January 2: Feast day of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Basil of Caesarea (Roman Rite Catholicism, Anglicanism)A. Mitchell Palmer1865 Uruguayan War: Brazilian and Colorado Party forces captured the city of Paysand from its Uruguayan defenders.1920 Under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer (pictured), U.S. Department of Justice agents launched a series of raids against radical leftists and anarchists in more than 30 cities and towns across 23 states.1991 Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as the mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position.2004 The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth.2016 Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, was executed by the Saudi government along with 46 other people.Salima Sultan Begum (d.1613)Queen Emma of Hawaii (b.1836)Mily Balakirev (b.1837)Edgar Martnez (b.1963)More anniversaries: January 1January 2January 3ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout