This week in history
Jan 21, 1911
The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place. The historic race, held annually since, was won by Henri Rougier and the victorious 25Hp Turcat-Méry.
Jan 22, 1957
The New York City ‘Mad Bomber’, George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut, and charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
Jan 23, 1556
The deadliest earthquake in history, the Shaanxi earthquake in China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000.
Jan 24, 1972
Japanese Sgt Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
Jan 25, 1995
The Norwegian rocket incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
Jan 26, 1788
The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on Australia.
Jan 27, 1967
Apollo program: Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of their Apollo 1 spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.