1066 – The last Anglo-Saxon king of England – Harold Godwinson – began his reign on this date. It lasted until October when he was killed during the Battle of Hastings.
1540 – Anne of Cleves becomes the fourth wife to King Henry VIII of England.
1853 – Near Andover, MA, 14th US President Franklin Pierce loses his son due to a train accident involving a railcar that the entire family was on.
1912 – Alfred Wegener, a German geophysicist, officially presented his continental
drift theory.
1929 – Mother Theresa begins working in Calcutta to help comfort and care for India’s sick and poorest people.
1931 – After being granted more than 2300 patents, Thomas Edison submits an application for what would be his last patent.
1941 – Richard Widmark, who would go on to be a renowned Broadway actor and film star, made his debut on the radio on this date in the program “The Home of the Brave.”
1945 – The Battle of the Bulge, one of the major battles in World War II, ended on this date with combined casualties on both sides reaching more than 200,000 soldiers.
1976 – 
Musician Peter Frampton releases his bestselling breakthrough album – “Frampton Comes Alive” – which has sold more than 6 million copies to date.
1999 – Impeachment proceedings are set by the US Congress for then-President Bill Clinton.The trial was to begin the next day – January 7.
1412 – Joan of Arc, Roman Catholic saint
1878 – Carl Sandburg, American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and editor
1937 – Alan Watts, British hilosopher and writer
1937 – Paolo Conte, Italian singer, pianist, and composer
1937 – 
Lou Holtz, retired American football coach
1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian musician, director, and TV host
1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress (One Day at a Time)
1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer and musician, founding member of Pink Floyd
1955 – 
Rowan Atkinson, British comedian and actor (Mr. Bean, Johnny English, Blackadder)
1966 – A. R. Rahman, Indian composer and musician
1986 – Petter Northug, Norwegian Olympic champion in skiing