January 6
January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 360 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 6 the Sun's declination is approximately -22.5°. 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 6.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Epiphany (Western Christianity)
- Three Kings' Day (Día de los Reyes)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1066 — Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England as Harold II. ↗(960 years ago)more
Harold Godwinson, also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman Conquest. He was succeeded by William the Conqueror, the victor at Hastings.
1838 — Samuel Morse first publicly demonstrated his electric telegraph in Morristown, New Jersey. ↗(188 years ago)more
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer and the namesake of Morse code in 1837 and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.
1912 — New Mexico was admitted as the 47th U.S. state. ↗(114 years ago)more
New Mexico is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.
1941 — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech to Congress. ↗(85 years ago)more
The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech, he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy:Freedom of speech and expression Freedom of worship Freedom from want Freedom from fear
1994 — American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at a U.S. Championships practice. ↗(32 years ago)more
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is an American former figure skater. She won bronze medals at the 1991 World Championships and the 1992 Winter Olympics, silver medals at the 1992 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, as well as the 1993 US National Figure Skating Championship. Kerrigan was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2004.
2021 — A mob of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol. ↗(5 years ago)more
On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
Notable births
1412 — Joan of Arc (traditional date), French saint and military figure. ↗(614 years ago)more
Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Stating that she acted under divine guidance, she became a military leader who gained recognition as a savior of France.
1822 — Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist who excavated Troy. ↗(204 years ago)more
Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann was a German businessman and an influential archaeologist. He was an advocate of the historicity of places mentioned in the works of Homer and an archaeological excavator of Hisarlık, now presumed to be the site of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns.
1955 — Rowan Atkinson, English actor and comedian. ↗(71 years ago)more
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He first gained success on the sketch comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982), before going on to play the title roles in the sitcoms Blackadder (1983–1989) and Mr. Bean (1990–1995), and in the film series Johnny English (2003–present).
Notable deaths
1919 — Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States. ↗(107 years ago)more
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt was vice president for six months under William McKinley and became president after McKinley's assassination in 1901. He was 42 years old upon his first inauguration, making him the youngest person to hold the office.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (6) | 2 × 3 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (360) | 2^3 × 3^2 × 5 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 06012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -22.53° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 17 days |