History Notes this week of Jan 21

287

King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Menorca – The island would later become a popular Mediterranean tourist destination along with its sister island, Majorca.

1265

First English “Commons” Parliament convenes at Westminster – Representatives from the boroughs gathered without formal Royal authorization. Though lasting only through mid-February, it established the legitimacy of representative assembly as a viable form of government, beginning the transformation of the British monarchy into a constitutional form.

1419

King Henry V completes re-conquest of Normandy – Accepts the surrender of Rouen.

1502

Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos begins formal survey of Guanabara Bay – His work laid the foundation for the establishment of Rio de Janeiro in 1565.

1506

First Swiss Guards arrive at Vatican City – Swiss mercenaries, legendary for their loyalty and effectiveness in battle, came to provide security for the Pope during the early Reformation. They remain the core of Vatican security forces today.

1535

Francisco Pizarro founds Lima, Peru – The Spanish conquistador, newly named Royal Governor of conquered Inca lands, selected a well-watered coastal site for his capital, initially naming it Ciudad de los Reyes.

1579

Union of Utrecht signed – Three northern provinces of the Spanish Netherlands pledged mutual defense against Spanish suppression of Reformation elements. By summer, eight more provinces joined, forming the nucleus of an independent Protestant Netherlands that would declare independence from Spain in 1581.

1584

Giovanni da Verrazzano sets sail from Madeira – The Florentine explorer sought an ocean route to the Pacific. He explored much of the eastern North American coast, mis-identifying Pamlico Sound as the Pacific but discovering New York harbor’s entrance and Block Island. The Verrazzano Narrows and bridge bear his name.

1649

King Charles I put on trial for “high crimes” – Marking the beginning of the end of the struggle between British monarchs and Parliament.

1670

Henry Morgan captures and sacks Panama – The British pirate burned the city to the ground after looting everything of value. This final act of his swashbuckling career proved the last straw for Britain’s diplomatic relations with Spain. Arrested in 1672, Morgan was instead knighted by King Charles II and appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, serving until 1683.

1773

Captain James Cook sails below the Antarctic Circle – On his second voyage of discovery, Cook became the first European explorer to cross the Antarctic Circle (66°33’S), surveying the northern extent of the summer ice pack and iceberg zone from a wooden sailing ship in the treacherous “Roaring 40s.”

1778

Captain James Cook discovers Hawaii – On his third voyage, Cook discovered a Central Pacific island chain he named the Sandwich Islands, now known by their native name, Hawaii.

1783

Treaty of Paris signed – Over two years after Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, Britain formally recognized its former American colonies as independent states.

1793

King Louis XVI executed – Following his conviction for treason (693 guilty, 0 innocent, 23 abstained), Louis was stripped of all titles. The penalty vote was close: 361 for immediate execution, 288 against, 72 for death with modifications. Citizen Louis Capet was guillotined, an event that “loomed as a shadow over French history” and marked the starting point of modern French thought.

1806

Britain captures the Cape of Good Hope – Re-capturing it from the Batavian Republic (French-occupied Dutch kingdom), securing the trans-African oceanic chokepoint on the route to India.

1807

Birth of Robert E. Lee (d.1870) – Confederate general in the American Civil War.

1830

Birth of Paul Cezanne (d.1906) – French post-Impressionist painter whose work marked the transition from Impressionism back to emphasis on color, texture, and line, enabling the development of cubism and abstraction. Best known for his landscapes.

1832

Birth of Édouard Manet (d.1883) – French painter whose rough brush-work depicting everyday life marked the transition between vivid realism and Impressionism. Not to be confused with Claude Monet.

1839

British East India Company captures Aden, Yemen – Securing safe passage between Britain and India, this possession anticipated the opening of the Suez Canal route.

1840

Captain Claude Wilkes completes circumnavigation of Antarctica – Claiming Wilkes Land for the United States.

1861

Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis resigns from the U.S. Senate – Shortly before the Civil War.

