12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for January 6, 2026
Today’s History:
- 1066 – Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies, triggering a succession crisis that culminates in the Norman Conquest later that year.
- 1412 – Joan of Arc is born in Domrémy, later becoming a decisive symbol and military leader in France’s fight during the Hundred Years’ War.
- 1540 – King Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, a political match that collapses quickly and reshapes Tudor court alliances.
- 1759 – Future 1st U.S. President George Washington (26) weds widow Martha Dandridge Custis (27) at her home, the White House Plantation in Kent County, Virginia.
- 1912 – New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state, completing a long path from territory to statehood in the American Southwest.
- 1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers the “Four Freedoms” address, framing Allied war aims around universal liberties.
- 1994 – Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked in a rink hallway, detonating one of the most notorious sports scandals of the decade.
- 2021 – A violent mob attacks the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, exposing major security and response failures and interrupting the democratic process for hours.
- 2021 – Two pipe bombs planted the night before (at DNC and RNC offices) are discovered on January 6, diverting law-enforcement resources amid the broader crisis.
- 2024 – The International Court of Justice begins public hearings in South Africa’s case alleging Israel violated the Genocide Convention in Gaza, putting the war under intensified international legal scrutiny.
- 2025 – A major U.S. winter storm system disrupts travel across multiple regions, highlighting the continuing fragility of infrastructure under extreme weather.
- 2026 – Epiphany is observed by many Christian traditions, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles (often associated with the visit of the Magi).
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1955 – Rowan Atkinson – English actor and comedian best known for Mr. Bean and Blackadder. (71)
- 1969 – Norman Reedus – American actor known for The Walking Dead and long-running genre television. (57)
- 1982 – Eddie Redmayne – English actor and Oscar winner known for The Theory of Everything and major stage work. (44)
- 1984 – Kate McKinnon – American comedian and actor known for Saturday Night Live and film/voice roles. (42)
- 1986 – Irina Shayk – Russian model known for major runway work and global fashion campaigns. (40)
- 1994 – Jameis Winston – American professional football quarterback who played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. (32)
- 1999 – Polo G – American rapper, rose to fame with hit singles such as “Finer Things” and “Pop Out” (27)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1852 – Louis Braille – French inventor of the Braille reading-and-writing system for blind and visually impaired people. (43)
- 1884 – Gregor Mendel – Austrian scientist whose pea-plant experiments founded modern genetics. (61)
- 1918 – Georg Cantor – German mathematician whose work created modern set theory. (72)
- 1919 – Theodore Roosevelt – 26th U.S. President, Progressive-era reformer, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. (60)
- 1993 – Dizzy Gillespie – American jazz trumpeter and composer, a founding architect of bebop. (75)
- 2006 – Lou Rawls – American singer with a deep, distinctive voice spanning R&B, pop, and jazz traditions. (72)
- 2022 – Sidney Poitier – Bahamian-American actor and civil-rights-era icon; the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. (94)
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