Celebrations
Makar Sankranti (India)
National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand)
Old New Year (see January 13)
Sidereal winter solstice celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; marking the transition of the Sun to Capricorn, and the first day of the six months Uttarayana period.
The first day of Pongal, a Tamil New Year. (Tamil)

History
1539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
1641 - United East Indian Company conquerors city of Malakka, 7,000 killed
1659 - Battle at Elvas: Portuguese beat Spanish
1761 – The Third Battle of Panipat is fought in India between the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marhatas. The Afghan victory changes the course of Indian History.
1794 - Dr Jessee Bennet of Edom Va, performs 1st successful Cesarean section operation on his wife
1814 – Treaty of Kiel: Frederick VI of Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden in return for Pomerania.
1878 - US Supreme court rules race separation on trains unconstitutional
1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000.
1938 – Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica.
1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established.
1967 - Earthquake in Sicily kills 231
1975 - USSR breaks trade agreement with US
1986 - Constitution of Guatemala takes effect
1989 - 29 year old French woman gives birth to sextuplets in Paris
2000 - A United Nations tribunal sentences five Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years for the 1993 killing of over 100 Muslims in a Bosnian village.
2004 – The national flag of The Republic of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years.
2005 - Landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan.
2011 – Stampede near Sabarimala – 104 devotees killed and several others injured in a stampede at Uppupara in Idukki district.

For details, contact Datacentre