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# This Day In History: January 15 

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[Image 2][Image 3]

1929

## 【19†Martin Luther King Jr. born】

【19†Read more】

[Image 4][Image 5]Photo Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images 

## Also on This Day in History January | 15 

* * *

Discover what happened on January 15 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

Martin Luther King Jr. - Call to Activism

[Image 6][Image 7]2001

### 【20†Wikipedia launches】

【21†21st Century】[Image 8][Image 9]1968

### 【22†The Jeannette Rankin Brigade: 5,000 women march against Vietnam War】

【23†Vietnam War】[Image 10][Image 11]2009

### 【24†Pilot Sully Sullenberger performs “Miracle on the Hudson”】

【21†21st Century】[Image 12][Image 13]1972

### 【25†“American Pie” hits #1 on the pop charts】

【26†Art, Literature and Film History】[Image 14][Image 15]1777

### 【27†Vermont declares independence from colony of New York】

【28†American Revolution】[Image 16][Image 17]1870

### 【29†First appearance of the Democratic Party donkey】

【30†U.S. Government and Politics】

[Image 18][Image 19]

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[Image 20][Image 21]1559

### 【34†Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England】

【35†European History】[Image 22][Image 23]1919

### 【36†Rebel leaders are murdered in failed coup in Berlin】

【37†World War I】[Image 24][Image 25]1967

### 【38†Packers beat Chiefs in first Super Bowl】

【39†Sports】[Image 26][Image 27]1831

### 【40†“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is finished】

【26†Art, Literature and Film History】[Image 28][Image 29]1919

### 【41†Boston shocked by deadly molasses flood】

【42†Early 20th Century U.S.】[Image 30][Image 31]1981

### 【43†“Hill Street Blues” begins run】

【26†Art, Literature and Film History】[Image 32][Image 33]1990

### 【44†Soviets send troops into Azerbaijan】

【45†Cold War】[Image 34][Image 35]1951

### 【46†The “Witch of Buchenwald” is sentenced to prison】

【47†World War II】

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What Happened on January 15 | HISTORY


## Events[【314†edit】]

### Pre-1600[【315†edit】]

  * 【316†69】 – 【317†Otho】 seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself 【318†Emperor of Rome】,【319†[1]】 beginning a reign of only three months.
  * 【320†1541】 – King 【321†Francis I of France】 gives 【322†Jean-François Roberval】 a commission to settle the province of 【323†New France】 (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".【324†[2]】
  * 【325†1559】 – 【326†Elizabeth I】 is crowned 【327†Queen of England】 and 【328†Ireland】 in 【329†Westminster Abbey】, London.【330†[3]】
  * 【331†1582】 – 【332†Truce of Yam-Zapolsky】: Russia cedes 【333†Livonia】 to the 【334†Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth】.【335†[4]】

### 1601–1900[【336†edit】]

  * 【337†1759】 – The 【338†British Museum】 opens to the public.【339†[5]】
  * 【340†1777】 – 【341†American Revolutionary War】: 【342†New Connecticut】 (present-day 【343†Vermont】) declares its independence.【344†[6]】
  * 【345†1782】 – Superintendent of Finance 【346†Robert Morris】 addresses the 【347†U.S. Congress】 to recommend establishment of a national 【348†mint】 and decimal 【349†coinage】.【350†[7]】
  * 【351†1815】 – 【352†War of 1812】: American frigate 【353†USS President】, commanded by 【354†Commodore】 【355†Stephen Decatur】, is 【356†captured】 by a squadron of four British frigates.【357†[8]】
  * 【358†1818】 – A paper by 【359†David Brewster】 is read to the 【360†Royal Society】, belatedly announcing his discovery of what we now call the biaxial class of 【361†doubly-refracting】 crystals.【362†[9]】 On the same day, 【363†Augustin-Jean Fresnel】 signs a "supplement" (submitted four days later) on reflection of 【364†polarized】 light.
  * 【365†1822】 – 【366†Greek War of Independence】: 【367†Demetrios Ypsilantis】 is elected president of the legislative assembly.
  * 【368†1865】 – 【369†American Civil War】: 【370†Fort Fisher】 in 【371†North Carolina】 【372†falls to the Union】, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.【373†[10]】
  * 【374†1867】 – 【375†Forty people die】 when ice covering the boating lake at 【376†Regent's Park】, 【377†London】, collapses.【378†[11]】
  * 【379†1870】 – A 【380†political cartoon】 for the first time symbolizes the 【381†Democratic Party】 with a 【382†donkey】 ("【383†A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion】" by 【384†Thomas Nast】 for 【385†Harper's Weekly】).
  * 【386†1876】 – The first newspaper in 【387†Afrikaans】, 【388†Die Afrikaanse Patriot】, is published in 【389†Paarl】.
  * 【390†1889】 – 【391†The Coca-Cola Company】, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is 【392†incorporated】 in 【393†Atlanta】.
  * 【394†1892】 – 【395†James Naismith】 publishes the 【396†rules】 of 【397†basketball】.【398†[12]】

