28.03.2024

On this Day in January, 31 of the Month’s Biggest Moments

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.

On this Day in January

January 2
1981: The Yorkshire Ripper is apprehended after a five year manhunt.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

January 3
1987: Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman elected to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Mario Suriani/AP/Shutterstock

January 4
2010: The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai opens.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto 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.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto 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.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Lennox Mclendon/AP/Shutterstock

January 7
2015: Terrorists kill 12 people at the office of satirical French publication Charlie Hebdo.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Rob Arnold/Lnp/Shutterstock

January 8
2011: Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot and five people killed by a gunman in Casas Adobes, Arizona.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Matt York/AP/Shutterstock

January 9
2007: Apple CEO Steve Jobs announcing the first iPhone.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Paul Sakuma/AP/Shutterstock

January 10
1927: Director Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking sci-fi film Metropolis premieres in Berlin.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Moviestore/Shutterstock

January 11
1903: President Theodore Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon a national monument.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock

January 12
1971: All in the Family featuring the iconic Archie Bunker character debuts on CBS.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Snap/Shutterstock

January 13
1968: Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison, later re-created in the biopic Walk the Line.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Snap Stills/Shutterstock

January 14
1967: The Human Be-in takes place in San Francisco, launching the Summer of Love.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Robert W Klein/AP/Shutterstock

January 15
1967: The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

January 16
1919: Prohibition takes effect in the United States, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Universal History Archive/UIG/Shutterstock

January 17
1994: The Northridge earthquake kills 54 people in the greater Los Angeles area.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Eric Draper/AP/Shutterstock

January 18
1985: The Coen Brothers release their debut film, Blood Simple.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by River Road Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock

January 19
1966: Indira Gandhi becomes the first female Prime Minister of India.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Anonymous/AP/Shutterstock

January 20
2009: Barack Obama is sworn in, becoming the first African American President of the United States.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Shutterstock

January 21
2017: The first Women’s March takes place in Washington DC to protest the Trump administration.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Michael Reynolds/EPA/Shutterstock

January 22
1973: The Supreme Court delivers its decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in the United States.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

January 23
1983: The A-Team debuts on ABC.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Nbc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock

January 24
1940: The Grapes of Wrath by director John Ford premieres.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

January 25
1961: 101 Dalmatians from Walt Disney premieres.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Moviestore/Shutterstock

January 26
1979: The Dukes of Hazzard premieres on CBS.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Moviestore/Shutterstock

January 27
1973: The Paris Peace Accords officially end the war between the United States and Vietnam.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

January 28
1986: The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, killing all 7 astronauts on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

January 29
1964: Dr. Strangelove by director Stanley Kubrick premieres.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by Moviestore/Shutterstock

January 30
1948: Mohandas Gandhi assassinated in India.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

January 31
1961: Ham the Chimp becomes the first non-human hominid in outer space.

On this Day in JanuaryPhoto by AP/Shutterstock

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