Thirteen Things That Happened on January 24

1. First canned beer goes on sale

   January 24, 1935 Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger’s Finest Beer and Krueger’s Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production. more

2. Winston Churchill dies

   January 24, 1965 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, the British leader who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, dies in London at the age of 90. more

3. First Alfred Hitchcock film opens

   January 24, 1927 Young director Alfred Hitchcock’s first film, The Pleasure Garden, is released in England on this day in 1927. While the film marked an impressive debut, Hitchcock considered his next film, The Lodger (known in the United States as The Case of Jonathan Drew), to be his first true accomplishment. It also marked the first of his many cameo appearances. more

4. Edith Wharton is born

   January 24, 1862 On this day in 1862, Edith Wharton is born to an old and wealthy New York family. She grew up in an opulent world where pre-Civil War society tried to keep the nouveau riche at bay. Wharton, expected to become a typical wife, mother, and hostess, instead showed intellectual talent and began to write at an early age. She had begun to fear spinsterhood but then, at age 23, married prominent socialite Edward Wharton-who had neither a profession nor fortune. The match was unhappy and troubled, but the couple did not divorce until 1913. Wharton returned to writing, often dealing with themes of divorce, unhappy marriages, and free-spirited individuals trapped by societal pressures. more



5. Von Paulus to Hitler: Let us surrender!

   January 24, 1943 On this day, German Gen. Friedrich von Paulus, commander in chief of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad, urgently requests permission from Adolf Hitler to surrender his position there, but Hitler refuses. more

6. Japanese soldier found hiding on Guam

   January 24, 1972 After 28 years of hiding in the jungles of Guam, local farmers discover Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese sergeant who was unaware that World War II had ended. more

7. “Light Horse” and “Swamp Fox” raid Georgetown, South Carolina

   January 24, 1781 On this day in 1781, Patriot commanders Lieutenant Colonel “Light Horse” Henry Lee and Brigadier General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion of the South Carolina militia combine forces and conduct a raid on Georgetown, South Carolina, which is defended by 200 British soldiers. more

8. 136 miles per hour on a bicycle?

   January 24, 1907 In Ormond Beach, Florida, Glenn Curtiss, an engineer who got his start building motors for bicycles, set an unofficial land-speed record on a self-built V-8 motorcycle on this day: 136.29mph. more

9. Confederate Congress to resume prisoner exchanges

   January 24, 1865 The Confederate Congress agrees to continue prisoner exchanges, opening a process that had operated only sporadically for three years. more

10. U.S. announces military equipment sales to China

    January 24, 1980 In an action obviously designed as another in a series of very strong reactions to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, U.S. officials announce that America is ready to sell military equipment (excluding weapons) to communist China. The surprise statement was part of the U.S. effort to build a closer relationship with the People’s Republic of China for use as leverage against possible Soviet aggression. more



11. Chile suffers killer quake

    January 24, 1939 An 8.3-magnitude earthquake centered in south central Chile leaves 50,000 people dead and 60,000 injured on this day in 1939. The disaster came just 33 years after another terrible quake in Chile killed tens of thousands. more

12. Gold discovered at Sutter’s Creek

    January 24, 1848 A millwright named James Marshall discovers gold along the banks of Sutter’s Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West. more

13. Top court defends federal income tax

    January 24, 1916 Although the Constitution explicitly forbade direct taxation of citizens, the United States flirted with the notion of an income tax during the latter half of the nineteenth century. In fact, the government briefly instituted a tax during the Civil War. This tax was repealed in 1872, but legislators, casting about for ways to raise federal funds, continued to push for an income tax. more

Informational Source: The History Channel