Historical eventJanuary 21976

Gale of January 1976

An extratropical cyclone began affecting parts of western Europe, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern portions of the North Sea and leading to at least 82 deaths.

50th anniversary in 2026

Everything on January 2Original source

In context

When
Friday, January 2 197650 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Anniversary
50th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1976.

What happened

An extratropical cyclone began affecting parts of western Europe, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern portions of the North Sea and leading to at least 82 deaths.

January 2 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1976Gale of January 1976
  2. 1981United Kingdom
  3. 1988Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782
  4. 1991Sharon Pratt
  5. 1993Sri Lankan civil war
  6. 2004Stardust (spacecraft)
  7. 2009Sri Lankan civil war
  8. 2016Nimr al-Nimr
  9. 20222022 Kazakh unrest
  10. 20242024 Haneda Airport runway collision
  11. 2024Haneda Airport

Also in 1976

  • September 91976 Anapa mid-air collisionTwo Aeroflot flights collide in mid-air over Anapa, Soviet Union, killing 70.
  • September 17Space Shuttle EnterpriseThe Space Shuttle Enterprise is unveiled by NASA.
  • October 20Luling–Destrehan FerryThe Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St. Ch…
  • January 3International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsThe International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, comes into force.
  • September 3Viking programViking program: The American Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.
  • August 171976 Moro Gulf earthquakeA magnitude 7.9 earthquake hits off the coast of Mindanao, Philippines, triggering a destructive tsunami, killing between 5,000 and 8,000…
  • June 1Aeroflot Flight 418Aeroflot Flight 418 crashes in Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, killing 46.
  • January 4The TroublesThe Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force shoots dead six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day, gunme…

Everything we record for 1976 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Gale of January 1976”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/gale-of-january-1976-1976-january-2, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Gale of January 1976 happen?

January 2 1976 — 50 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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