Follow along with the biggest moments in January history in this visual journey of photos from the Shutterstock Editorial archive.
Photography has given us a rich visual archive of the most important events in history – everything from tragedies to the pinnacles of human achievement. Photos can bring us back to a tragic event that broke our collective hearts, a cultural moment that we rejoiced over, or a scientific breakthrough that made us see the world differently.
Each month we’ll share photographs from the Shutterstock Editorial archive that show a significant historical or cultural event for each day of that month.
This month, we take a visual journey through January.
January 1
1959: Fidel Castro’s forces overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.
January 2
1981: The Yorkshire Ripper is apprehended after a five year manhunt.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
January 3
1987: Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman elected to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Photo by Mario Suriani/AP/Shutterstock
January 4
2010: The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai opens.
Photo by Mc Films/Shutterstock
January 5
1980: “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang becomes the first hip-hop song to chart in the Top 40.
Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock
January 6
1994: Olympic Ice Skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked after a practice session in Detroit, launching one of the biggest scandals in Olympics history.
Photo by Lennox Mclendon/AP/Shutterstock
January 7
2015: Terrorists kill 12 people at the office of satirical French publication Charlie Hebdo.
Photo by Rob Arnold/Lnp/Shutterstock
January 8
2011: Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot and five people killed by a gunman in Casas Adobes, Arizona.
Photo by Matt York/AP/Shutterstock
January 9
2007: Apple CEO Steve Jobs announcing the first iPhone.
Photo by Paul Sakuma/AP/Shutterstock
January 10
1927: Director Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking sci-fi film Metropolis premieres in Berlin.
Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock
January 11
1903: President Theodore Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon a national monument.
Photo by Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock
January 12
1971: All in the Family featuring the iconic Archie Bunker character debuts on CBS.
Photo by Snap/Shutterstock
January 13
1968: Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison, later re-created in the biopic Walk the Line.
Photo by Snap Stills/Shutterstock
January 14
1967: The Human Be-in takes place in San Francisco, launching the Summer of Love.
Photo by Robert W Klein/AP/Shutterstock
January 15
1967: The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I.
Photo by Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
January 16
1919: Prohibition takes effect in the United States, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol.
Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG/Shutterstock
January 17
1994: The Northridge earthquake kills 54 people in the greater Los Angeles area.
Photo by Eric Draper/AP/Shutterstock
January 18
1985: The Coen Brothers release their debut film, Blood Simple.
Photo by River Road Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock
January 19
1966: Indira Gandhi becomes the first female Prime Minister of India.
Photo by Anonymous/AP/Shutterstock
January 20
2009: Barack Obama is sworn in, becoming the first African American President of the United States.
Photo by Shutterstock
January 21
2017: The first Women’s March takes place in Washington DC to protest the Trump administration.
Photo by Michael Reynolds/EPA/Shutterstock
January 22
1973: The Supreme Court delivers its decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in the United States.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
January 23
1983: The A-Team debuts on ABC.
Photo by Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
January 24
1940: The Grapes of Wrath by director John Ford premieres.
Photo by 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
January 25
1961: 101 Dalmatians from Walt Disney premieres.
Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock
January 26
1979: The Dukes of Hazzard premieres on CBS.
Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock
January 27
1973: The Paris Peace Accords officially end the war between the United States and Vietnam.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
January 28
1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, killing all 7 astronauts on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
January 29
1964: Dr. Strangelove by director Stanley Kubrick premieres.
Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock
January 30
1948: Mohandas Gandhi assassinated in India.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
January 31
1961: Ham the Chimp becomes the first non-human hominid in outer space.
Photo by AP/Shutterstock
Save time and money with Shutterstock Bundles, our curated image packs.