126 things happened on 28 January, from AD 598 to 2021. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1547 · 479 years ago
Nine-year-old Edward VI became King of England and Ireland after the death of his father, Henry VIII. He was the only surviving son of Henry and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Edward was the first English monarch to be brought up as a Protestant. Because he wa…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
Nine-year-old Edward VI became King of England and Ireland after the death of his father, Henry VIII. He was the only surviving son of Henry and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Edward was the first English monarch to be brought up as a Protestant. Because he was so young, the country was run for him by a group of advisers called a regency council.
UK story
The English writer Horace Walpole invented the word 'serendipity' in a letter to a friend. It means making a happy, lucky discovery by chance. He took the idea from a Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes kept making lucky discoveries. Serendip is the old Persian name for Sri Lanka.
UK story
Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice was first published. She wrote it when she was 20 or 21, and it was the second of her novels to be printed. The story follows Elizabeth Bennet, who learns that judging people too quickly can lead to mistakes. Austen is famous for her six novels about the lives of wealthy English landowning families.
UK story
Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, became the first person to be convicted of speeding. He had been driving at 8 mph (13 km/h), when the speed limit was just 2 mph (3.2 km/h). He was fined one shilling, plus costs. A shilling was a coin worth one-twentieth of a pound, and it was nicknamed a 'bob'.
UK story
Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, is lifted after he humbles himself before Pope Gregory VII at Canossa in Italy.
UK story
Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the island of Saint Kitts.
UK story
The Battle of Aliwal, India, is won by British troops commanded by Sir Harry Smith.
Emperor Charles V and the leaders of the Holy Roman Empire met at a great assembly called the Diet of Worms, in Germany. They discussed Martin Luther, whose ideas had started the Protestant Reformation. Luther refused to take back his views, saying it was not right to go against his conscience. Afterwards the Emperor condemned Luther and banned people from spreading his ideas.
A train on the Panama Railway travelled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean for the first time. The railway crosses the Isthmus of Panama, a narrow strip of land in Central America that joins North and South America. The line opened in 1855. Its route now runs for 47.6 miles (76.6 km), from Colón on the Atlantic side to Balboa on the Pacific.
The Canadian province of Manitoba passed a law giving women the right to vote. It was the first time that women anywhere in Canada had won this right. The provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta followed later in 1916. Canada's national government gave some women the vote in 1917 and wider voting rights in 1918.
The Danish toy company Lego filed a patent in Denmark for the design of its plastic bricks. A patent protects an inventor's design. Lego bricks interlock, so they can be built into vehicles, buildings and even working robots, then taken apart and used again. The company is based in Billund, Denmark, and has built Legoland parks around the world.
The current design of the flag of Canada was officially chosen. Known as the Maple Leaf, it shows a red, 11-pointed maple leaf on a white square between two red bands. It was the first Canadian flag to be adopted by both houses of Parliament and proclaimed by the monarch. It has become Canada's best-known national symbol.
Delegates of the Three Nations of Transylvania adopted the Edict of Torda, allowing local communities to elect their preachers freely, in an unprecedented act of religious tolerance.
Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland.
The Russian Academy of Sciences is founded in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Peter the Great, and implemented by Senate decree. It is called the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917.
Northwestern University becomes the first chartered university in Illinois.
Franco-Prussian War: The Siege of Paris ends in French defeat and an armistice.
Yale Daily News becomes the first independent daily college newspaper in the United States.
The Carnegie Institution of Washington is founded in Washington, D.C., with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.
Members of the Portuguese Republican Party fail in their attempted coup d'état against the administrative dictatorship of Prime Minister João Franco.
United States troops leave Cuba, with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, after being there since the Spanish–American War.
An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard as a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
Finnish Civil War: The Red Guard rebels seize control of the capital, Helsinki; members of the Senate of Finland go underground.
The Order of the White Rose of Finland is established by Baron Gustaf Mannerheim, the regent of Finland.
Foundation of the Spanish Legion.
Japanese forces attack Shanghai.
Choudhry Rahmat Ali published a pamphlet in which he called for the creation of a Muslim state in north-western India that he termed "Pakstan".
The World Land Speed Record on a public road is broken by Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen at a speed of 432.7 kilometres per hour (268.9 mph).
World War II: Supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road.
Elvis Presley makes his first national television appearance.
The National Football League announces expansion teams for Dallas to start in the 1960 NFL season and Minneapolis-St. Paul for the 1961 NFL season.
In Gitarama, Rwanda, local and other government officials initiated a coup to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic.
The Shining, the horror novel and the first hardcover bestseller by Stephen King, is published.
The first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977, which dumps 3 metres (10 ft) of snow in one day in Upstate New York. Buffalo, Syracuse, Watertown, and surrounding areas are most affected.
U.S. president Ronald Reagan lifted price controls from petroleum products, contributing to the 1980s oil glut.
Tropical Storm Domoina made landfall in southern Mozambique, causing some of the most severe flooding recorded in the region.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Nine-year-old Edward VI becomes King of England”?
A: 1547. 1547 — that’s 479 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is published”?
A: 1813. 1813 — that’s 213 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: Nine-year-old Edward VI becomes King of England. 1754: Horace Walpole invents the word 'serendipity' · 1813: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is published · 1547: Nine-year-old Edward VI becomes King of England Find it on the page
“Horace Walpole invents the word 'serendipity'” happened in 1754. How many years ago was that?
A: 272 years. 2026 − 1754 = 272. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 28 January.
UK story
Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor, was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales. He became King of England in 1485 when his forces defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the first monarch of the Tudor family. He married Elizabeth of York, and his victory at Stoke Field in 1487 finally ended the Wars of the Roses.
UK story
Jessica Ennis-Hill is a British athlete who competed in the heptathlon, which combines seven different track and field events. She won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and was world champion three times. She was a member of the City of Sheffield athletics club. She has been made a Dame for her achievements.
Well-known people who died on 28 January.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 28 January somewhere in the world.
Data Privacy Day is an international event held every year to raise awareness of privacy and data protection. It encourages people to look after their personal information, such as what they share online. The day is marked in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Nigeria and 47 European countries.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “January 28” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.