### 1901–present[【399†edit】]

  * 【400†1908】 – The 【401†Alpha Kappa Alpha】 【402†sorority】 becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by 【403†African American】 college women.
  * 【404†1910】 – Construction ends on the 【405†Buffalo Bill Dam】 in 【406†Wyoming】, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 99 m (325 ft).
  * 【407†1911】 – 【408†Palestinian Arabic】-language 【409†Falastin】 newspaper founded.【410†[13]】
  * 【411†1919】 – 【412†Rosa Luxemburg】 and 【413†Karl Liebknecht】, two of the most prominent 【414†communists】 in Germany, are clubbed and then shot to death by members of the 【415†Freikorps】 at the end of the 【416†Spartacist uprising】.【417†[14]】
  * 1919 – 【418†Great Molasses Flood】: A wave of 【419†molasses】 released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through 【420†Boston】, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.
  * 【421†1934】 – The 8.0 M_{w} 【422†Nepal–Bihar earthquake】 strikes 【423†Nepal】 and 【424†Bihar】 with a maximum 【425†Mercalli intensity】 of XI (Extreme), killing an 

January 15 - Wikipedia

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January 15


How many know anything about the Black Victorians of the old Lagos colony or Sara Forbes Bonneta who was the god-daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain.

How many have ever heard about Sara’s distinguished and well to do husband, Captain James Pinson Labulo Davis, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist from old Lagos.

How many know anything about the politics and history of Nigeria in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?

How many knew that it was only in the 1950s that Nigerians were allowed to live in the area of Lagos known as Ikoyi and that this came about only as a consequence of the long and bitter struggle and great and irresistible agitation of the proud and noble Nigerian leaders of the old Lagos colony of that day.

Up until then Ikoyi was a residential area that was the exclusive preserve of the European settlers and colonialists!

How many have heard about Justice Victor Adedapo Kayode, my Cambridge-University trained paternal grandfather who was one of the leading criminal lawyers of his generation, who was the third Nigerian to be appointed as a Magistrate (in those days all our judges were white) and who landed a dirty slap on the face of a British colonial officer in broad daylight outside the front door of the old Bristol Hotel in Lagos for his insolence, impertinence and overtly racist remarks!

The following day the matter was reported in the newspapers and it created quite a stir!  
How many know about what really happened during our civil war and what led to it?

How many know about President Shehu Shagari and the Second Republic and how many have any knowledge of Chief MKO Abiola in the third?

How many know about military rule in Nigeria and who the main players were and how many have any idea about the coups and attempted coups we have experienced since independence?

Nation’s past

Sadly most Nigerians, particularly in the Gen Z generation, know NOTHING about their nation’s past and its major players and even when they do that knowledge is sparse, scanty, shallow and, more often than not, minimal, inconsequential and obscure.

It really is a tragedy and one of the reasons that yours truly has written this contribution about the relevance of January 15 in our calender is to at least attempt to enlighten those that are intelligent enough to appreciate the importance of history and that have no idea why we even have or celebrate an Armed Forces Remembrance Day or where our seemingly unending troubles and turmoil really started.

Consider the following.

Today is Armed Forces Remembrance Day and it is a day that we are constrained to remember our fallen heroes.  
Many in the younger generation do not know why this particular day was chosen to commemorate those that fell and the tragic events that led to their brutal murder.

Permit me to enlighten those that know no better and to share the facts.

Mutiny

58 years ago today, on January 15, 1966, a bloody, vicious, merciless, unrelenting and violent mutiny took place in our Armed Forces in which many of our revered, respected and beloved political leaders and senior military officers, together with some members of their respective families, were humiliated, tortured, mutilated and finally murdered in cold blood.

Those that were killed were Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the old Northern Region, Chief S.L. Akintola, the Premier of the old Western Region, Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Colonel James Pam, Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun, Colonel Ralph Sodeinde, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, the Minister of Finance, Colonel Arthur Unegbe, Colonel Kur Mohammed, Lt. Colonel Abogo Largema, Mrs. Hafsatu Bello, the wife of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Zarumi, the bodyguard of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Mrs. Lateefat Ademulegun, the wife of Brigadier Ademulegun, Ahmed B. Musa, Ahmed Pategi, Sgt. Daramola Oyegoke, PC Yohana Garkawa, PC Musa Nimzo, PC Akpan Anduka, PC Hagai Lai and PC Philip Lewande.

Two others were also abducted by the mutineers from their homes that night and brutalised. Thankfully they both managed to escape with their lives.

The first was Chief Remilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode KC, SAN, CON, the Balogun of Ile-Ife and the Deputy Premier of the old Western Region (my beloved father).

I personally witnessed some of the events of that night when, led by one Captain Emmanuel Nwobosi, they came to our home and official residence in Government House, Ibadan and abducted him.

Rescue

Thankfully he was rescued later in the day by loyal troops led by Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon (as he then was), Captain Paul Chabri Tarfa (as he then was) and Lt. Takoda, who stormed the officers mess in Dodan Barracks, Lagos where he was taken and was being held by the mutineers and freed him after a prolonged and bloody gun battle which resulted in deaths on both sides.

The second was Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the Governor of the old Northern Region who was rescued and freed by loyalist forces in Kaduna.

Both of these men were delivered by divine providence and went on to live for many more years and make their contributions to national development.

The coup was led by Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna and Major Chukuwem

The importance of history, the bloody coup of January 15 and a tribute to our heroes past - Vanguard News

Battles on January 15

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