4 January 1954

Sembawang Hot Spring Park in Singapore reopened after being redeveloped by the National Parks Board.

The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, officially opened in Dubai.

Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government.

Spirit (artist's impression depicted), the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars.

Two American F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23 Floggers that appeared to be attempting to engage them over the Gulf of Sidra.

Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running sitcom in the world, premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.

Rose Heilbron (pictured) became the first female judge to sit at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales.

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake occurred in Tonghai County, China, killing at least 15,000 people.

Korean War: Chinese and North Korean troops captured Seoul from United Nations forces.

Billboard published its first music hit parade.

British explorer Aeneas Mackintosh, a member of the Nimrod Expedition, escaped death by fleeing across ice floes.

Solomon Northup (pictured) regained his freedom after having been sold into slavery in the American South; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later became a bestseller.

Most of London's Palace of Whitehall, the main residence of English monarchs since 1530, was destroyed by fire.

Hennenman–Kroonstad train crash: A passenger train operated by Shosholoza Meyl collides with a truck on a level crossing at Geneva Station between Hennenman and Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. Twenty people are killed and 260 injured.

The Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, officially opens in Dubai.

A Let L-410 Turbolet crashes in the Los Roques Archipelago in Venezuela, killing 14 people.

The 110th United States Congress convenes, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history.

Ehud Olmert becomes acting Prime Minister of Israel after the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, suffers a second, apparently more serious stroke.

Spirit, a NASA Mars rover, lands successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.

Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the November 2003 Rose Revolution.

A Norwegian passenger train departing from Trondheim, collides with a local train coming from Hamar in Åsta in Åmot Municipality; 19 people are killed and 68 injured in the accident.

Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is sworn in as governor of Minnesota, United States.

A massive ice storm hits eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, continuing through January 10 and causing widespread destruction.

Second Gulf of Sidra incident: A pair of Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are shot down by a pair of US Navy F-14 Tomcats during an air-to-air confrontation.