January 1926

The following events occurred in January 1926:

• Flooding of the Rhine River struck the German city of Köln and 50,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.^[1] The torrent of water rose 35 feet (11 m) for the worst flooding there in more than 100 years.^[2][3]
• Radio programming was introduced to Ireland as its first radio station, 2RN (later Radio Éireann), began regular broadcasting.^[4]
• The unbeaten and untied (9-0-0) Alabama Crimson Tide, champion of the Southern Conference played against unbeaten and the once-tied (10-0-1) Pacific Coast Conference champion Washington Huskies met in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena, California before 56,000 spectators. Despite trailing, 12-0 at halftime, Alabama scored three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to take a 20-12 lead and won by a single point, 20 to 19.^[5][6] The victory has been referred to at Alabama as "the game that changed the South"^[7] because it showed to the American public that the impoverished Deep South states could compete with the western and eastern programs that had previously dominated college football.
• Earlier in the day, the collapse of wooden seats during the annual Tournament of Roses Parade severely injured 30 people and hurt more than 200 others.^[8]
• The U.S. city of Daytona Beach, Florida was created by the merger of the towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach, Kingston, and Seabreeze
• Born:
  • V. K. Ramasamy, Indian comedian and film actor who appeared in more than 500 films over a 54-year career; in Virudhunagar, Presidency of Fort St. George, British India (now the Indian state of Tamil Nadu) (d. 2002)^[9]
  • USMC Sergeant James E. Johnson, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient for his heroism in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War; in Pocatello, Idaho (killed in action, 1950)^[10]
  • Robert Descharnes, French photographer who served as business manager and press agent for the artist Salvador Dali; in Nevers, Nièvre département (d.2014)^[11]
  • D. Jamison Cain, U.S. Post Office promoter who coined the terms "Zone Improvement Plan" and "ZIP code" to describe the five-digit postal code launched in the U.S. on July 1, 1963; in Sumter, South Carolina (d. 2010)^[12]

• An explosion of the in the U.S. city of Pensacola, Florida, killed 12 people and injured 17 others ^[13]
• The United States Lawn Tennis Association announced that Bill Tilden was ranked as the U.S. national champion for the sixth consecutive year, surpassing the record set by William A. Larned of five titles in a row from 1907 to 1911.^[14]
• Flooding continued to ravage Europe, from England to Romania, due to heavy rains and unseasonably high temperatures.^[15]
• Born:
  • Bruce Harlan, American diver and 1948 Olympic gold medalist who was later the diving coach at the University of Michigan; in Marple Newtown, Pennsylvania (killed in accidental fall, 1959)^[16][17]
  • Moideen Kutty, Pakistani footballer and captain of the Pakistan national team in 1954; in Melmuri, Presidency of St. George, British India (now Kerala state in India).(d. 2011)
  • Harold Bradley, American country music guitarist; in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2019)
  • Howard Caine (stage name for Howard Cohen), American character actor, best known for the recurring role of Major Hochstetter on Hogan's Heroes; in North Hollywood, Los Angeles (d. 1993)
• Died:
  • Richard Caton, 83, English physiologist noted for his 1875 discovery of the electrical nature of the brain and laying the groundwork for the 1929 discovery of the alpha wave rhythm in the human brain.^[18][19]
  • John Gray McKendrick, 84, Scottish physiologist noted for co-founding the Physiological Society ^[20]

• General Theodoros Pangalos, who had become Prime Minister of Greece on June 24, 1925 in a coup d'etat and restricted freedom of the press, declared a state of emergency and assumed dictatorial powers.^[21]
• Born: George Martin, producer for The Beatles; in London (d. 2016)^[22]

• The Parliament of Romania voted to acceptance of Crown Prince Carol's renunciation of his right to the throne in the wake of his scandalous affair with Magda Lupescu, the Roman Catholic daughter of a Jewish pharmacist. Carol's four-year-old son Michael became the new Crown Prince. Carol would later renege on the renunciation and reigned as King of Romania from 1930 to 1940.
• Andrey Lyapchev took office as the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria, forming a government to succeed Aleksandar Tsankov. Lyapchev would serve until 1931.
• Died:
  • Margherita of Savoy, 74, queen consort of Italy from 1878 to 1900 as wife of King Umberto I
  • Mary Eliza Mahoney, 80, the first professionally trained African American nurse^[23]

• In the United Kingdom, the first Widow's Pensions were paid out at post offices.^[24]
• Born:
  • Ghassan Tueni, Lebanese journalist and publisher of An Nahar; in Beirut (d.2012)^[25]
  • W.D. Snodgrass, American poet who wrote under his own name and the backward pseudonym "S. S. Gardons"; in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania (d. 2009)^[26]
  • Nandanar (pen name for P. C. Gopalan), Indian novelist; in Angadippuram, Madras presidency, British India (now the state of Kerala in India) (committed suicide, 1974)^[27]
  • Candida Tobin, British music educator known for creating the Tobin Method; in Chingford, Essex (d. 2008)^[28]

• The airline Deutsche Luft Hansa (DLH), whose name and staff were used by as part of the 1953 creation of the West German national airline Lufthansa was created in Berlin by the merger of the two largest airlines in Germany, Deutsche Luft-Reederei and Junkers Luftverkehr.^[29]
• Born: Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-born American bodybuilder and 1955 Mr. Universe; in Budapest (d. 2006)Hevesi, Dennis (September 20, 2006). "Mickey Hargitay, 80, Actor and Former Mr. Universe, Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.

