This Day In History : January 4

2010 United Arab Emirates

Burj Khalifa Opens as the World's Tallest Building

On January 4, 2010, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, officially opened to the public. Standing at a height of 828 meters (2,717 feet), it became the tallest building in the world, surpassing the previous record held by the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. The Burj Khalifa is known for its stunning architecture and serves as a global icon of modern engineering and design.

Also on This Day in History January 4

Discover what happened on January 4 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, January 4
  • 1797 Wilhelm Beer

    German banker and amateur astronomer who owned a fine Fraunhofer refractor which he used in his own a private observatory.

  • 1797 Dominique Vivant Denon

    (baron) French artist, archaeologist, and museum official who played an important role in the development of the Louvre collection.

  • 1737 Baron Louis Bernard Guyton de Morveau

    French chemist who collaborated with Antoine Lavoisier and others to establish a systematic chemical nomenclature, helping to distinguish elements from compounds.

  • 2024 Louis Braille

    French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind

  • 2024 May-Britt Moser

    Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist who discovered of place cells

Deaths on This Day, January 4
  • 1961 Erwin Schrödinger

    Austrian physicist and Nobel Laureate (wave mechanics)

  • 1990 Harold Edgerton

    American electrical engineer and photographer who created high-speed photography techniques

  • 1761 Stephen Hales

    English physiologist, chemist and inventor who was the first person to measure blood pressure

  • 1882 John William Draper

    British-American scientist, chemist, and early photographer

  • 1914 Silas Weir Mitchell

    American physician who discovered causalgia, erythromelalgia and author of Roland Blake, Hugh Wynne

1948

Burma Gains Independence from the United Kingdom

On January 4, 1948, Burma (now Myanmar) officially gained independence from British colonial rule. This marked a significant milestone in Burma's history, as it ended decades of British control and paved the way for the country's self-governance. The independence movement was led by various nationalist leaders, including Aung San, who played a pivotal role in negotiating Burma's transition to sovereignty.
2004

Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands successfully on Mars

Spirit, a Mars rover in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission, landed successfully on January 4, 2004, inside the Gusev crater. Operating for 6 years and 77 days, it explored Martian terrain for 2208 sols (Martian days) before concluding its mission in 2010.
1847

Samuel Colt sells his first revolver

On January 4, 1847, Samuel Colt won a contract to supply 1,000 .44 caliber revolvers to the U.S. government, revolutionizing firearm accessibility and usage in America. Prior to Colt's innovation, handguns were expensive, inaccurate, and primarily used by the elite for formal dueling. His mass-produced revolvers democratized firearm ownership, marking a significant shift in American history.
1896

Utah becomes the 45th state of the U.S.A.

Utah was inaugurated as the 45th state in 1896, winning a decades-long battle against the federal government. After decades of lobbying, Utah became the 45th state on January 4, 1896. First settled in 1848 by Latter-day Saints escaping religious persecution, the isolated settlement quickly blossomed into a commercial center.
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