So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

January 3rd


- Christian Feast Day
- Tamaseseri Festival (Hakozaki Shrine, Fukuoka)
- The tenth day of Christmas (Western Christianity)

January 3rd


- 2007 - National Express has its worst ever coach crash just outside Heathrow Airport.
- 2004 - Flight 604, a Boeing 737 owned by Flash Airlines, an Egyptian airliner, plunges into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board.
- 1999 - The Mars Polar Lander is launched.
- 1999 - Israel detains, and later expels, 14 members of Concerned Christians.
- 1997 - The People's Republic of China announces it will spend $27.7 billion USD to fight erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.
- 1994 - An Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154 crashes and explodes after takeoff from Irkutsk, Russia, killing 125 people including one on the ground.
- 1994 - More than seven million people from the former Apartheid Homelands, receives South African citizenship.
- 1993 - In Moscow, George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
- 1990 - Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces.
- 1988 - Margaret Thatcher becomes the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th Century.
- 1977 - Apple Computer is incorporated.
- 1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.
- 1961 - The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.
- 1961 - The SL-1, a government-run reactor near Idaho Falls, Idaho, leaks radiation, killing three workers.
- 1959 - Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. State.
- 1958 - The West Indies Federation is formed.
- 1957 - The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
- 1956 - A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.
- 1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.
- 1947 - Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time.
- 1945 - World War II: Admiral Chester W Nimitz is placed in command of all U.S. Naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan.
- 1944 - World War II: Top Ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Zero.
- 1938 - The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- 1933 - Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.
- 1932 - Martial law is declared in Honduras to stop revolt by banana workers fired by United Fruit.
- 1925 - Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy.
- 1924 - British explorer Howard Carter discovers the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.
- 1921 - Turkey makes peace with Armenia.
- 1888 - The refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory, measuring 91 cm in diameter, is used for the first time. It was the largest telescope in the world at the time.
- 1870 - The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins.
- 1868 - Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Ch?sh? seize power.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States.
- 1848 - Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of the independent African Republic of Liberia.
- 1823 - Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.
- 1815 - Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussia and Russia.
- 1782 - Sylhet District was established
- 1777 - American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
- 1749 - Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.
- 1521 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
- 1496 - Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine.
- 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon.