1862

Death of President John Tyler (b.1790) – The 10th U.S. President, first to arrive at the office by succession from Vice President. He later served in the Confederate House of Representatives, staining his reputation. Note: Tyler’s grandson Harrison Ruffin Tyler lived until 2025, meaning only two generations separated a living person from the Founding Fathers era.

1871

Wilhelm I proclaimed German Emperor – As the Franco-Prussian War reached its culmination with Paris under siege, Prussia’s King Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of the German Empire (Second Reich). The ceremony was held in Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors to reinforce German dominance over France.

1879 (January 22-23)

Battle of Rorke’s Drift – In the Anglo-Zulu War, 150 British soldiers held off over 4,000 Zulu warriors, leaving nearly 1,000 Zulu casualties. Defenders used 19,100 of their 20,000 rounds of ammunition. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded, the highest number ever for a single battle.

1879 (January 22)

Birth of D.W. Griffith (d.1948) – Pioneering film producer.

1887

Brisbane, Australia receives 18.3 inches of rain in one day – Demonstrating that devastating floods in the region were not unique to 2011.

1899

United States takes possession of Wake Island

1901

Death of Queen Victoria (b.1819) – Victoria ruled the United Kingdom for nearly 64 years and served as Empress of India from 1876.

1904

Birth of Cary Grant (d.1986) – Quintessential leading man of Hollywood’s golden age.

1911 (January 18)

Eugene Ely lands on USS Pennsylvania – Following his November takeoff from USS Birmingham, Ely landed his Curtis Pusher airplane on a platform aboard the anchored cruiser in San Francisco Bay, then took off again, demonstrating viable launch and recovery of aircraft aboard ship.

1911 (January 23)

First Monte Carlo Road Rally – The grueling route tested automobile improvements and performance, becoming a signature event of international motor racing.

1917

Woodrow Wilson’s “Peace without Victory” speech – Despite growing calls for entering World War I, Wilson outlined his vision for post-war world order before the Senate. His speech laid groundwork for what would become the League of Nations, arguing that “only a peace between equals can last” and predicting that victor’s terms would “leave a sting, a resentment, a bitter memory.”

1919

Walter Owen Bentley founds Bentley Motors Limited – The company immediately began producing cars notable for speed and reliability. Bentley won Le Mans four consecutive years (1927-30). Now owned by Volkswagen, the brand blends high performance with luxury.

1920 (January 19)

U.S. Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles – After 55 days of debate, the Senate rejected ratification by 8 votes. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led opposition with “14 Reservations” that mocked Wilson’s 14 Points.

1920 (January 20)

Birth of DeForest Kelley (d.1999) – Dr. “Bones” McCoy on Star Trek.

1921

First Turkish Constitution established – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s vision created a constitution declaring Turkish sovereignty belonged to the nation, not the Sultan. Explicitly secular to negate influences of the old Muslim Caliphate. In 1924, the last Sultan and Caliph and all imperial family members were exiled forever, their properties nationalized without compensation.

1924

Death of Vladimir Lenin (b.1870) – Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and first Soviet leader.

1931

Birth of James Earl Jones (d.2024) – Renowned actor famous for his distinctive voice.

1937

Howard Hughes sets transcontinental speed record – Flying his H-1 Racer from Burbank to Newark in 7 hours 28 minutes 25 seconds, averaging 332 MPH. The record stood for 10 years.

1941

Charles Lindbergh testifies before Congress – Having inspected German aviation, Lindbergh testified in favor of a neutrality treaty with Nazi Germany, exposing his sympathies for centralized economics and nationalism.

1942

Birth of Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) (d.2016)

1943 (January 19)

First Warsaw Uprising begins – After four years in the ghetto, Warsaw’s Jews began clandestine revolt against Nazi overseers. Armed only with pistols, rifles, and Molotov cocktails, fighters opposed renewed transports to death camps. The uprising lasted through May.

