- 1996 – Despite a U.N. truce, factional fighting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, broke out in which at least 300 fighters and civilians were killed.
- 1998 – The U.S. House of Representatives began the debate on the four articles of impeachment concerning U.S. President Bill Clinton. It was only the second time in U.S. history that process had begun.
- 1998 – Russia recalled its U.S. ambassador in protest of the U.S. attacks on Iraq.
- 1998 – South Carolina proceeded with the U.S.’ 500th execution since capital punishment was restored.
- 1999 – After living atop an ancient redwood in Humboldt County, CA, for two years, environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill came down, ending her anti-logging protest.
- 2001 – Mark Oliver Gebel, a Ringling Bros. Circus star, went on trial for animal abuse. The charges stemmed from an incident with an elephant that was marching too slowly into a circus performance on August 25, 2001. He was acquitted on December 21, 2001.
- 2001 – A fire damaged New York City’s St. John Cathedral. The cathedral is the largest in the United States.
- 2001 – In Seattle, WA, Gary Leon Ridgeway pled innocent to the charge of murder for four of the Green River serial killings. He had been arrested on November 30, 2001.
- 2002 – Nine competing designs for the World Trade Center site were unveiled. The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. expected to choose a design by January 31, 2003.
- 2003 – Adam Rich was arrested for driving onto a closed section of Interstate 10 and nearly struck a California Highway Patrol car.
- 2009 – General Motors announced that it would shut down its Saab brand.
- 2009 – A Paris court ruled that Google was breaking French law with its policy of digitizing books and fined the company a $14,300-a-day fine until it rids its search engine of the literary extracts.
- 2009 – James Cameron’s movie “Avatar” was released in the United States. On January 26, the movie became the highest-grossing film worldwide.
- 2010 – In Nanjing, China, the Zifeng Tower opened.
- 2015 – Kellingley Colliery, the last deep coal mine in Great Britain, closes.
- 2017 – Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501, derailed near DuPont, Washington, a city in United States near Olympia, Washington killing six people, and injuring 70 others.
- 2018 – List of bolides: A meteor exploded over the Bering Sea with a force over 10 times greater than the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
- 2019 – The United States House of Representatives votes in support of the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1983 – Andy Fantuz, Canadian football player
- 1984 – Brian Boyle, American ice hockey player
- 1984 – Paul Harrison, English footballer
- 1984 – Giuliano Razzoli, Italian skier
- 1984 – Derrick Tribbett, American bass player and singer
- 1986 – François Hamelin, Canadian speed skater
- 1986 – Usman Khawaja, Pakistani-Australian cricketer
- 1986 – Bill Stull, American football player
- 1987 – Ayaka, Japanese singer-songwriter and producer
- 1987 – Miki Ando, Japanese figure skater
- 1987 – Yuki Furukawa, Japanese actor
- 1988 – Lizzie Deignan, English cyclist
- 1988 – Seth Doege, American football player
- 1988 – Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Canadian heptathlete
- 1988 – Imad Wasim, Pakistani cricketer
- 1990 – Sierra Kay, American singer-songwriter
- 1991 – Marcus Butler, English internet celebrity
- 1992 – Bridgit Mendler, American singer, songwriter and actress
- 1992 – Ryan Crouser, American shot putter
- 1993 – Byron Buxton, American baseball player
- 1993 – Ana Porgras, Romanian former artistic gymnast
- 1993 – Thomas Lam, Finnish professional football defender
- 1994 – Natália Kelly, American-Austrian singer
- 1994 – Gerard Gumbau, Spanish professional footballer
- 2001 – Billie Eilish, American singer