22 January, 1943 – World record for the fastest temperature change

The fastest temperature change recorded in history occurred on this day in Spearfish, South Dakota. The temperature increased from ?4°F (?20°C) to +45°F (+7°C) in the span of two minutes.

23 January, 1957 – Walter Frederick sells the rights to his flying disc to the toy company Wham-O

Today, the Frisbee is used around the world as both a toy and as part of flying disc games, such as Ultimate.

24 January, 1848 – The California Gold Rush begins

Some 300,000 people travelled to California after James Marshall had found gold at the Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California.

25 January, 1924 – The first Winter Olympics begin

The I Olympic Winter Games were held in the vibrant town of Chamonix in France.

26 January, 1905 – The world's largest diamond is found in South Africa

The Cullinan diamond weighed 3106.75 carats (621.35 g or 1.37 lb) and has an estimated value of about two billion USD.

27 January, 1967 – Three astronauts die in a cabin fire while preparing for the Apollo 1 mission

The accident was a blow to the NASA's Apollo manned lunar landing programme.

28 January, 1813 – Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, is published

It is one of the best-known works of English literature and it was sold about 20 million times.