This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 29th January”.
1780: India’s first newspaper is published
‘Bengal Gazette,’ also known as the ‘Hicky’s Gazette’ or ‘Calcutta General Advertiser’ was the first printed newspaper published in Asia. It was founded by James Augustus Hickey and was published for two years, between in 1780 and 1782, in Kolkata. The newspaper was a strong critic of the Governor General Warren Hastings’ administration and played a crucial role in India’s fight for free expression.
1820: King George III dies
George III succeeded his grandfather as King of Great Britain and Ireland in 1760 on 29th January at the age of 20. The young king was unable to find a trustworthy minister for a long time. His policy of coercion against the American colonists led to the outbreak of the American War for Independence. This contributed to an increased opposition to the king. Due to this, he suffered a short nervous breakdown in 1765 which continued to worsen. He was a victim of the hereditary disease porphyria, a defect of the blood that can cause mental illness when not treated. He thus, became permanently insane in 1810 and retired from public life. Ten years later, he died at the age 81 and his son the Prince of Wales took the throne.
1845: Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ is published
American writer Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem ‘The Raven’ was published on 29th January day in the New York Evening Mirror. It tells of a talking raven’s mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man’s slow descent into madness. Poe wrote it as a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes. Although it’s one of the most famous poems ever written, it did not bring Poe much financial success. His dark style of writing had an element of the supernatural and influenced European writers like Baudelaire, Mallarme, and Dostoyevsky.
1886: Carl Benz patents the world’s first motor vehicle
On 29th January, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his ‘vehicle powered by a gas engine’ or ‘Motorwagen’. It was three-wheeled, self-propelled and had a rear-mounted single-cylinder engine. The original cost of the vehicle in 1885 was 600 imperial German marks, approximately 150 US dollars. It was the world’s first production automobile which forever changed the way people move.
1936: US Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members
The US Baseball Hall of Fame elected its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. A private organization called Clark Foundation thought establishing the Baseball Hall of Fame would help attract tourists and revive the city’s economy post-Depression. Today, with approximately 350,000 visitors per year, the Hall of Fame continues to be the hub of all things baseball.
1954: Oprah Winfrey is born
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”, quotes ‘The Queen of All Media’, Oprah Winfrey. Her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show is the highest-rated TV program of its kind in history. She was North America’s first black multi-billionaire, and the greatest black philanthropist in American history. A talented actress, she was also nominated for an Academy Award in her first movie The Color Purple.
1963: Robert Frost dies
American poet Robert Frost won four Pulitzer Prizes for his work and spoke at John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration. Some of his famous works include Fire and Ice, Mending Wall and The Road Not Taken. He died from complications related to prostate surgery.
2006: Irfan Pathan becomes the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over in Test cricket
Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan is the only bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match. He achieved this feat against Pakistan at Karachi. He dismissed Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf on the last three balls of the over. But nevertheless, the hat-trick was in vain as India lost the match to Pakistan by 341 runs.
2018: Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ premieres in Los Angeles
Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It’s the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination and the first MCU film to win an Academy Award, including Best Costume Design, Best Original Score and Best Production Design. It was also the second highest-grossing film of 2018, after Avengers: Infinity War and the highest grossing film by a black director. A sequel is also scheduled for July 2022.