January 3rd


- 1989 - Alex D. Linz, American actor
- 1989 - Julia Nunes, American singer and ukulele player
- 1989 - Anya Rozova, Russian model
- 1988 - Rodrigo de la Cadena, Mexican artist and performer
- 1987 - Leonidas Panagopoulos, Greek footballer
- 1986 - Lloyd Polite, American R&B singer
- 1986 - Jacob Timpano, Australian footballer
- 1986 - Jessica O'Rourke, American footballer
- 1985 - John David Booty, American football player
- 1985 - Linas Kleiza, Lithuanian basketball player
- 1985 - Evan Moore, American football player
- 1984 - Billy Mehmet, Irish footballer
- 1983 - Antti Arst, Estonian footballer
- 1981 - Eli Manning, American football player
- 1980 - Bryan Clay, American decathlete
- 1980 - Angela Ruggiero, American ice hockey player
- 1980 - David Tyree, American football player
- 1978 - Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model
- 1978 - Kimberley Locke, American singer
- 1978 - Park Sol-mi, South Korean actress
- 1978 - Dominic Wood, English children's television presenter
- 1978 - Mike York, American ice hockey player
- 1977 - Lee Bowyer, British footballer
- 1977 - A.J. Burnett, American baseball player
- 1977 - Michelle Stephenson, British singer (Spice Girls)
- 1977 - Mayumi Iizuka, Japanese voice actress (seiy?)
- 1976 - Angelos Basinas, Greek footballer
- 1976 - Alisen Down, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Dinara Drukarova, Russian actress
- 1976 - Nicholas Gonzalez, American actor
- 1975 - Thomas Bangalter, French DJ (Daft Punk)
- 1975 - Jason Marsden, American actor
- 1975 - Danica McKellar, American actress
- 1974 - Alessandro Petacchi, Italian cyclist
- 1972 - Yoon Chan, South Korean actor
- 1972 - Nichole Nordeman, American singer
- 1971 - Cory Cross, Canadian ice-hockey player
- 1971 - Sarah Alexander, English actress
- 1970 - Christian Duguay, American comic actor
- 1970 - Mahaya Petrosian, Iranian actress
- 1970 - Matt Ross, American actor
- 1969 - Michael Schumacher, German seven-time racing driver
- 1969 - Gerda Weissensteiner, Italian bobsledder and luger
- 1966 - Martin Galway, Northern Ireland composer
- 1965 - Steven A. LaChance, American Author
- 1964 - Bruce LaBruce, Canadian filmmaker
- 1963 - Vic Grimes, American professional wrestler
- 1963 - Alex Wheatle, British novelist
- 1963 - Jerome Young, American professional wrestler
- 1962 - Francesca Lia Block, American author
- 1958 - Shim Hyung-rae, South Korean filmmaker
- 1958 - James J. Greco, American businessman
- 1957 - Bojan Kri??, Slovenian skier
- 1956 - Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor and director
- 1956 - Willy T. Ribbs, American race-car driver
- 1955 - Palmolive, British musician (The Slits, The Raincoats)
- 1954 - Dean Hart, Canadian wrestler (d. 1990)
- 1954 - Ned Lamont, American businessman and political figure
- 1954 - Ross the Boss, American guitarist
- 1953 - Justin Fleming, Australian playwright and writer
- 1952 - Jim Ross, American wrestling announcer
- 1951 - Gary Nairn, Australian politician
- 1950 - Victoria Principal, American actress
- 1949 - Sylvia Likens, American torture victim (d. 1965)
- 1946 - John Paul Jones, British musician (Led Zeppelin)
- 1946 - Cissy King, American entertainer
- 1945 - Stephen Stills, American musician
- 1944 - David Atherton, British conductor
- 1944 - Blanche d'Alpuget, Australian novelist, biographer
- 1943 - Jarl Alfredius, Swedish news anchor (d. 2009)
- 1942 - John Marsden, Australian lawyer, gay activist (d. 2006)
- 1942 - John Thaw, British actor (d. 2002)
- 1941 - Van Dyke Parks, American musician
- 1939 - Nikos Alefantos, Greek football manager
- 1939 - Janice Crosio, Australian politician
- 1939 - Bobby Hull, Canadian hockey player
- 1939 - Ruben Reyes, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
- 1937 - Seri Wangnaitham, Thai dancer and choreographer (d. 2007)
- 1936 - David Vine, British sports commentator (d. 2009)
- 1935 - Raymond Garneau, French Canadian politician and businessman
- 1934 - Carla Hills, American politician and lawyer
- 1932 - Dabney Coleman, American actor
- 1932 - Coo Coo Marlin, American race car driver (d. 2005)
- 1932 - Tongolele, Americab-born Mexican dancer
- 1930 - Marcel Dubé, Quebec playwright
- 1930 - Robert Loggia, American actor
- 1929 - Sergio Leone, Italian director (d. 1989)
- 1929 - Ernst Mahle, Brazilian composer
