This Day In History

On January 30, 1835, a gunshot was meant to change American history—but it didn’t. That winter day, outside the US Capitol, an unemployed house painter named Richard Lawrence attempted to assassinate President Andrew Jackson, marking the first known assassination attempt against a sitting US president.

Politician and diplomat Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin was born on January 29, 1761, in Geneva, Switzerland. His journey from European aristocrat to one of the most influential financial minds in US history is a story of ambition, intellect, and public service.

George Sewall Boutwell was born on January 28, 1818, in Brookline, Massachusetts, at a time when the young nation was still defining its political identity. Over the course of his long career, Boutwell became a key figure in state and federal government, shaping policy before, during, and after the Civil War.

Jerome David Kern was born on January 27, 1885, in New York City, New York. A prolific composer, he wrote over 1,000 songs for more than 100 stage productions and films, most famously Show Boat.

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.

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 21, 1915, a small meeting in Detroit, Michigan sparked a global movement built on service and friendship. What began on that winter day would grow into Kiwanis International, an organization dedicated to improving communities and helping children around the world.

On December 20, 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of Children’s and Household Tales, a collection that would later become famous around the world as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. What began as a scholarly project to preserve German folklore soon grew into one of the most influential books in literary history.

On January 31, 1961, Mercury-Redstone 2 launched Ham the Chimp into space. It was an important step in a program aimed at getting the first American in space.

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. He was the first African American baseball player in the major leagues and had an impressive decade-long career that earned respect and admiration.

Late in the evening of January 31, 1958, the US launched its first satellite, Explorer I. It was an important milestone in America’s space race with the Soviet Union.

The Battle of Kwajalein began on January 31, 1944. Part of the World War II Pacific Campaign, it was a hard-fought, but quick victory for the US, allowing commanders to launch the next battles sooner than expected.