1944

Birth of Shelley Fabares – Actress known for The Donna Reed Show.

1945 (January 17)

Red Army captures Warsaw – After six years of war, the city was reduced to rubble with a struggling population.

1945 (January 17)

Nazis begin evacuating Auschwitz – With Soviet forces approaching, Nazi overlords frantically attempted to evacuate the death camp.

1945 (January 17)

Raoul Wallenberg arrested – Soviet forces arrested the Swedish diplomat off Budapest streets, where he had established a “Swedish Cultural Zone” protecting Budapest’s Jews from Nazi deportation.

1945 (January 19)

Germany begins forced evacuation from East Prussia – An almost-defeated Germany evacuated 1.8 million citizens. Maritime evacuation used about 1,000 vessels over 15 weeks, transporting 350,000 soldiers and 800,000 civilians. The liner SS Wilhelm Gustloff was torpedoed and sank in 45 minutes, killing an estimated 7,000 people—the worst maritime disaster in history. The region’s German population fell from 2.2 million (1940) to 193,000 (May 1945).

1950

Alger Hiss convicted of perjury – Former State Department diplomat’s conviction for lying about espionage activities. Soviet files released after the Cold War confirmed the evidence against him.

1954

USS Nautilus launched – First nuclear-powered submarine, launched in Groton, Connecticut by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. The ship set endurance records and revolutionized submarine strategies worldwide. Now on display at the submarine museum in Groton.

1960

Bathyscaph Trieste descends to Marianas Trench – Reached the deepest part of the ocean at 36,000 feet.

1961 (January 17)

President Eisenhower’s farewell address – Warned of dangers of a “military-industrial complex” becoming a self-perpetuating cycle driving the nation into debt.

1961 (January 20)

President Kennedy’s inaugural address – JFK delivered his famous “ask not” speech.

1966

B-52 collision over Palomares, Spain – An armed B-52 collided with its KC-135 tanker. Three of four B-28 thermonuclear bombs fell on farmland; two detonated conventionally, spreading nuclear material. Cleanup involved removing 1,400 tons of contaminated dirt. The fourth bomb fell into the sea and took three months to locate using the submersible Alvin.

1968

USS Pueblo seized by North Korea – While operating in international waters in the Sea of Japan, the intelligence ship was captured—the first U.S. warship seized since the War of 1812. Commander Lloyd Bucher and crew were imprisoned for nearly a year.

1970

Death of Janis Joplin (b.1943) – Defining artist of the 1960s, died of heroin overdose. Her psychedelic Porsche 356C sold at auction in 2015 for $1.76 million.

1975

Death of Thomas Hart Benton (b.1889) – American artist whose fluid compositions of everyday life helped define early 20th-century American art.

1978

Last German-built Volkswagen Beetle produced – Rolled off the assembly line in Emden, West Germany. Mexican production continued through 2003. Total production: 21,529,464 vehicles.

1981 (January 20)

Iran releases American hostages – Thirty minutes into Ronald Reagan’s presidency, Iran agreed to release 52 American hostages held for 14 months.

1981 (January 21)

DeLorean Motor Company begins production – John DeLorean began producing his stainless steel DMC-12 sports car in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. After two years and 8,975 cars, the company went bankrupt following DeLorean’s arrest.

1983

Death of Ham (b.1956) – Chimpanzee whose survival on a January 1961 Mercury capsule flight paved the way for the manned space program.

1984

Death of Johnny Weissmuller (b.1904) – Olympic gold medalist and Tarzan movie star.

1989

Death of Salvador Dalí (b.1904) – Spanish surrealist painter, full name Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquis of Dalí de Púbol.

1990

Death of Barbara Stanwyck (b.1907) – Stage and screen actress.

1993

Death of Audrey Hepburn (b.1929) – Iconic actress.

2005

Death of Rose Mary Woods (b.1917) – President Nixon’s long-serving secretary, known for the controversial “inadvertent” erasure of crucial Watergate tape sections.

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