Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on January 4th?

Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus.

The Bulgarian Khan Asparukh defeats the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IV at the Battle of Ongal.

Louis X of France dies, leading to a succession crisis in France.

The English Parliament passes the Act of Multipliers, addressing economic issues by controlling wages and prices.

King Henry IV of England dies, and his son becomes King Henry V.

The Hussite Wars in Bohemia intensify as followers of Jan Hus take control of Prague and overthrow King Wenceslaus IV's regents.

Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli is commissioned to paint "Adoration of the Magi."

Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer, anchors near the mouth of the Congo River during his expedition.

The Treaty of Maline is signed, forming an alliance between King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I.

The Union of Lublin establishes the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, uniting the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The Truce of Bergerac is signed, temporarily halting the French Wars of Religion.

Fire destroys a significant portion of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), leading to the rebuilding of the city.

The University of Groningen is established in the Netherlands.

England's King James I dies, and his son Charles I ascends to the throne.

King Charles I of England attempts to arrest five members of the Parliament, leading to tension between the king and parliamentarians.

The Portuguese defeat the Dutch at the Battle of São Jorge da Mina, leading to the recapture of Elmina Castle in West Africa.

The Treaty of Westminster ends England's involvement in the Franco-Dutch War.

A great comet appears in the night sky, visible in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

China cedes the Island of Hong Kong to the British as a result of the First Opium War. The treaty was followed in 1898 by a 99-year lease in 1898 that allowed Britain to control even more land. The lease ended in 1997.

Richard Wagner's opera "Der fliegende Holländer" premieres in Dresden, Germany.

1853, January 4 - Solomon Northrup, who was born a free person of color in what is now Minerva, New York, legally regains his freedom after being kidnapped, sold into slavery and spending 12 years as a slave. Northrup was a farmer, laborer, and musician. He later wrote about his experiences in "Twelve Years a Slave." More

The first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, opens in Philadelphia.

The Philippines formally becomes a Spanish colony.

The Independent Labour Party of the UK holds its first meeting.

Dreyfus Affair: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island.

Utah is admitted into the Union, becoming the 45th U.S. state.

The first American college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, is held in Pasadena, California.

British India arrests Mohandas Gandhi in Bombay for organizing resistance against British rule.

Burma (Myanmar) formally achieves independence from Britain after the negotiations between Burmese leader Aung San and British Prime Minister Clement Attlee were completed.

Patsy Mink (Patsy Matsu Takemoto) becomes the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the State of Hawaii. More

President Lyndon B. Johnson unveils his "Great Society" vision in his State of the Union address calling for legislation for major investments in social welfare programs. More

Nancy Pelosi, Congress Woman for the State of California becomes first female Speaker of the House.