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What happened on January 4th?
The world’s tallest building opened in Dubai
Matthew Jones
January 04, 2025
2010 The World’s Tallest Building Opens in Dubai
On January 4th, 2010, Burj Khalifa, which stands 163 stories tall—a full 45 stories taller than the world’s second-largest building—opened in Dubai. The tower was completed in just six years, at a cost of $1.5 billion. The design of Burj Khalifa was partially inspired by ancient Islamic architecture, such as the minaret at the Great Mosque of Samarra. With 900 residences, four swimming pools, a dedicated library floor, an expansive spa, and a wellness center, it is considered one of the most luxurious properties in the world.
View of the Burj Khalifa from a ferry at sea, Dubai, UAE.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on January 4:
2007 ─ Nancy Pelosi, a US politician representing California, became the first woman to be elected speaker of the House of Representatives. She has served in the House of Representatives since 1987.
1965 ─ US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his idea for a “Great Society,” which included sweeping legislative changes that impacted critical aspects of American life, including health care, urban renewal, and education.
1948 ─ Burma, whose name was formally changed to Myanmar, won its independence after 63 years of colonial rule by the United Kingdom.
1853 ─ A free African-American, Solomon Northrup, officially obtained his freedom after being kidnapped and sold into slavery while on a trip from his native New York to Washington, D.C. He wrote about the horrific experience in his memoir Twelve Years a Slave.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On January 4, we’re singing to:
Isaac Newton (1643) ─ Most famous for “discovering” gravity, Newton also came up with the laws of motion, built the first reflecting telescope, served in Parliament, and ran Great Britain’s Royal Mint in addition to many other accomplishments in the fields of mathematics, astronomy and physics.
Louis Braille (1809) ─ French inventor and educator who was struck blind as a child and at age 15 invented a system of reading and writing for the blind that is still used to this day.
🪦Who Died Today?
On January 4, we’re saying goodbye to:
Cornelius Vanderbilt (1877) ─ One of the wealthiest American industrialists in history, who made his fortune consolidating the US railroad system and later went on to make the donation to found Vanderbilt University.
Henri Bergson (1941) ─ A famed French philosopher who debated Einstein, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1927, and was awarded France’s National Order of the Legion of Honor.
Albert Camus (1960) ─ French philosopher and author, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, and author of The Stranger, amongst other works. Died in a (suspicious?) car accident at the age of 46.
T.S. Eliot (1965) ─ Poet and playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1948). He is most famous for his poems “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “Wasteland.”
How Am I Doing?
What do you think of the History of Today?Let me know what you think so I can be better 😀 |