January 1,1973 – The UK became a fully fledged member of the European Economic Community (EEC).
January 7, 1990 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed to the public for the first time in its history due to safety fears.
January 16, 1970 – Colonel Muammar Gaddafi became Libya’s prime minister four months after leading a successful coup against the monarchy.
January 25, 2004 – Opportunity, the second of two NASA rovers, landed on the surface of Mars to look for signs of water. The first rover, Spirit, had landed three weeks earlier but quickly ran into difficulties and stopped working altogether.