- 1926 - W. Michael Blumenthal, 64th US Secretary of Treasury
- 1926 - George Martin, British record producer
- 1925 - Jill Balcon, British actress (d. 2009)
- 1924 - Doug Ellis, British entrepreneur
- 1924 - André Franquin, Belgian cartoonist (Gaston Lagaffe) (d. 1997)
- 1924 - Nell Rankin, American singer (d. 2005)
- 1923 - Hank Stram, American football coach (d. 2005)
- 1923 - Charles Tingwell, Australian actor (d. 2009)
- 1922 - Ronald Smith, British pianist (d. 2004)
- 1922 - Bill Travers, British actor and director (d. 1994)
- 1921 - John Russell, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1920 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician (d. 2001)
- 1917 - Roger W. Straus, Jr., American publisher (d. 2004)
- 1917 - Vernon Walters, American military officer and diplomat (d. 2002)
- 1916 - Maxene Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters) (d. 1995)
- 1916 - Betty Furness, American actress (d. 1994)
- 1916 - Bernard Greenhouse, American cellist
- 1915 - Mady Rahl, German actress (d. 2009)
- 1915 - Jack Levine, American painter (d. 2010)
- 1912 - Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and senator (d. 2002)
- 1912 - Armand Lohikoski, Finnish director (d. 2005)
- 1911 - John Sturges, American director (d. 1982)
- 1910 - Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player (d. 2000)
- 1909 - Victor Borge, Danish entertainer (d. 2000)
- 1905 - Ray Milland, British actor (d. 1986)
- 1905 - Anna May Wong, American actress (d. 1961)
- 1901 - Ngô ?ình Di?m, South Vietnamese politician (d. 1963)
- 1900 - Donald J. Russell, North American railroad executive (d. 1985)
- 1898 - Carlos Keller, Chilean fascist politician (d. 1974)
- 1897 - Marion Davies, American actress (d. 1961)
- 1895 - Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer (d. 1968)
- 1894 - ZaSu Pitts, American actress (d. 1963)
- 1892 - J. R. R. Tolkien, British writer (d. 1973)
- 1887 - August Macke, German painter (d. 1914)
- 1887 - Helen Parkhurst, American educator (d. 1973)
- 1886 - John Gould Fletcher, American poet and author (d. 1950)
- 1886 - Josephine Hull, American actress (d. 1957)
- 1885 - Harry Elkins Widener, American book collector and victim of the RMS Titanic sinking (d. 1912)
- 1884 - Raoul von Koczalski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1948)
- 1883 - Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1967)
- 1879 - Grace Coolidge, First Lady of the United States (d. 1957)
- 1876 - Wilhelm Pieck, East Germany statesman (d. 1960)
- 1875 - Alexandros Diomidis, Greek banker and politician (d. 1950)
- 1873 - Ichizo Kobayashi, Japanese businessman (d. 1957)
- 1870 - Henry Handel Richardson, Australian author (d. 1946)
- 1865 - Henry Lytton, British actor and opera singer (d. 1936)
- 1862 - Sir Matthew Nathan, British Governor of Queensland (d. 1939)
- 1861 - William Renshaw, British champion tennis player (d. 1904)
- 1856 - R. C. Lehmann, English writer (d. 1929)
- 1855 - Hubert Bland, British socialist (d. 1914)
- 1840 - Father Damien, Flemish missionary (d. 1889)
- 1836 - Sakamoto Ryoma, Japanese revolutionary (d. 1867)
- 1831 - Savitribai Phule, Indian social activist and educator (d. 1897)
- 1821 - Dragotin Deman, Slovenian politician, archeologist and botanist (d. 1889)
- 1819 - Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal for Scotland (d. 1900)
- 1810 - Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, French geographer (d. 1897)
- 1806 - Henriette Sontag, German soprano (d. 1854)
- 1803 - Douglas William Jerrold, British playwright (d. 1857)
- 1802 - Charles Pelham Villiers, British House of Commons member (d. 1898)
- 1793 - Lucretia Mott, American women's rights activist (d. 1880)
- 1778 - Antoni Melchior Fija?kowski, Polish bishop (d. 1861)
- 1760 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (d. 1835)
- 1733 - Sir Richard Arkwright, British industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
- 1722 - Fredric Hasselquist, Swedish naturalist (d. 1752)
- 1719 - Francisco José Freire, Portuguese historian (d. 1773)
- 1710 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier (d. 1796)
- 1698 - Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet (d. 1782)
- 1196 - Emperor Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1231)
- -106 - Cicero, Roman statesman and philosopher (d. 43 BC)