January 28
January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 338 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 28 the Sun's declination is approximately -18.5°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a January 28.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1521 — The Diet of Worms convened, where Martin Luther would be summoned to defend his teachings. ↗(505 years ago)more
The Diet of Worms of 1521 was an imperial diet of the Holy Roman Empire called by Emperor Charles V and conducted in the Imperial Free City of Worms. Martin Luther was summoned to the diet in order to renounce or reaffirm his views in response to a Papal bull of Pope Leo X.
1813 — Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was first published in London. ↗(213 years ago)more
Pride and Prejudice is the second published novel by English author Jane Austen, written when she was aged 20–21, and later published in 1813.
1958 — The Lego company patented the design of its plastic interlocking bricks. ↗(68 years ago)more
Lego is a brand of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) that accompany an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts.
1986 — The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew. ↗(40 years ago)more
On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated about 46,000 feet (14 km) above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 16:39:13 UTC. It was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft while in flight.
Notable births
1457 — Henry VII of England. ↗(569 years ago)more
Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
1853 — José Martí, Cuban national hero and writer. ↗(173 years ago)more
José Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the liberation of his country from Spain. He was also an important figure in Latin American literature.
1980 — Nick Carter, American singer (Backstreet Boys). ↗(46 years ago)more
Nickolas Gene Carter is an American singer and a lead vocalist of the vocal group Backstreet Boys. As of 2025, he has released four solo albums, Now or Never (2002), I'm Taking Off (2011), All American (2015) and Love Life Tragedy (2025), all during breaks between Backstreet Boys schedules, and a collaboration with Jordan Knight titled Nick & Knight.
Notable deaths
814 — Charlemagne, King of the Franks and first Holy Roman Emperor. ↗(1212 years ago)more
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian Empire from 800. He united most of Western and Central Europe and was the first recognised emperor to rule from the west after the fall of the Western Roman Empire approximately three centuries earlier.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (28) | 2^2 × 7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (338) | 2 × 13^2 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 28012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -18.54° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 39 days |