Once Upon A Time – Jan. 30 – 1965 – State Funeral For Winston Churchill; At The Time, World’s Largest Ever State Funeral

1661 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England is ritually executed after having been dead for two years

1814 John Williams is converted while listening to a sermon by Timothy East. This Englishman will become a famous missionary to the New Hebrides islands.

1815 Burned US Library of Congress re-established with Thomas Jefferson’s 6,500 volumes

1902 Britain and Japan sign a treaty after months of negotiating which commits each country to supporting an independent China and Korea, although it acknowledges Japan’s ‘special interest’ in Korea

1933 President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor of Germany who forms a government with Franz von Papen

1939 Adolf Hitler threatens Jews during his speech to the German Reichstag (Parliament)

1948 Mahatma Gandhi assassinated by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse

1965 State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul’s Cathedral in London; at the time, the world’s largest ever state funeral

1972 Bloody Sunday: 27 unarmed civilians are shot (14 are killed) by the British Army during a civil rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland; this is the highest death toll from a single shooting incident during ‘the Troubles’

1977 Festo Kivengere, an Anglican Bishop in Uganda, challenges Idi Amin’s mass killings in a sermon titled “The Preciousness of Life.” Afterward he and his family will have to flee for their lives to Kenya.

Historical Events Today

Today In Film & Tv

1931 “City Lights”, American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill, premieres at Los Angeles Theater

Today In Music

1961 “I Fall to Pieces” single released by Patsy Cline (Billboard Song of the Year 1961)

Today In Sport

1994 Kapil Dev takes 2/41 as India beats Sri Lanka by an innings and 95 runs in 2nd Cricket Test in Bengaluru; equals Sir Richard Hadlee’s world record of 431 Test wickets

Do You Know This Fact About Today? Did You Know?

1969 The Beatles perform their last live gig, a 42 minute concert on the roof of Apple Corps HQ in London, England

Would You Believe This Fact About Today?

1977 8th (final) part of “Roots” is most-watched US entertainment show ever (100 million)