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8 January 1835: US national debt hits $0
Features By selling land, collecting taxes and cutting public spending, the US national debt was brought down to $0 for the first and only time in the country’s history on this day in 1835.
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8 January 1940: food rationing is introduced in Britain
Features On this day in 1940, the Ministry of Food introduced rationing in the UK to ensure there was enough food to go round during the war.
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7 January 1785: First crossing of the English Channel by air
Features On this day in 1785, French balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American doctor John Jeffries became the first people to cross the English Channel by air.
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7 January 1782: America’s first central bank opens for business
Features On this day in 1782, the Bank of North America, created to help pay for the American war of independence, opened for business.
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6 January 1873: Crédit Mobilier of America scandal investigated
Features On this day in 1873, the US House of Representatives launched an investigation into the scandal surrounding the building of the Union Pacific Railroad.
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6 January 1639: Virginia orders the destruction of its tobacco crop
Features Faced with the plunging price of tobacco, the colonists of Virginia directed that half of the crop should be destroyed to avoid an economic catastrophe, on this day in 1639.
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5 January 1766: Christie’s first auction
Features Venerable auction house Christie's began business on this day in 1766 selling pillow cases, bed-sheets and second-hand chamber pots.
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5 January 1971: The first one-day international cricket match
Features On this day in 1971, Australia beat England by five wickets in the first ever one-day international cricket match.
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4 January 1884: Founding of the Fabian Society
Features Rapid economic change in the 19th century didn't benefit everybody. On 4 January 1884, the Fabian Society was established in London to redress the balance.
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