🗓️ On This Day - January 4th
Despite Christmas having been and gone, January 4th is always going to be a day to remember! Whether for the first trip to the Moon, a day for eating nothing but spaghetti, or when people first started to groove with four wheels on each foot - here are some of the most exciting reasons to remember January 4th!
On this day
Fully loaded!
In 1847, Samuel Colt, the inventor of the Colt revolver pistol, sold his first revolvers to the United States government. The Colt revolver was on the cutting edge in firearms design, as it was one of the first pistols to feature a revolving cylinder that allowed for multiple shots to be fired without reloading!
Get your skates on!
James Plimpton, an American inventor, patented the first four-wheeled roller skate on January 4th, 1863 - paving the way for the modern roller skate. Before Plimpton's invention, roller skates had only two wheels and were difficult to use. He even launched the world’s first-ever roller skating rinks, and founded the first roller skating club - where you could learn how to get rolling.
We went all the way to the Moon.
In 1959, Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. Launched on January 2nd, Luna 1 was designed to land on the Moon’s surface and deposit scientific equipment for further research to transmit back home.
On January 4th - after 34 hours of flight - Luna 1 passed within just under 4,000 miles of the Moon's surface. Just a decade later, we landed there ourselves!
Driverless vehicles are older than you think.
On January 4th, 1962, New York City updated its subway system with the introduction of unmanned trains. This revolutionized network featured trains without conductors or operators.
Pelosi made her debut on January 4th.
On January 4th, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected as the first female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Pelosi, a Democrat from California, had already served in the House for over 20 years. Her election as Speaker marked a major milestone for women in American politics!
A tall order!
The Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, is the world's tallest building. It officially opened on January 4th, 2010, with a height of 2,716 feet and 160 floors. The construction of this instantly recognizable skyscraper took over five years to complete. To this day, no building’s toppled its lofty record!
Special Days Falling on January 4th
January 4th is pretty special to millions of people celebrating their birthdays - but, as always, there’s a few national and international holidays, too!
World Braille Day
World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4th in honor of the birthday of Louis Braille, the French inventor who created the reading system for the blind by using punch marks in paper. Today we celebrate this incredible invention - it continues to support blind people of all ages all over the world.
National Trivia Day
Got some random or useless facts to share? January 4th is the day for you to spread the knowledge! National Trivia Day was founded by Robert L Birch of Puns Corps, and was celebrated for the first time in 1980. Speaking of trivia, did you know that an individual spaghetti is called a spaghetto?
National Spaghetti Day
Coincidentally, today’s the day to tuck into pasta without guilt! The origins of National Spaghetti Day are a mystery - believe it or not. But, that shouldn’t stop pasta lovers from indulging in this Italian staple!
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This page was last modified on July 29, 2023. Suggest an edit
This month in history
Queen Elizabeth I brought an odd form of fun to her English citizens, launching the country’s first-ever lottery mid-January. She reportedly did so to help raise funds for public works - refusing to launch a new tax!
Famous Birthdays on January 4th
If you were born on January 4th…
If January 4th is your birthday, you fall under the tenth zodiac sign, Capricorn. An earth sign along with Virgo and Taurus, you are ruled by the planetary giant, Saturn. Check out our Capricorn facts to learn more!
