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A gunman kills eight people in a house-to-house rampage in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines.
The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke. His authority is transferred to acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.
Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.
Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota.
A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.
Wilaya of Relizane massacres in Algeria: Over 170 are killed in three remote villages.
In Pakistan's deadliest train accident an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train, resulting in 307 deaths and 700 injuries.
Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.
The Maryland train collision: An Amtrak train en route to Boston from Washington, D.C., collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, killing 16 people.
The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunmen shoot dead ten Protestant civilians nearby in retaliation.
United States President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over materials subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, England.
A military coup takes place in Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso), dissolving the National Parliament and leading to a new national constitution.
Gypsy opened and closed on Broadway after 120 performances and four previews
The Greek National Radical Union is formed by Konstantinos Karamanlis.
Korean War: Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul.
World War II: Operation Carpetbagger, involving the dropping of arms and supplies to resistance fighters in Europe, begins.
The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Russia, Sweden, Germany and France.
The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Empire by royal charter.
Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company shoots the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death.
Russo-Turkish War (1877-78): Sofia is liberated from Ottoman rule and becomes capital of Liberated Bulgaria in 1879.
The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters near Wall Street in New York City.
The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the Samarang.
After having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller.
Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government.
Constantine Hangerli arrives in Bucharest, Wallachia, as its new Prince, invested by the Ottoman Empire.
The Netherlands, Great Britain, and France sign the Triple Alliance.
King Charles I of England attempts to arrest Five Members of Parliament, commencing England's slide into civil war.
Anne of Brittany announces that all those who would ally with the King of France will be considered guilty of the crime of lèse-majesté.
Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex fights, and is defeated by, a Danish invasion army.
Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
English