On this day: 6 January

Selected events and births on 6 January, from Wikipedia’s “On this day”.

Events

• 1449 – Four years before the fall of Constantinople, Constantine XI Palaiologos assumed the throne as the last Byzantine emperor. Read more: Fall of Constantinople Constantine XI Palaiologos Byzantine Empire
• 1536 – The oldest European school of higher learning in the Americas, the Colegio de Santa Cruz, was founded in Tlatelolco, Mexico City. Read more: Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco Tlatelolco, Mexico City
• 1540 – King Henry VIII of England married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves; the marriage was annulled six months later. Read more: Henry VIII Wives of Henry VIII Anne of Cleves
• 1725 – J. S. Bach led the first performance of Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, a chorale cantata for Epiphany. Read more: Johann Sebastian Bach Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123 Chorale cantata cycle
• 1839 – The worst storm to impact Ireland in 300 years damaged or destroyed more than 20 per cent of houses in Dublin with 100-knot (190 km/h) winds. Read more: Night of the Big Wind Dublin
• 1907 – Italian educator Maria Montessori opened her first school and day-care centre for working-class children in Rome, employing a philosophy of education that now bears her name. Read more: Maria Montessori Montessori education
• 1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener presented his theory of continental drift, the precursor of plate tectonics, to the German Geological Society. Read more: Alfred Wegener Continental drift Plate tectonics
• 1941 – During his State of the Union address, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt presented his Four Freedoms (composite poster depicted) as fundamental freedoms that all people ought to enjoy. Read more: State of the Union Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms
• 1953 – The inaugural Asian Socialist Conference, an organisation of socialist political parties, opened in Rangoon with 177 delegates, observers and fraternal guests. Read more: Asian Socialist Conference Socialism Yangon
• 1972 – A brawl broke out between players, fans, and police officers during an ice hockey game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues in Philadelphia. Read more: St. Louis Blues–Philadelphia Flyers brawl Ice hockey Philadelphia Flyers
• 1994 – Two-time American Olympic figure-skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan was hit on the leg with a police baton by an assailant hired by the ex-husband of her rival Tonya Harding. Read more: Figure skating Nancy Kerrigan Assault of Nancy Kerrigan
• 2014 – The first episode of the documentary series Benefits Street aired on Channel 4, prompting discussion in the United Kingdom about welfare dependency. Read more: Benefits Street Channel 4 Welfare dependency

Born on this day

• 1936 – Julio María Sanguinetti, Uruguayan journalist, lawyer, and politician, 29th President of Uruguay Read more: Julio María Sanguinetti President of Uruguay
• 1944 – Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Read more: Rolf M. Zinkernagel Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 1950 – Louis Freeh, American lawyer and jurist, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Read more: Louis Freeh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• 1994 – Catriona Gray, Filipino-Australian model, singer and beauty queen, Miss Universe 2018 Read more: Catriona Gray Miss Universe 2018
• 2000 – Tyler Oliveira, American YouTuber Read more: Tyler Oliveira YouTuber
• 2000 – Fiete Arp, German footballer Read more: Fiete Arp
• 2000 – Mohamed Camara, Malian footballer Read more: Mohamed Camara (footballer, born January 2000)
• 2000 – Kwon Eun-bin, South Korean singer and actress Read more: Kwon Eun-bin
• 2000 – Jack McBain, Canadian ice hockey player Read more: Jack McBain
• 2000 – Shuhua, Taiwanese singer Read more: Shuhua
• 2003 – MattyBRaps, American rapper, singer, and YouTuber Read more: MattyBRaps YouTuber
• 2006 – Stefanos Tzimas, Greek footballer Read more: Stefanos Tzimas

Text from Wikipedia: Selected anniversaries / January 6 and the linked articles, via the Wikimedia “On this day” feed, under CC BY-SA 4.0. We leave out entries about wars, violence and disasters to keep this page family-friendly.