On this date, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia as a free online encyclopedia that anyone could edit. What began as a side project to the failing Nupedia quickly grew into the world's largest reference work, with over 60 million articles in more than 300 languages. Despite criticisms about accuracy and bias, Wikipedia has become one of the most visited websites globally and transformed how humanity accesses and shares knowledge.

On this date in 1922, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive an insulin injection as a treatment for diabetes, transforming the once-fatal disease into a manageable condition and saving countless lives worldwide.

On this date the U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a landmark government report establishing a definitive link between cigarette smoking and cancer, marking a turning point in public health history.

On January 9, 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 120-104, ending the longest winning streak in major professional sports history at 33 games, a record that still stands more than 50 years later.

On January 9, 2001, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced iTunes at Macworld in San Francisco, launching a media player that would revolutionize the way people consumed digital music and set the stage for Apple's transformation into an entertainment powerhouse.