• Ongoing downpours in Europe submerged Great War cemeteries in France and flooded the London subway system.^[30]
• The 15th Canadian Parliament was seated. William Lyon Mackenzie King continued as Prime Minister despite the Conservatives winning more seats in the last federal election, by forming a coalition with the Progressives. King had no seat in the House of Representatives after losing the election in district of York North, Ontario.^[31]
• The Dartmouth Indians were announced as having been the number one team in U.S. college football for the 1925 season, as University of Illinois economics professor released the first ratings under what was called the Dickinson System.^[32] Under his ratings, which used a measurement that considered overall records, number of games, margins of victory or loss, and strength of the opponent Dartmouth finished first with 20.00 points, while Michigan and Alabama were tied for second at 19.18 points. In order, the other teams in the Top 11 were Colgate, Missouri, Tulane, Washington, Wisconsin and Stanford, Pitt, and Lafayette College.

• The comedy team of Burns and Allen was created as vaudevillians Gracie Allen and George Burns married by a justice of the peace in Cleveland, Ohio.^[33]
• The Royal Academy of Italy was created by Italy's Fascist Party with a declared purpose "to promote and coordinate Italian intellectual activity" and "to preserve the integrity of the national spirit, according to the genius and tradition of the race". The Royal Academy was dissolved after the fall of the Mussolini government in 1943.^[34]
• Born:
  • Lieutenant General Srinivas Kumar Sinha, Indian military officer and politician who served as Governor of two states (Jammu and Kashmir, and Assam) as well as Vice Chief of Army Staff; in Patna, Bihar and Orissa Province, British India (d. 2016)^[35]
  • Rosekrans Hoffman (Ruth Olive Rosekrans Hoffman), American children's book author; in Denton, Nebraska (d.2007)^[36]

• Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud was crowned King of Hejaz in a ceremony at the Grand Mosque of Mecca.
• Bảo Đại became Emperor of Vietnam.
• Born:
  • Chester Feldman, U.S. game show producer; in The Bronx, New York (d. 1997)
  • Evelyn Lear, American operatic soprano; in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2012)
  • Soupy Sales (stage name for Milton Supman); American comedian, in Franklinton, North Carolina (d. 2009)
  • Hanae Mori, Japanese fashion designer; in Yoshika, Shimane (d. 2022)

• The Navy League of the United States released a report finding the United States Navy to be unprepared for war and well short of the tonnage limitation set by the Washington Naval Treaty.^[37]
• A band of twenty Mexican rebels opened fire aboard the Guadalajara-Mexico City train, then looted and burned the train. An estimated twenty to fifty people were killed and about 300,000 pesos (about $150,000 US) worth of cash and bar silver were stolen.^[38][39]

• Mexican federal troops tracked down bandits responsible for the previous evening's train massacre to a ranch in Jalisco and engaged them in a shootout. Most of the rebels were killed in the fighting, and eight who were captured were immediately executed. All the stolen loot was recovered.^[39][40]

• The Whittemore Gang robbed Belgian diamond merchants Albert Goudris and Emanuel Veerman on West 48th Street in Manhattan, making off with $175,000 in gems.
• Born: Lev Dyomin, Russian cosmonaut; in Moscow (d. 1998)

• Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll premiered their radio program Sam 'n' Henry, in which the two white performers portray two black characters from Harlem looking to strike it rich in the big city. It was a precursor to Gosden and Correll's more popular later program, Amos 'n' Andy.
• The Pasteur Institute in Paris announced the discovery of an anti-tetanus serum.^[24]
• As known well synthetic fiber brand, Toray was founded in Japan, as predecessor name was Toyo Rayon.
• Born: Ray Price, U.S. country music singer; in Perryville, Texas (d. 2013)

• A mine explosion in Wilburton, Oklahoma, killed 91.^[41]
• Britain and Iraq signed a new treaty extending their relations for 25 years or until Iraq joined the League of Nations.^[42]

• German Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann warned that the Locarno Pact was at risk of breaking down, as Germany accused the Allied powers of infringing on the limits on troops they were allowed to station in the Rhineland.^[43]
• A total solar eclipse occurred.
• Born: Tom Tryon, American actor and writer; in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 1991)^[44]

• Turkey adopted the Swiss Civil Code as part of the ongoing reforms instituted by President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.^[24]
• The film The Sea Beast, starring John Barrymore, was released.
• Born: Maria Schell, Austrian actress; in Vienna (d. 2005)
• Died: Louis Majorelle, 66, French furniture designer

• A BBC comic radio play broadcast by Ronald Knox about a workers' revolution caused a panic in London.^[45]

