Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/January 4
- 1493 - Christopher Columbus left the New World, ending his first journey.
- 1698 - Most of the Palace of Whitehall (pictured) in London, the main residence of the English monarchs, was destroyed by fire.
- 1884 - The Fabian Society was founded in London.
- 1948 - Thakin Nu of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League presided over the independence of Burma (now Myanmar) from the British Empire.
- 2004 - The NASA Mars Rover Spirit landed successfully on Mars at 04:35 UTC.