10 January 1654

A general strike began in Guinea as an attempt to force President Lansana Conté to resign, eventually resulting in the appointment of two new prime ministers.

The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, reached peak intensity.

Sir Clive Sinclair launched the Sinclair C5 personal electric vehicle (pictured), "one of the great marketing bombs of postwar British industry", which later became a cult collectable despite its commercial failure.

The first session of the United Nations General Assembly convened at the Methodist Central Hall in London with representatives from 51 member states.

The first session of the United Nations General Assembly convened in London with representatives from the original 51 member states.

Greco-Italian War: The Greek army captured the strategically important Klisura Pass in Albania.

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first volume of The Adventures of Tintin by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began serialisation.

The science fiction film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang, was released in Germany.

Lithuanian residents of the Klaipėda Region began a revolt, ahead of a League of Nations decision on their future which they expected to be against their interest.

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: Seven survivors of the Ross Sea party were rescued after being stranded for several months.

The first great gusher of the Texas oil boom was discovered in the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont.

Service began on the Metropolitan Railway (construction depicted) between Paddington and Farringdon Street, today the oldest segment of the London Underground.

New Orleans (pictured), the first steamship on the Mississippi River, arrived at New Orleans to complete its maiden voyage.

Moldavian–Ottoman Wars: Stephen the Great led Moldavian forces to defeat an Ottoman attack under Hadım Suleiman Pasha near Vaslui in present-day Romania.

Philip the Good established the Order of the Golden Fleece, referred to as the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.

After the death of his guardian John I Tzimiskes, Basil II became the effective ruler and senior emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

Pope Fabian, said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit when a dove landed on his head, began his papacy.

The Western Han dynasty of China ended after the throne was usurped by Wang Mang, who founded the Xin dynasty.

A 13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is found alive in Gordon, Wisconsin, having been kidnapped 88 days earlier from her parents' home whilst they were murdered.

A bombing at Jamrud in Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and injures 78 others.

A general strike begins in Guinea in an attempt to get President Lansana Conté to resign.

North Korea withdraws from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, making it the first state to withdraw from the treaty.

Crossair Flight 498, a Saab 340 aircraft, crashes in Niederhasli, Switzerland, after taking off from Zurich Airport, killing 13 people.

Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.