, controversy, and hard-won victory.

In the dark days of World War II, when victory was far from certain, Allied leaders gathered in secret to make decisions that would shape the course of the conflict—and the world that followed. Beginning on January 14, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Casablanca, Morocco, for a high-stakes conference that set the direction of the war in Europe and beyond. What was decided would influence battles, alliances, and the meaning of victory itself.

On January 6, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his “Four Freedoms” speech while delivering the State of the Union Address. The Four Freedoms represented America’s goals for a peaceful post-war world.

On December 26, 1972, America’s 33rd president, Harry S. Truman, died, closing the chapter on a leader who had guided the nation through the final days of World War II and the uncertain dawn of the Cold War. Plainspoken and decisive, Truman rose from humble beginnings to make some of the most consequential choices in US history—decisions that reshaped America’s role on the world stage and still spark debate today.

On January 26, 1837, President Andrew Jackson approved Michigan’s bid for statehood.

On January 26, 1973, the USPS issued its first Love stamp. It was years before the next Love stamp was issued and even longer before the USPS officially declared it a series.

Aviator Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas.  The first female African American aviator, she achieved her dream of becoming a pilot during a time when most African Americans would not have even considered learning to fly.

On January 26, 1788, the first British prisoners arrived in Australia, establishing an experimental penal colony. Though the colony struggled at first, it eventually thrived and became an independent commonwealth.