What happened this day in history: January 24
1848 - The California gold rush began after James W Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill.
1857 – The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first fully fledged university in South Asia.
1890 - The first train passed over the Forth Bridge.
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Hide Ad1900 - The world’s oldest badminton club was founded in Newcastle.
1908 - The first Boy Scout troop was organised in England by Robert Baden-Powell.
1935 - Beer was sold in cans for the first time, in Virginia from the Kreuger Brewing Company.
1948 - The first steeplechase horse race was televised, from Sandown Park.
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Hide Ad1962 - The Beatles signed their management contract with Brian Epstein.
1965 - British statesman Sir Winston Churchill died at the age of 90. During the three days lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, a total of 321,360 people filed past his body.
1966 - More than 100 passengers were killed after an Air India Boeing-707 plane crashed into Mont Blanc.