• Twenty-year-old Ayn Rand left Russia, departing from Leningrad by train. Her early life experiences in Communist Russia were a major influence on her philosophy.^[46]
• Born: Moira Shearer, Scottish ballet dancer and actress; in Dunfermline (d. 2006)

• The Italianization of South Tyrol escalated as the government issued a decree requiring citizens of South Tyrol to Italianize any names and titles of nobility "which have been translated into other languages or deformed by foreign orthography or foreign endings." Failure to comply carried a fine of up to 1,000 lira.^[47]

• Lev Karakhan, the Soviet ambassador to China, sent a protest to the Chinese Foreign Ministry warning of "serious consequences" if a dispute over the two countries' joint management of the Chinese Eastern Railway was not resolved. Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin had been seizing parts of the railway line and arresting Soviet officials in retaliation for a decision that made Chinese troops pay half-fare instead of being allowed to ride for free.^[48] The dispute was a precursor to the Sino Soviet Conflict of 1929.
• Born: Fritz Weaver, U.S. actor; in Pittsburgh (d. 2016)

• German Chancellor Dr. Hans Luther formed his second cabinet, a minority coalition involving the Centre Party, German People's Party and National People's Party.^[49]
• Born:
  • Patricia Neal, actress; in Packard, Kentucky (d. 2010)
  • David Tudor, U.S. pianist and composer; in Philadelphia (d. 1996)

• The Chinese Eastern Railway dispute worsened as the general manager of the railway, A.N. Isonov, was arrested by Zhang Zuolin's troops.^[48]
• The Belgian Parliament accepted the Locarno Treaties.
• The D.H. Lawrence novel The Plumed Serpent was published.^[50]
• Born:
  • Steve Reeves, U.S. bodybuilder and actor; in Glasgow, Montana (d. 2000)
  • Franco Evangelisti, Italian composer; in Rome (d. 1980)
• Died: Camillo Golgi, 82, Austrian physician, pathologist, scientist and Nobel laureate

• Soviet Foreign Minister Georgy Chicherin sent a threatening note to the Manchurian government seeking "permission" for the Soviet army to enter Manchuria if the Chinese Eastern Railway's administration was not restored. Manchuria responded by agreeing to comply, ending the crisis.^[48]

• The Shrine Auditorium opened in Los Angeles.^[51]
• Born: Bal Thackeray, Indian politician; in Pune, British India (d. 2012)
• Died: Désiré-Joseph Mercier, 74, Belgian cardinal

• The Third International Radio Week began, featuring transatlantic tests of distance reception. Listeners in New York and Chicago reported successful reception of English and South American radio broadcasts.^[52]

• British surgeon Sir Berkeley Moynihan said cancer of the tongue was partly caused by smoking.^[24]
• Born: Bob Clarke, American illustrator; in Mamaroneck, New York (d. 2013)

• Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated a mechanical television system for members of the Royal Institution and a reporter from The Times at his London laboratory.
• Galician aviator Ramón Franco completed a Trans-Atlantic flight from Huelva, Spain to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There were stopovers at Gran Canaria, Cape Verde, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo along the way. The 10,270-kilometre (6,380 mi) journey was completed in 59 hours and 39 minutes.^[53]

• The U.S. Senate voted in favor of joining the World Court, but with several specific reservations.^[42]
• 30 communists and 12 monarchists were wounded in street fighting in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin during demonstrations on the birthday of the former Kaiser, Wilhelm II. The fighting broke out as communists paraded an effigy of the ex-Kaiser hanged from a gallows. Riot police opened fire after attempts to separate the combatants were met with attacks from both sides.^[54]
• Born:
  • Fritz Spiegl, Austrian musician, journalist and broadcaster; in Zurndorf (d. 2003)
  • Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress; in Sollefteå (d. 2004)

• King Albert, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Louis-Ernest Dubois were among the attendees for the funeral of Belgian cardinal and national hero Désiré-Joseph Mercier, who died on January 23. Thousands lined the streets of Brussels to watch the funeral procession.^[55]
• Died:
  • Katō Takaaki, 66, Prime Minister of Japan since 1924, died from pneumonia.
  • Ernest Troubridge, 63, Royal Navy officer

• Eugene O'Neill's play The Great God Brown opened at the Greenwich Theatre.
• Born: Abdus Salam, Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize laureate; in Jhang (d. 1996)

• Wakatsuki Reijirō, Minister of Home Affairs, formed a new government as Prime Minister of Japan, replacing Katō Takaaki, who had died two days earlier.
• In the U.S., a gas explosion killed 27 miners in Mossboro, Alabama, while another 26 escaped unhurt.^[56]
• The Allied occupation of the first zone of the Rhineland in Germany formally ended. At 3:00 in the afternoon, local time, the British, French and Belgians in the zone all hauled down their flags and withdrew their remaining troops in advance of much of the Rhineland's sovereignty being formally returned to Germany at the stroke of midnight.^[57]
• Died: Barbara La Marr, 29, American actress, died of complications from tuberculosis.

• Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini assumed the power to rule by decree.^[58]
• Died: Lou Bierbauer, 60, American baseball player